Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a pilot grant program for improving recycling accessibility in communities. The EPA may award grants to states, local governments, Indian tribes, or public-private partnerships.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6159 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6159
To establish a pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 1, 2023
Mrs. Miller-Meeks (for herself, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Bucshon, and Mr.
Reschenthaler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Recycling Infrastructure and
Accessibility Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Curbside recycling.--The term ``curbside recycling''
means the process by which residential recyclable materials are
picked up curbside.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State (as defined in section 1004 of the
Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6903));
(B) a unit of local government;
(C) an Indian Tribe; and
(D) a public-private partnership.
(4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(5) Materials recovery facility.--
(A) In general.--The term ``materials recovery
facility'' means a recycling facility where primarily
residential recyclables, which are diverted from
disposal by a generator and collected separately from
municipal solid waste, are mechanically or manually
sorted into commodities for further processing into
specification-grade commodities for sale to end users.
(B) Exclusion.--The term ``materials recovery
facility'' does not include a solid waste management
facility that may process municipal solid waste to
remove recyclable materials.
(6) Pilot grant program.--The term ``pilot grant program''
means the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Program
established under subsection (b).
(7) Recyclable material.--The term ``recyclable material''
means obsolete, previously used, off-specification, surplus, or
incidentally produced material for processing into a
specification-grade commodity for which a market exists.
(8) Transfer station.--The term ``transfer station'' means
a facility that--
(A) receives and consolidates recyclable material
from curbside recycling or drop-off facilities; and
(B) loads the recyclable material onto tractor
trailers, railcars, or barges for transport to a
distant materials recovery facility or another
recycling-related facility.
(9) Underserved community.--The term ``underserved
community'' means a community, including an unincorporated
area, without access to full recycling services because--
(A) transportation, distance, or other reasons
render utilization of available processing capacity at
an existing materials recovery facility cost
prohibitive; or
(B) the processing capacity of an existing
materials recovery facility is insufficient to manage
the volume of recyclable materials produced by that
community.
(b) Establishment.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a pilot grant
program, to be known as the ``Recycling Infrastructure and
Accessibility Program'', to award grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible entities to improve recycling accessibility in a community or
communities within the same geographic area.
(c) Goal.--The goal of the pilot grant program is to fund eligible
projects that will significantly improve accessibility to recycling
systems through investments in infrastructure in underserved
communities through the use of a hub-and-spoke model for recycling
infrastructure development.
(d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the
pilot grant program, an eligible entity shall submit to the
Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Administrator may require.
(e) Considerations.--In selecting eligible entities to receive a
grant under the pilot grant program, the Administrator shall consider--
(1) whether the community or communities in which the
eligible entity is seeking to carry out a proposed project has
curbside recycling;
(2) whether the proposed project of the eligible entity
will improve accessibility to recycling services in a single
underserved community or multiple underserved communities; and
(3) if the eligible entity is a public-private partnership,
the financial health of the private entity seeking to enter
into that public-private partnership.
(f) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive a grant
under the pilot grant program, the Administrator shall give priority to
eligible entities seeking to carry out a proposed project in a
community in which there is not more than 1 materials recovery facility
within a 75-mile radius of that community.
(g) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity awarded a grant under the
pilot grant program may use the grant funds for projects to improve
recycling accessibility in communities, including in underserved
communities, by--
(1) increasing the number of transfer stations;
(2) expanding curbside recycling collection programs where
appropriate; and
(3) leveraging public-private partnerships to reduce the
costs associated with collecting and transporting recyclable
materials in underserved communities.
(h) Prohibition on Use of Funds.--An eligible entity awarded a
grant under the pilot grant program may not use the grant funds for
projects relating to recycling education programs.
(i) Minimum and Maximum Grant Amount.--A grant awarded to an
eligible entity under the pilot grant program shall be in an amount--
(1) not less than $500,000; and
(2) not more than $15,000,000.
(j) Set-Aside.--The Administrator shall set aside not less than 70
percent of the amounts made available to carry out the pilot grant
program for each fiscal year to award grants to eligible entities to
carry out a proposed project or program in a single underserved
community or multiple underserved communities.
(k) Federal Share.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Federal
share of the cost of a project or program carried out by an
eligible entity using grant funds shall be not more than 90
percent.
(2) Waiver.--The Administrator may waive the Federal share
requirement under paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines
that an eligible entity would experience significant financial
hardship as a result of that requirement.
(l) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which the
first grant is awarded under the pilot grant program, the Administrator
shall submit to Congress a report describing the implementation of the
pilot grant program, which shall include--
(1) a list of eligible entities that have received a grant
under the pilot grant program;
(2) the actions taken by each eligible entity that received
a grant under the pilot grant program to improve recycling
accessibility with grant funds; and
(3) to the extent information is available, a description
of how grant funds received under the pilot grant program
improved recycling rates in each community in which a project
or program was carried out under the pilot grant program.
(m) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator to carry out the pilot grant program
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, to
remain available until expended.
(2) Administrative costs and technical assistance.--Of the
amounts made available under paragraph (1), the Administrator
may use up to 5 percent--
(A) for administrative costs relating to carrying
out the pilot grant program; and
(B) to provide technical assistance to eligible
entities applying for a grant under the pilot grant
program.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5674)
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