# 116-hr-5842: Voices for Environmental Justice Act

116-hr-5842, Voices for Environmental Justice Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA); status Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5842
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-5842
- Congress: 116
- Title: Voices for Environmental Justice Act
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced: 2020-02-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Environmental Protection
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Voices for Environmental Justice Act This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award grants to eligible entities to participate in decisions impacting the health and safety of their communities in connection with an actual or potential release of a covered hazardous air pollutant. Additionally, the bill authorizes the EPA to award grants to eligible entities to participate in decisions impacting the health and safety of their communities relating to the permitting or permit renewal of a solid waste disposal facility or hazardous waste facility. An eligible entity must be a group of individuals who reside in a community that (1) is a population or community of color, an indigenous community, or a low-income community; and (2) is in close proximity to the site of an actual or potential release of a covered hazardous air pollutant. Covered hazardous air pollutants include those listed on the Toxics Release Inventory or those identified as carcinogenic by an assessment under the Integrated Risk Information System of the EPA.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2020-02-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25] (D-CA), 2020-02-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2020-02-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8433: Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act
- 116-hr-7642: Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act
- 116-hr-7197: RESTAURANTS Act of 2020
- 116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020
- 116-hr-7092: Great American Outdoors Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-5842 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5842)

## Related
- [116-hr-8433: Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8433)
- [116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8015)
- [116-hr-7642: Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7642)
- [116-hr-7197: RESTAURANTS Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7197)
- [116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7120)
- [116-hr-7092: Great American Outdoors Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7092)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-5842 (as of 2025-11-18).