Federal RuleAug 21
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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-hr-10585119th CongressWALLET
Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act
Sponsored By: Representative Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a federally administered _Civilian Climate Corps_ to scale clean-energy deployment, climate resilience, conservation, and workforce training with explicit equity and Tribal set‑asides. It pairs a national service component with a competitive grant program to fund community projects and career pathways in under-resourced areas.
Show full summary
- Families and participants: Members would receive a living allowance of at least $20 per hour, health coverage equal to a gold plan premium on their state exchange, and up to $25,000 per term in educational benefits or student loan repayment plus supportive services like child care.
- Workers and labor rights: The Corps would treat members as employees for collective bargaining and compensation law purposes, require prevailing wages on projects, recognize majority authorization for union bargaining, and protect the right to strike.
- Communities and scale: At least 50% of Corps labor and funds would target under-resourced communities, with at least 10% directed to Indian country. The roadmap sets staffing targets that rise from 50,000 positions in FY2027 to 400,000 in FY2031 for the national program, subject to appropriations.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Pay and worker protections for members
If enacted, this bill would set member pay and worker-relations rules for the Corps. Member allowances would be at least the equivalent of $20 per hour (with average pay outside certain territories at least 10% higher) and could not exceed a $34-per-hour equivalent; construction work must get the higher Davis-Bacon prevailing wage and other roles must meet Service Contract Act wage/fringe where higher. The Corps would be treated as the employer for collective bargaining, must recognize unions with written majority authorization, begin bargaining quickly, and use mediation/arbitration if needed. The bill would also bar firing or permanent replacement of members for striking and bar subcontracting to evade bargaining over wages, benefits, or conditions.
Education awards and tax-free relief
If enacted, this bill would give Corps members up to $25,000 per completed term to pay tuition or to repay qualified student loans, and taking that benefit would make a member ineligible for the subtitle D national service educational award. The statute would also raise the maximum national service educational award to twice the maximum Federal Pell Grant. For tax years ending after enactment, amounts received as educational awards under subtitle D or as educational benefits under subtitle K would be excluded from gross income and count for the student-loan discharge exclusion under section 108(f).
Big federal funding for service programs
If enacted, this bill would authorize large appropriations for Civilian Climate Corps and national service for FY2027–FY2031. It would authorize about $91.2 billion for subtitle K program operations, $48.9 billion for educational benefits under subtitle K, and provide health care benefits funding as "such sums as may be necessary" for those years. It would also add multi-year appropriations for national service programs (including billions for administration, NCCC, subtitle C assistance, subtitle D awards, and VISTA) that remain available through FY2031.
Grant rules and state allotments
If enacted, this bill would split Civilian Climate Corps grant money so 30% is reserved for State allotments and 70% is competitive. Of the State 30%, 5% must go to Indian tribes and each approved State would get at least $600,000 per year; at least 50% of all Grant Program funds must go to under-resourced communities and 10% of that must go to Indian country. The Corporation could fund up to 100% of program costs, allow fixed-amount grants, and set priorities for apprenticeship pathways and minority-serving institutions. The bill would also change a matching rule in AmeriCorps from 75% to 100%, raising the matching burden on some State grantees, and require climate-project priority in AmeriCorps programs for FY2027–FY2036.
New Climate Corps jobs and projects
If enacted, this bill would create a Civilian Climate Corps with two parts: a National Climate Service and a Grant Program. The Director would set multi-year staffing targets for FY2027–FY2031 and allow service terms of 9–12 months for members aged 17 or older, regardless of immigration status. Corps projects could weatherize homes, install clean energy, build resilient infrastructure, and make permanent improvements to non-federal property if Corps members do the work. The Director must also limit how many people work on a project to what partner and Federal funding can cover, so available positions would depend on appropriations.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
MO • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]
TX • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]
NM • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
MA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
TN • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]
AZ • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
FL • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]
TX • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 9/24/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov