News release
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, has signed on as a coauthor on a trio of bills aimed at addressing the growing threat of extreme heat.
“Together, these bills will bring critical infrastructure improvements to at-risk communities, assist the federal government in responding to heatwaves, and coordinate strategies to create long-term solutions,” said a news release from the congressman’s office.
“With temperatures rising in California and across the country, it’s more important than ever to take action to protect our communities,” Whitesides said in the release. “This slate of bills will provide important resources to keep families safe, reduce heat risks, and strengthen our response to rising temperatures.”
The release provided the following summaries of the three bills:
• The Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act (H.R. 3703): The bill supports projects that improve infrastructure, green spaces and innovative technologies to cool at-risk cities.
• The Coordinated Federal Response to Extreme Heat Act (H.R. 3704): This bill creates a unified federal strategy to prepare for and respond to extreme heat events, improving collaboration among agencies and ensuring communities receive timely support. The bill also creates additional pathways for data collection, public warnings, and heat-health research.
• The Extreme Heat Economic Study Act (H.R. 3702): This bill tasks the National Integrated Health Information System with studying how extreme heat affects the economy, giving lawmakers the data they need to create stronger plans to protect people’s health and support local economies.
