United States 117th Congress Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

S 5081 — Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6672)

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

In plain language

The bill establishes an Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice.

This bill creates an Office of Environmental Justice to enhance federal actions addressing environmental justice. It mandates the office to develop strategies, support community engagement, and oversee grant programs related to environmental justice.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means there will be more structured efforts to ensure fair environmental protections for low-income and minority communities.

Summary

Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022 This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Justice's Office of Environmental Justice. It also establishes grants to improve the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes an Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice and creates an Environmental Justice Section to enforce environmental justice laws and policies.

  • Chapter 31 of title 28, United States Code

    Sec. 530E. Environmental Justice (a) Office of Environmental Justice.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022, the Attorney General shall establish the Office of Environmental Justice (hereinafter known as the `Office') within the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.

    This adds a new section that creates the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice.

  • Chapter 31 of title 28, United States Code

    Environmental Justice Section.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022, the Attorney General shall establish a section within the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department that shall be known as the `Environmental Justice Section'.

    This adds a new section to establish the Environmental Justice Section tasked with litigating environmental justice matters.

  • 42 U.S.C. 4321 note

    The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Attorney General. (...) (A) Develop, and update every 5 years thereafter, the environmental justice strategy for the Department, in accordance with Executive Order 12898 (42 U.S.C. 4321 note; relating to Federal actions to address environmental justice in minority populations and low-income populations).

    This specifies the responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice, including developing the environmental justice strategy.

  • 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.

    (C) Ensure the enforcement of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) by coordinating with Federal agencies to effectively investigate civil rights complaints.

    This mandates the new Environmental Justice Section to ensure enforcement of civil rights related to environmental justice.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6672)

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 546 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety environment
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 5081 do?
Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022 This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Justice's Office of Environmental Justice. It also establishes grants to improve the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters.
Who sponsors S 5081?
S 5081 is sponsored by Padilla, Alex (Democratic).
What is the current status of S 5081?
This bill died with 117th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track S 5081?
Track S 5081 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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