[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10340 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10340
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a National Climate
Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science
Centers to respond to the effects of extreme weather events and climate
trends, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2024
Mr. Grijalva (for himself, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Casten, Mr. Mullin, Mr.
Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Case, Mr. Levin, Mr. Soto, Mr. Neguse, Ms.
McCollum, Ms. Norton, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Garcia
of Texas, Mr. Smith of Washington, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr.
Espaillat, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Magaziner, and
Ms. Brownley) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a National Climate
Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science
Centers to respond to the effects of extreme weather events and climate
trends, 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 ``Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Act'' or the ``CASC Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Adaptation.--The term ``adaptation'' means--
(A) the process of adjustment to actual or expected
climate and the effects of extreme weather, climate
trends, and climate variability; and
(B) protection, management, and conservation
efforts designed to maintain or enhance the ability of
people, fish, wildlife, plants, land, ecosystems, and
water of the United States to withstand, adjust to, or
recover from the effects of extreme weather, climate
trends, and climate variability.
(2) Advisory service activities.--The term ``advisory
service activities'' means activities including--
(A) sharing climate science and climate adaptation
knowledge between National and Regional Climate
Adaptation Science Center researchers, stakeholders,
and other partners;
(B) building collaborations between National and
Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center researchers,
stakeholders, and other partners; and
(C) integrating climate adaptation science into
natural and cultural resource management, decision-
making and planning.
(3) Cultural resources.--The term ``cultural resources''--
(A) means those features and values related to
cultural heritage; and
(B) includes--
(i) biological species with cultural
heritage or ceremonial importance, and historic
and precontact sites, cultural landscapes,
trails, structures, inscriptions, art, and
artifacts on Federal lands or representative of
the culture of Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiians,
and Native American Pacific Islanders; and
(ii) resources considered to be cultural
resources according to the traditional
knowledge of Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiians,
and Native American Pacific Islanders.
(4) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the Advisory
Committee on Climate and Natural Resource Sciences established
under section 6.
(5) Consortium institution.--The term ``consortium
institution'' means college, university, State cooperative
institution, State agency, Indian Tribe, Tribal College or
University, Historically Black College or University, Tribal
organization, Native Hawaiian organization, minority-serving
institution, or other educational institution or organization,
Federal agency, public or private organization, or any other
party within each regional center other than the United States
Geological Survey and the host institution.
(6) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of the Interior.
(7) Ecosystem services.--The term ``ecosystem services''
means those benefits that ecosystems provide humans and human
society, including clean air, clean water, and other
economically important services.
(8) Historically black colleges and universities.--The term
``Historically Black Colleges and Universities'' has the same
meaning given the term ``part B institutions'' in section 322
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(9) Host institution.--The term ``host institution'' means
the non-Federal lead organization within each regional center.
(10) 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).
(11) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means a Hispanic-serving institution, an
Alaska Native-serving institution, a Native Hawaiian-serving
institution, a Predominantly Black Institution, an Asian
American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving
institution, or a Native American-serving nontribal institution
(as described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a))).
(12) National center.--The term ``National Center'' means
the National Climate Adaptation Science Center established
under section 3(a).
(13) Native american pacific islanders.--The term ``Native
American Pacific Islanders'' means any descendent of the
aboriginal people of any island in the Pacific Ocean that is a
territory of the United States.
(14) Native hawaiian.--The term ``Native Hawaiian'' means
any individual who is a descendant of the aboriginal people
who, prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the
area that now constitutes the State of Hawaii.
(15) Native hawaiian organization.--The term ``Native
Hawaiian organization'' means--
(A) the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;
(B) Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei; and
(C) any other organization that--
(i) serves and represents the interests of
Native Hawaiians;
(ii) has as a primary and stated purpose
the provision of services to Native Hawaiians;
and
(iii) has expertise in Native Hawaiian
Affairs.
(16) Natural resources.--The term ``natural resources'' has
the meaning given that term in section 11.14 of title 43, Code
of Federal Regulations.
(17) Regional center.--The term ``regional center'' means
one of the Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
established under section 3(a) that provide support for
specific geographic locations in the United States.
(18) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(19) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State of the United States;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) American Samoa;
(D) Guam;
(E) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands;
(F) Puerto Rico; and
(G) the Virgin Islands of the United States.
(20) Tribal college or university.--The term ``Tribal
College or University'' means an institution that--
(A) qualifies for funding under the Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of
1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) or the Navajo Community
College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a note); or
(B) is cited in section 532 of the Equity in
Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301
note).
(21) Tribal organization.--The term ``Tribal organization''
means--
(A) the recognized governing body of any Indian
Tribe; or
(B) any legally established organization of Indians
that is--
(i) controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by
the recognized governing body of an Indian
Tribe; or
(ii)(I) democratically elected by the adult
members of the Indian community to be served by
such organization; and
(II) includes the maximum participation of
Indians in all phases of its activities.
(22) University.--The term ``university'' has the meaning
given to the term ``institution of higher education'' in
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001(a)).
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in collaboration with
States, Indian Tribes, and other partner organizations, shall
establish a program to be known as the ``National and Regional
Climate Adaptation Science Centers'', which shall--
(A) provide scientific expertise to agencies,
organizations, individuals, Indian Tribes, tribal
organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations
engaged in the management of natural resources,
cultural resources, and ecosystem services for the
purpose of informing decisions that aid adaptation to a
changing climate and extreme weather events; and
(B) include a National Climate Adaptation Science
Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers.
(2) Chief; directors.--
(A) Chief.--The Chief of the National Center shall
be a United States Geological Survey employee and shall
be responsible for national-scale and network-wide
strategic initiatives, science direction, and
partnerships.
(B) Directors.--Each regional center shall have--
(i) a Federal Director who shall--
(I) be a United States Geological
Survey employee;
(II) report directly to the Chief
of the National Center; and
(III) be responsible for region-
specific and cross-regional strategic
initiatives and implementation of
climate science research agendas; and
(ii) a Host Institution Director who
shall--
(I) carry out the terms and
conditions of the financial assistance
award;
(II) lead the institutional
consortium in each region; and
(III) oversee training and capacity
building at the host and consortium
institutions.
(C) Cooperative work.--Each Regional Federal
Director and each Host Institution Director shall work
cooperatively to further the mission of the relevant
regional center.
(D) Administration.--The National Center and all
regional centers shall be administered by the United
States Geological Survey.
(b) Duties of the National Center.--In collaboration with Federal
agencies, States, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native
Hawaiians, Native Hawaiian organizations, Native American Pacific
Islanders, and other partner organizations, the National Center shall--
(1) serve as the national office for the regional centers;
(2) provide leadership and guidance on administration,
partnerships, information management, and communications;
(3) develop and facilitate coordination among the regional
centers;
(4) coordinate and collaborate with other Federal agencies
working on similar research and activities to--
(A) minimize, as much as possible, the duplication
of research and effort; and
(B) use, as much as possible, existing data in the
development of new or ongoing research;
(5) conduct research on cross-regional and national science
priorities;
(6) support regional centers that--
(A) are hosted at a university, or a consortium of
universities or other research institutions, within the
region of each regional center;
(B) are collaborations between the Federal Director
and the Host Institution Director and their staffs to
address the broad scientific mission and goals as
defined by the National Center in a manner that is
relevant to its specific geographic region and in
cooperation with State and local governments, Indian
Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiians, Native
Hawaiian organizations, Native American Pacific
Islanders, and other entities within that region;
(C) promote research, education, training, and
advisory service activities to stakeholders, Tribal
governments, and the public via informational
publications, trainings, and other outreach methods;
and
(D) receive funding at the host institution through
cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants under
section 4; and
(7) acting through the Chief of the National Center, with
respect to the regional centers--
(A) evaluate and assess the performance of the
programs of regional centers every five years, using
the priorities, guidelines, and qualifications
established by the Secretary under this section, and
determine if the programs are well managed and carry
out high-quality research, education, training, and
advisory service activities; and
(B) subject to the availability of appropriations,
allocate funding among regional centers so as to--
(i) conduct regionally relevant research,
education, training, and advisory service
activities in each of the regions;
(ii) encourage collaborations among
regional centers to address regional and
national priorities established under this
section;
(iii) ensure successful implementation and
operation of regional centers;
(iv) to the maximum extent consistent with
other provisions of this Act, provide a stable
base of funding in support of the regional
centers on 5-year terms, with additional funds
available annually subject to the availability
of appropriations;
(v) encourage and promote coordination and
cooperation between the research, education,
training, and advisory service activities of
the Department and those of the host and
consortium institutions; and
(vi) pay the official Federal Government
negotiated overhead rate to the host
institution and partners on the basic agreement
establishing the location of the regional
center.
(c) Authorities of the National Center.--The National Center may--
(1) procure the services of appropriate public and private
agencies and institutions and other qualified persons to
conduct its work; and
(2) operate and fund a network of not fewer than nine
regional centers that shall address the impacts of climate
trends and variability, including extreme weather events, on
natural and cultural resources and ecosystem services.
(d) Designation of the Regional Centers.--
(1) Existing regional center designations.--
(A) In general.--Any institution or consortium of
institutions designated as a regional center before the
date of enactment of this Act shall participate in one
final competition for its status as a regional center
upon the conclusion of its existing 5-year term to
assure that the host institutions and association
consortium institutions update proposals recognizing
the long-term commitment as a host.
(B) Recompetes.--After the next competition for
regional center after the date of enactment of this
Act, a designated regional center shall not have to
recompete on 5-year terms, but shall be subject to
review on 5-year terms as described in paragraph (2).
After competed, the final agreements shall only be
recompeted in the event of a failed review.
(2) Reviews of the regional centers.--
(A) The Chief of the National Center, in
consultation with the Committee, shall establish
guidelines for 5-year merit reviews of each regional
center, which shall include guidelines for--
(i) the establishment of a statement of
objectives, agreed upon by the National