Clean Cities Act
To promote the reduction of urban air and water pollution, expand green infrastructure in metropolitan areas, and establish a federal grant program to support municipal clean-city initiatives, and for other purposes.
A BILL
To promote the reduction of urban air and water pollution, expand green infrastructure in metropolitan areas, and establish a federal grant program to support municipal clean-city initiatives, and for other purposes.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the "Clean Cities Act".
SECTION 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Air pollution in densely populated urban areas is associated with significantly higher rates of respiratory and cardiovascular illness.
(2) Municipal governments frequently lack the dedicated funding necessary to modernize public transit fleets, expand urban green space, and upgrade aging water infrastructure.
(3) Investment in clean-city infrastructure yields measurable improvements in public health outcomes, property values, and long-term municipal resilience to climate-related events.
(4) A coordinated federal-municipal partnership is necessary to accelerate the adoption of clean energy, sustainable transportation, and pollution-reduction technologies in cities across the United States.
SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CLEAN CITY INITIATIVE. — The term "clean city initiative" means a municipal project designed to reduce air pollution, water pollution, or greenhouse gas emissions, including but not limited to public transit electrification, urban tree canopy expansion, stormwater management upgrades, and renewable energy deployment on municipal facilities.
(2) ELIGIBLE MUNICIPALITY. — The term "eligible municipality" means any city, town, or other unit of local government with a population of 50,000 or more, as determined by the most recent decennial census.
(3) SECRETARY. — The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency.
SECTION 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CLEAN CITIES GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL. — The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the "Clean Cities Grant Program," to award competitive grants to eligible municipalities for the planning, design, and implementation of clean city initiatives.
(b) USE OF FUNDS. — Grants awarded under this section may be used for—
(1) the acquisition of zero-emission public transit vehicles and associated charging infrastructure;
(2) the planting and maintenance of urban tree canopy and green space;
(3) upgrades to stormwater and wastewater systems to reduce pollutant runoff;
(4) installation of renewable energy systems on municipal buildings; and
(5) community outreach and workforce training related to clean city initiatives.
(c) APPLICATION. — An eligible municipality seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(d) PRIORITY. — In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that—
(1) demonstrate the greatest projected reduction in air or water pollution per dollar of federal funding requested;
(2) target communities disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards; and
(3) include measurable, publicly reported performance benchmarks.
SECTION 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $2,500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
SECTION 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) MUNICIPAL REPORTING. — Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under this Act, and annually thereafter until the grant funds are fully expended, a grant recipient shall submit to the Secretary a report on the use of grant funds and progress toward stated performance benchmarks.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS. — Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report summarizing the outcomes of the Clean Cities Grant Program, including aggregate pollution reduction data and a list of grant recipients.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on October 1, 2026.
