HB1033 applies the federal Justice40 Initiative to Maryland and puts frontline communities at the front of the line. It says that communities disproportionately burdened by pollution in Maryland will receive at least 40% of state funds to build healthy, climate-resilient communities. It uses the leadership and expertise of the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, creators of the MD-EJ Screen mapping tool, to identify which communities qualify for funding. And it creates a framework for communities to have a say in what counts as a community disproportionately burdened by pollution, making sure that dollars are getting to where they need to go.
As we face what the latest IPCC report calls “a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all,” we need to make sure that frontline communities are at the front of the line for resources to fight it. Send a message to your delegates in support of HB1033 today!