Section 60401 of the IRA appropriates $32.5 million to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) to support research related to the cumulative impacts and disproportionate harms related to pollution and climate change. The funds may be used to establish, expand, and support data collection, analytics, and mapping.
Environmental Justice Considerations:
The funding supports research related to the cumulative impacts and disproportionate harms related to pollution and climate change.
Current Status:
Section 60018 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (Public Law 119-21) rescinded unobligated funds under this IRA provision.
Trump Administration Actions:
- Congress Passes Budget Bill, Rescinding Funds and Repealing IRA Programs and Tax Credits [07/03/2025]
- Senate Parliamentarian Advises Several Provisions in Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Are Not Permissible, Subject to Byrd Rule [06/19/2025]
- Senate Environment Committee Releases Budget Reconciliation Draft Text [06/16/2025]
- OMB Orders Temporary Pause on Financial Assistance Programs, Later Rescinded [01/27/2025]
- OMB Clarifies Scope of the Order to Halt IRA Spending [01/21/2025]
- Trump Issues Executive Order to Halt All IRA Funding Disbursements [01/20/2025]
Implementation Status at End of Biden Administration:
According to publicly available information, CEQ has not specified the use of IRA funds for activities related to environmental, climate, and environmental justice data collection. However, since the IRA’s passage, CEQ has continued to update and expand resources, such as the Environmental Justice Scorecard, and may have used funding under this provision to do so.