HR 8238
RESTART Communities Act of 2026
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Bill overview
The RESTART Communities Act of 2026 aims to improve economic development in areas affected by environmental contamination. It directs the Department of Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency to work together to support economic revitalization efforts at these sites. The goal is to foster collaboration between agencies and provide resources to communities, stakeholders, and site workers to promote job creation and sustainable development.
Key provisions
- Establishes a framework for collaboration between the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Encourages the development of memoranda of understanding or other agreements between the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and the Administrator of the EPA.
- Authorizes interagency activities such as promoting timely action, providing technical assistance, and supporting access to grant programs.
- Requires the agencies to collect public input from communities and stakeholders.
- Supports the development and dissemination of best practices and tools for economic revitalization.
- Facilitates data collection and sharing to monitor progress at eligible sites.
- Promotes education, training, and workforce development activities for site stakeholders.
- Mandates a report to Congress detailing interagency activities and achievements.
Who is affected
- Communities with environmentally contaminated sites
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8238
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide for collaboration between the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to promote economic revitalization efforts of environmentally contaminated sites, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Revitalization Efforts for Sustainable Transformation And Remediation for Thriving Communities Act of 2026 RESTART Communities Act of 2026
or the
.
Assistant Secretary), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the
Administrator) shall carry out interagency activities to promote the economic revitalization of eligible sites before, during, and after environmental remediation.
The Assistant Secretary and the Administrator may coordinate the activities under subsection (a) through the establishment of a memorandum of understanding, or other appropriate interagency agreement.
In carrying out the activities under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator may engage in any interagency activity, including any of the following:
Establish any interagency process to promote the economic revitalization of an eligible site, including—
any process that—
supports access by site stakeholders to technical assistance resources and services available at or through the Economic Development Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency;
supports access by site stakeholders to best practices, frameworks, and other information, as appropriate, for the development of economic revitalization plans that focus on community engagement, environmental justice, and the benefit of economically distressed communities; and
any other interagency process as determined necessary by the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator.
Support the development and dissemination of best practices, frameworks, and other tools, metrics, and resources to promote the success of economic revitalization of an eligible site.
Support data collection and data sharing practices, as determined by the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator, to monitor and report on the success of economic revitalization at an eligible site.
Support education, training, and workforce development activities for site stakeholders to increase the success of economic revitalization before, during, and after environmental remediation at an eligible site, including—
development of postsecondary or credential curriculum, experiential learning, or other project-based learning opportunities through collaboration with stakeholders that support the activities of this section; and
professional development opportunities for site stakeholders in professional fields relevant to environmental remediation or economic revitalization.
In carrying out the activities under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator are authorized to consult other Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial governmental entities.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the following:
Interagency activities between the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency carried out under this section.
Collaborative economic revitalization achievements at eligible sites and supporting communities as appropriate, including the engagement of site stakeholders in supporting the activities carried out under this section.
Interagency education, training, and workforce development activities for site stakeholders, including the dissemination of best practices and engagement of students to establish a robust future workforce for economic revitalization and environmental remediation.
Potential opportunities to expand the interagency activities of the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In this Act:
the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate;
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
The term eligible site means any site of current or former environmental contamination, including any current or former manufacturing facility, at which the Assistant Secretary or the Administrator plans to do, currently is doing, or has previously done any of the following:
Engage with site stakeholders.
Provide Federal funding or resources.
Provide technical assistance.
The term site stakeholder means any entity other than the Department of Commerce or the Environmental Protection Agency that is engaged in the economic revitalization of an eligible site.