Groundwork USA Trust Act of 2013 - Establishes the Groundwork USA Trust Program.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to: (1) facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation; (2) reclaim vacant and derelict lands; (3) cleanup and care for neglected areas; (4) return brownfields to productive use; (5) integrate environmental education, food security, health and fitness, resource management, and job training; (6) encourage and support business, local government, nonprofit, and community cooperation in sustainable environmental care and enhancement; (7) acquire, rehabilitate, and improve real property and buildings; and (8) develop programs that encourage partnering with other environmental organizations.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2205 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2205
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the
Groundwork USA national office, to provide grants to certain nonprofit
organizations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2013
Ms. Tsongas (for herself, Mr. McGovern, and Ms. Norton) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources and
Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the
Groundwork USA national office, to provide grants to certain nonprofit
organizations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Groundwork USA Trust Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) locally organized and controlled entities that are
linked together through a national program office have the
ability to lead cost-effective projects and programs that are
responsive to community needs and essential to improving the
local environment, economy, and quality of life;
(2) local community involvement with how land is being used
is an essential component to the economic success of a
neighborhood;
(3) underutilized and neglected vacant lands significantly
erode nearby property values and burden municipal tax bases;
(4) landscaping and maintenance, especially when local
citizens are involved in the process, decreases negative stigma
and generates civic pride, which in turn significantly reduces
vandalism and illicit activities typically associated with idle
lands;
(5) cleaning, landscaping, and tree planting within vacant
and abandoned land and brownfields adds economic value to a
community through increased occupancy rates, and improved sales
appeal of nearby residential and commercial real estate; and
(6) the transformation of idle lands and brownfields into
cleaner, greener, community assets has been exemplified by a
network of federally backed Groundwork USA Trusts for over 8
years.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Brownfields.--The term ``brownfields'' means real
property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may
be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
(2) Eligible organization.--The term ``eligible
organization'' means a--
(A) nonprofit organization that applies for a grant
award under section 4(b) to establish a Groundwork USA
Trust; and
(B) Groundwork USA Trust.
(3) Groundwork usa national office.--The term ``Groundwork
USA national office'' means the independent, nonprofit,
environmental business incorporated under the laws of the State
of New York, which overseas and creates a link between local
Groundwork USA Trust offices.
(4) Groundwork usa trust.--The term ``Groundwork USA
Trust'' means an independent, nonprofit, environmental
organization that works with communities to improve their
environment, economy, and quality of life through local action.
(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means an organization that is described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is
exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF GROUNDWORK USA TRUST PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization of Grant Program.--The Secretary, in consultation
with the Groundwork USA national office, is authorized to award grants
to eligible organizations.
(b) Application.--An eligible organization desiring a grant under
the program shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time,
in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary, in
consultation with the Groundwork USA national office, may require.
SEC. 5. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION.
Each grant award provided under section 4(a) shall be made on the
basis of the quality of the application submitted, taking into
consideration such factors as the following:
(1) The population and demographics of the community and
the environmental, community, or economic development issues
which an eligible entity could help address.
(2) The level of experience with community and
environmental improvement activities of an eligible
organization and the role such organization will play in the
implementation of Groundwork USA Trust activities.
(3) The level in which the community or local government in
which the eligible organization is based is a current or past
recipient of funding or assistance from the EPA Brownfields
Program and demonstrated success in those efforts.
(4) The level in which the eligible organization has
partnered with the National Park Service and demonstrated
success in those efforts.
(5) The level of community interest and commitment to learn
about, evaluate, and partner with a Groundwork USA Trust.
(6) The number and level of opportunities to improve the
local environment for conservation, recreation, and economic
development, including:
(A) The potential to facilitate the creation,
improvement, and stewardship of parks, greenways, open
space, and nature reserves and increase opportunities
for recreation, conservation, food security,
environmental education, and other environmental
improvements in communities impacted by brownfields.
(B) The potential to stimulate economic and
environmental rejuvenation of communities impacted by
brownfield issues.
(C) The potential to increase the capacity of
communities with limited means to improve their
environment, economy, and quality of life.
(D) The potential to engage the local community in
the planning and development of projects and programs
to improve its local environment, including the
assessment, cleanup, and reuse of brownfield sites for
parks, recreation facilities, nature areas, gardens,
trails, and other community benefits.
(E) The potential to contribute to the use or reuse
of existing infrastructure.
(7) The ability to address the issue of brownfields in the
community or target area, including:
(A) The potential to leverage or stimulate funds
from other sources to support the assessment and
remediation of brownfields and their reuse for parks,
recreation facilities, nature areas, and other
community benefits.
(B) The potential to engage the local community in
the planning and implementation of projects and
programs to assess, cleanup, and reuse brownfields for
parks, recreation facilities, nature areas, and other
community benefits.
(C) The potential to help reduce the threats to
human health and the local environment associated with
the presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or
contaminants.
(D) The potential to help address or facilitate the
identification and reduction of threats to the health
and welfare of populations at risk.
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
A grant award provided under the program may be used to--
(1) provide training, research, and technical assistance to
individuals and organizations, as appropriate, to facilitate
the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments,
remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site
preparation;
(2) increase the capacity of communities to improve and
care for their local environment;
(3) reclaim vacant and derelict lands for conservation,
recreation, and economic development;
(4) clean up and care for neglected areas to signal
community pride and rejuvenation;
(5) return brownfields to economically productive use while
restoring blighted landscapes with healthy environments;
(6) integrate environmental education, food security,
health and fitness, resource management, and job training;
(7) encourage businesses, local governments, nonprofits,
and communities to work together for sustainable environmental
care and enhancement;
(8) support businesses, local governments, nonprofits, and
communities in efforts to improve their local environment;
(9) raise the profile of urban environmental improvements
as part of a comprehensive approach to smart growth strategies
and rejuvenation of inner city communities;
(10) acquire real property and buildings to rehabilitate
and improve upon for the local community and perform
maintenance on such property and buildings, including mowing,
irrigating, landscaping, painting, and providing structural
repairs;
(11) expand operations and locations of offices to benefit
a larger geographic area, and increase staff;
(12) develop information systems and utilize such systems
for community- and regional-based research and data
dissemination; and
(13) develop programs that encourage regional and national
partnering with other environmental organizations.
SEC. 7. MAXIMUM GRANT AWARD.
A grant award under the program shall not exceed $400,000 for any
fiscal year.
SEC. 8. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
The Secretary may reserve not more than 15 percent of the amount
made available under this Act to carry out the program in a fiscal year
for administrative costs, including managing, administering, and
assisting with technical support of operations for national and local
Groundwork USA offices.
SEC. 9. ANNUAL REPORT.
Each grant recipient shall submit to the Secretary and the national
Groundwork USA national office an annual report at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary, in
consultation with the Groundwork USA national office, may require.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the program
$15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2019.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line