[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8291 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8291

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program for tree 
           planting to reduce residential energy consumption.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 17, 2020

  Mr. Cleaver (for himself and Mr. McKinley) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program for tree 
           planting to reduce residential energy consumption.

    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 ``Tackling Residential Energy burdens 
Efficiently Act of 2020'' or the ``TREE Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. TREE PLANTING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible cost.--The term ``eligible cost'' means, with 
        respect to a project--
                    (A) the cost of implementing the project, 
                including--
                            (i) planning and designing the planting 
                        activity;
                            (ii) purchasing trees; and
                            (iii) preparing the site and conducting 
                        planting, including the labor and cost 
                        associated with the use of machinery;
                    (B) the cost of maintaining and monitoring planted 
                trees for a period of up to 3 years to ensure 
                successful establishment of the trees;
                    (C) the cost of training activities associated with 
                the project; and
                    (D) any other relevant cost, as determined by the 
                Secretary.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State agency;
                    (B) a local governmental entity;
                    (C) an Indian Tribe;
                    (D) a nonprofit organization; and
                    (E) a retail power provider.
            (3) Energy burden.--The term ``energy burden'' means the 
        percentage of household income spent on home energy bills.
            (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``Indian tribe'' in section 4 of the 
        Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
        U.S.C. 5304).
            (5) Local governmental entity.--The term ``local 
        governmental entity'' means any municipal government or county 
        government with jurisdiction over local land use decisions.
            (6) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that--
                    (A) is described in section 170(h)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
                    (B) operates in accordance with one or more of the 
                purposes described in section 170(h)(4)(A) of that 
                Code.
            (7) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the grant program 
        established under subsection (b)(1).
            (8) Project.--The term ``project'' means a tree planting 
        project carried out by an eligible entity using grant funds 
        awarded under the Program.
            (9) Retail power provider.--The term ``retail power 
        provider'' means any entity authorized under applicable State 
        or Federal law to generate, distribute, or provide retail 
        electricity, natural gas, or fuel oil service.
            (10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the 
        Forest Service, shall establish a program under which the 
        Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to conduct 
        tree planting projects in accordance with this section.
            (2) Tree planting.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, in carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
        shall, to the maximum extent practicable, award sufficient 
        grants each year to plant not less than 300,000 trees each 
        year.
    (c) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that seeks to receive a 
        grant under the Program shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require, including the 
        information described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) a description of how the project will reduce 
                residential energy consumption;
                    (B) an estimate of the expected reduction in 
                residential energy consumption;
                    (C) a description of the total eligible costs of 
                the project and sources of funding for the project;
                    (D) a description of the anticipated community and 
                stakeholder engagement in the project;
                    (E) a description of the tree species to be planted 
                and how that species is suitable for the local 
                environmental conditions and climate; and
                    (F) any other relevant information required by the 
                Secretary.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary 
shall give priority to projects that--
            (1) provide the largest potential reduction in residential 
        energy consumption for households with a high energy burden;
            (2) are located in a neighborhood with lower tree canopy 
        cover and higher maximum daytime summer temperatures;
            (3) are located in a neighborhood with high amounts of 
        senior citizens or children;
            (4) will collaboratively engage neighbors and community 
        members that will be closely affected by the tree planting; and
            (5) will employ a substantial percentage of the workforce 
        locally, with a focus on engaging unemployed and underemployed 
        persons.
    (e) Costs.--
            (1) Federal share.--The Secretary shall award a grant to an 
        eligible entity under the Program in an amount equal to not 
        more than 75 percent of the eligible costs of the project, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
            (2) Matching requirement.--As a condition of receiving a 
        grant under the Program, an eligible entity shall provide, in 
        cash or through in-kind contributions from non-Federal sources, 
        matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 25 percent 
        of the eligible costs of the project, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the Program $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025.
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