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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 25, 2025
Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025
This bill establishes the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice (DOJ). It also establishes grants to improve the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters. (On February 5, 2025, DOJ issued a directive to close its Office of Environmental Justice by March 15, 2025.)
People & committees
Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] · D–CA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Oct 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-25 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would establish an environmental justice office within the Justice Department to coordinate work on environmental and health harms that fall disproportionately on certain communities. It would support public participation and help state, local, and Tribal governments enforce environmental laws. A competitive grant program would fund enforcement training, staff, and community assistance. These are proposed changes, not evidence of enacted law.
There is established the Office of Environmental Justice within the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department.
Coordinate environmental justice matters that arise at the Department and United States Attorneys' offices, including building outreach and engagement capacity and competency among the Department’s personnel.
In carrying out the Program, the Assistant Attorney General may award grants on a competitive basis to eligible recipients, except that no eligible recipient may be awarded more than 1 grant.
Grant funds awarded under the Program, shall only be used to— (1) train State, local, and Tribal agencies responsible for prosecuting and enforcing laws involving environmental justice matters; (2) hire staff to assist in the investigation, prosecution, and enforcement of laws involving environmental justice matters; or (3) establish collaborative programs to provide technical and legal assistance, outreach, and engagement to help communities with environmental justice concerns participate in decisions impacting the environment, health, and safety of those communities with environmental justice concerns.
2025-02-25: Introduced in House
Section 1 names the proposal the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025.
This Act may be cited as the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025.
The bill defines environmental justice as fair treatment and meaningful participation in federal decisions affecting health and the environment, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability. Its definition includes protection from disproportionate harms, combined environmental burdens, climate risks, and structural barriers, along with equitable access to a healthy environment. This states the bill's standard, not an established result.
The term environmental justice means the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that individuals— (A) are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and (B) have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.
The office's work would include civil or criminal matters involving possible disproportionate environmental or health harm to low-income, Tribal, or Indigenous populations, or other communities with environmental justice concerns. The grant section uses a different definition: it expressly includes minority populations but does not repeat the separate category of other communities with environmental justice concerns.
The term environmental justice matter includes any civil or criminal matter in which the conduct or action at issue may involve a disproportionate and adverse environmental or human health effect on— (A) an identifiable low-income, Tribal, or Indigenous population or community in the United States; or (B) a community in the United States with environmental justice concerns.
The term environmental justice matter includes any civil or criminal matter where the conduct or action at issue may involve a disproportionate and adverse environmental or human health effect on an identifiable low-income, minority, Tribal, or Indigenous population or community in the United States.
For both the office and grant program, a low-income community would be a census block group—a geographic unit used for census statistics—where at least 30 percent of residents have household income no higher than the larger of two thresholds: 80 percent of area median income or twice the federal poverty line.
The term low-income community means any census block group in which 30 percent or more of the population are individuals with an annual household income equal to, or less than, the greater of— (A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median income of the area in which the household is located, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (B) 200 percent of the Federal poverty line.
The term low-income community means any census block group in which 30 percent or more of the population are individuals with an annual household income equal to, or less than, the greater of— (A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median income of the area in which the household is located, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (B) 200 percent of the Federal poverty line.
Both sections expressly include American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations within Indigenous communities. Their definition of State also includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The term Indigenous population or community includes populations or communities of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.
The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The term Indigenous population or community includes populations or communities of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.
The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Section 2 would add a new environmental justice section to federal law. It would place the office in the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, require the Attorney General to provide necessary personnel and funds, and give the Attorney General responsibility for appointing its director.
Chapter 31 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 530E. Environmental Justice
(1) Establishment There is established the Office of Environmental Justice within the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department. (2) Personnel and funding The Attorney General shall provide to the Office such personnel and funds as are necessary to establish the Office under paragraph (1) and to carry out the duties of the Office under paragraph (4). (3) Leadership The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Attorney General.
The director would develop the Justice Department's environmental justice strategy, update it every five years, coordinate related work across the department and federal prosecutors' offices, and administer the bill's grants.
The Director shall: (A) Develop, and update every 5 years thereafter, the environmental justice strategy for the Department relating to Federal actions to address environmental justice. (B) Coordinate environmental justice matters that arise at the Department and United States Attorneys' offices, including building outreach and engagement capacity and competency among the Department’s personnel. (C) Administer the grant program established under section 3 of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025.
The director would promote meaningful public participation, explain how to participate and file agency complaints, organize at least bimonthly community calls or meetings, and recommend ways for communities to participate in developing agency settlement agreements.
(D) Promote and protect the right of the public to participate meaningfully in the decision-making process on environmental justice matters and design communications efforts with the goal of maximizing community understanding of how to participate in environmental justice matters, including how to file administrative complaints with Federal agencies.
(H) Organize, at minimum, bimonthly calls or meetings with environmental justice organizations and communities with environmental justice concerns.
(J) Make recommendations to Federal agencies on community participation in the development of administrative settlement agreements relating to environmental justice matters.
The office would help state, local, and Tribal governments coordinate with the federal government and provide equal environmental protection. It would support state and local enforcement training and work with the Community Relations Service to build working relationships among communities, governments, nonprofits, and regulated businesses.
(E) Counsel and assist State, local, and Tribal governments on how to coordinate their actions with the Federal Government with respect to environmental justice matters and counsel and assist State, local, and Tribal governments and Indigenous populations or communities in providing equal environmental protection for all individuals. (F) Provide support for State and local environmental enforcement training in communities with environmental justice concerns. (G) Work with the Community Relations Service to facilitate a working relationship between parties involved in environmental justice matters, including regulated industry, State, local, and Tribal decision-makers, nonprofits, low-income communities, and Indigenous populations or communities.
The director would develop staff guidance materials, cross-training for environmental and other government attorneys, an internal email contact for advice, joint training where appropriate, a continuing legal education course, and training for participants in the Attorney General's Honors Program.
(K) Develop— (i) instructional videos and other materials for Department personnel to provide an overview of the scope of environmental justice matters and procedures for identifying and reporting such matters; (ii) education programs for environmental attorneys about criminal, civil, and civil rights laws; (iii) education programs for civil, criminal, and civil rights attorneys about environmental laws for the purpose of identifying and effectively addressing environmental justice matters; (iv) an email address that Department attorneys and other Department personnel may contact that enables Department attorneys and other Department personnel to seek information and guidance on environmental justice matters; (v) joint education and training activities, where appropriate, with Federal agencies and State, local, and Tribal legal offices; (vi) a continuing legal education course on environmental justice matters, developed in coordination with the Office of Legal Education and the Environmental Protection Agency; and (vii) training programs with respect to environmental justice for individuals participating in the Attorney General's Honors Program.
The director would coordinate a department-wide system for tracking and assessing cases that raise environmental justice matters.
(L) Coordinate with all relevant components within the Department to develop and maintain an appropriate system for tracking and assessing cases that raise environmental justice matters.
A Senior Advisory Council would advise the head of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and recommend environmental justice policies and initiatives. That division head and the office director would co-chair it. Its membership would include representatives from across the Justice Department, including civil rights, criminal investigation, prisons, Tribal justice, and federal prosecutors' offices.
There is established a Senior Advisory Council to advise the Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division on matters of environmental justice and recommend policy and initiatives with respect to environmental justice matters.
The Co-chairs of the Council shall be the Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Director of the Office.
(G) One representative of the Civil Rights Division. (H) One representative of the Civil Division. (I) One representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (J) One representative of the Bureau of Prisons.
(O) One representative of the Office of Tribal Justice. (P) Two representatives from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. (Q) The Section Chief of the Environmental Justice Section. (R) Not fewer than 2 representatives from United States Attorneys' offices.
The director would support the council and convene it within 90 days after enactment, then at least four times a year. Council members would report on their department components' progress and proposed strategy revisions within 180 days after enactment and annually afterward. The director could also request reports or briefings from components outside the council.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025, and annually thereafter, each member of the Council shall submit to the Director a report on the implementation of the progress of the component of which the member is a representative in implementing the environmental justice strategy of the Department and any proposed revisions to the environmental justice strategy of that component.
the Director may also request a report or briefing from the head of any component not a member of the Council explaining how the component may facilitate the efforts of the Department in meeting the obligations of the Department under the environmental justice strategy.
The Director shall coordinate and support the work of the Council. The Director shall convene the Council not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025 and shall convene the Council not less than 4 times annually thereafter.
Within 180 days after enactment, the council would provide department personnel with guidance on identifying, tracking, and addressing environmental justice matters. The department would review and update it within three years of its development and every three years afterward.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2025, the Council shall develop guidance with respect to environmental justice and provide such guidance to Department personnel, including provisions for identifying, tracking, and addressing environmental justice matters.
Not later than 3 years after the development of the guidance under subparagraph (A), and every 3 years thereafter, the Department shall review and update such guidance.
Section 3 would require the Attorney General to establish the grant program within the office no later than 180 days after enactment. Its purpose would be to improve state, local, and Tribal governments' ability to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a grant program (in this section referred to as the Program) within the Office of Environmental Justice to improve the capacity of State, local, and Tribal governments to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters.
The Assistant Attorney General could award competitive grants to state, local, or Tribal governments found capable of carrying out an eligible project. Each recipient could receive no more than one grant.
(c) Grant authority In carrying out the Program, the Assistant Attorney General may award grants on a competitive basis to eligible recipients, except that no eligible recipient may be awarded more than 1 grant. (d) Eligible recipients The Assistant Attorney General may award a grant under the Program to a State, local, or Tribal government determined by the Assistant Attorney General to be capable of carrying out a project pursuant to subsection (e).
Grant money could be used only for enforcement-agency training, hiring staff for investigation and enforcement, or collaborative programs offering technical and legal help, outreach, and engagement so communities can participate in decisions affecting their environment, health, and safety.
Grant funds awarded under the Program, shall only be used to— (1) train State, local, and Tribal agencies responsible for prosecuting and enforcing laws involving environmental justice matters; (2) hire staff to assist in the investigation, prosecution, and enforcement of laws involving environmental justice matters; or (3) establish collaborative programs to provide technical and legal assistance, outreach, and engagement to help communities with environmental justice concerns participate in decisions impacting the environment, health, and safety of those communities with environmental justice concerns.
Applicants would have to follow application requirements set by the Assistant Attorney General, including the form, timing, and information required.
To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an eligible recipient shall submit to the Assistant Attorney General an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Assistant Attorney General determines to be appropriate.
Each grant would be between $50,000 and $1 million, subject to funding being available through appropriations—legislation that provides money for spending.
Subject to the availability of appropriations under subsection (j), each grant made under this section shall be for an amount not less than $50,000 and not greater than $1,000,000.
Federal funds generally could cover no more than 80 percent of a project's cost. The Attorney General could waive that limit fully or partly.
The Federal share of a project under the Program shall not exceed 80 percent, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in part, this requirement.
The Attorney General would report on grant recipients and their funded activities within 18 months after enactment and every two years afterward. Reports would go to the Senate Environment and Public Works and Judiciary committees and the House Energy and Commerce and Judiciary committees.
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit a report to certain congressional committees on the grant program established under this section, including a description of the grantees and activities for which grantees used grants awarded under this section.
The term certain congressional committees means— (A) the Committees on Environment and Public Works and the Judiciary of the Senate; and (B) the Committees on Energy and Commerce and the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
The bill would authorize $50 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035 to carry out the grant section. This would authorize future appropriations; it would not itself provide that money for spending.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
Subject to the availability of appropriations under subsection (j)
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 8, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Judiciary Committee on February 25, 2025. It supplies no later action; this does not establish that the bill never advanced or became law.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-08T14:13:32Z. 2025-02-25: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2025-02-25: Introduced in House 2025-02-25: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-25. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the bill's environmental justice administration and enforcement purpose was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version and does not establish anything about other versions or attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This text-only conclusion does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow special exemption or preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. The program's intended beneficiaries, participation protections, and general administrative discretion do not alone constitute such benefits. This conclusion is limited to the supplied version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 8, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI