Reps. Williams, Evans Introduce $1 Billion Environmental Justice Tax Credit

Sep 07, 2021
Advancing Racial Justice
Building Equitable Access to Education
Environment
Press

WASHINGTON – In advance of a House Ways and Means Committee markup on the budget reconciliation package, Representatives Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Dwight Evans (PA-03) are introducing a $1 billion tax credit bill that would advance environmental justice using tax credits for research and other academic programs.

The legislation would:

• Provide a capped, competitive credit for university programs focused on the impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color;

• Prioritize projects including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

The bill would create a capped refundable competitive credit of $1 billion for each year from 2022 through 2026 to institutions of higher education for environmental justice programs. The base credit would be 20 percent of costs to be spent within five years by the receiving institution. Programs with material participation from HBCUs and MSIs would be eligible for a higher credit of 30 percent.

“Environmental justice for Black, brown and indigenous communities is long overdue in the country,” said Congresswoman Williams, who is also a member of the HBCU Caucus. “I am proud to work with Congressman Evans on this bill to create tax breaks for HBCUs to study how to improve environmental outcomes for marginalized communities. HBCUs particularly have a history of uplifting those most marginalized and this bill will continue that tradition.”

“We know that environmental justice is a longstanding problem in this country, which has been accelerated by climate change, and our bill would leverage more than $1 billion per year to drive positive change,” said Congressman Evans. “I was proud to co-lead this bill in the last session with the late Congressman John Lewis, a true civil rights hero, and I’m pleased to welcome his successor, Congresswoman Williams, as lead co-sponsor.”

CONTACT: PressGA05@Mail.House.Gov

###

Recent Posts


Oct 4, 2024
Press

Congresswoman Nikema Williams and Congresswoman Emilia Sykes Introduce Resolution Supporting National Nonviolence Week 

WASHINGTON DC – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (OH-13) introduced a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Nonviolence Week, which aims to raise awareness about the growing issue of youth violence in the United States. National Nonviolence Week is observed annually during the first full week of October, this […]



Oct 1, 2024
Press

Congresswoman Nikema Williams Introduces Resolution Celebrating the Life and Legacy of President Jimmy Carter on His 100th Birthday

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) today introduced a House resolution honoring the life, achievements, and public service of former President Jimmy Carter on the occasion of his 100th birthday. The resolution, co-led by Representatives Sanford Bishop (GA-02) and Buddy Carter (GA-01), recognizes President Carter’s numerous contributions to the State of Georgia, the United States, and the […]



Sep 30, 2024
Press

Congresswoman Nikema Williams Joins Georgia’s Congressional Delegation Urging Swift Approval of State’s Federal Disaster Declaration Request

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Georgia’s entire Congressional Delegation today urged swift approval of Georgia’s request for a Major Federal Disaster Declaration, which would unlock key Federal disaster funding for impacted families, businesses, and local governments. Today, after Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) completed disaster assessments across the state, Governor Brian Kemp formally requested the […]