article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Green Communities Act of 2009''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings: (1) Landscaping adds to the economic value and sales appeal of commercial real estate and increases office occupancy rates. (2) Greening can change people's perceptions of their neighborhoods, reduce violence and crime, and increase neighborhood stability. (3) Planting new trees, improving streetscapes, and cleaning vacant lots increases property values. (4) People will stay longer and shop more in shopping districts that are well landscaped. (5) Improvements to neighborhood parks increase the value of single-family homes in the surrounding community. (6) Homes adjacent to vacant lots that are greened have a much higher property value than homes adjacent to vacant lots that have not been greened. (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows: (1) To promote investment in greening projects and programs as effective economic development tools. (2) To connect urban economic development initiatives with environmental initiatives. (3) To improve quality of life for city residents. (4) To encourage public-private partnerships. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) Community greening initiative.--The term ``community greening initiative'' means a program that increases economic development by improving the environment. A community greening initiative may include the following: (A) Revitalizing municipal parks and public spaces. (B) Landscaping community gateways and key corridors. (C) Tree plantings and urban forestry projects. (D) Comprehensive planning for open space preservation. (E) Education, training, and volunteer management concerning community green initiatives. (F) Green roof construction. (G) Green stormwater infrastructure. (H) Vacant lot management. (2) Green roof.--The term ``green roof'' means a roof consisting of vegetation and soil or a growing medium planted over a waterproofing membrane. (3) Green stormwater infrastructure.--The term ``green stormwater infrastructure'' means systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or reuse stormwater on the site where it occurs rather than transporting the water to a stream or treatment facility. (4) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit organization'' means an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code. (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Commerce. (6) Urban forestry.--The term ``urban forestry'' means an integrated citywide or neighborhood-wide approach to the planting, care, and management of trees in the city or the neighborhood in order to ensure environmental and social benefits for residents. SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY GREENING INITIATIVES. (a) Grants.-- (1) In general.--To the extent that funds are available, the Secretary shall, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, award grants to eligible municipalities to carry out community greening initiatives. (2) Grant amount.--The Secretary may not award a grant under this section in an amount that exceeds $2,000,000. (b) Eligible Municipalities.--For purposes of this section, an eligible municipality is any municipality that meets-- (1) the criteria described by section 209(b) of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3149(b)); and (2) the circumstances described by section 209(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3149(c)). (c) Selection of Grant Recipients.-- (1) Application.--An eligible municipality seeking a grant under this section for a community greening initiative shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor in such form and in such manner as the Secretary considers appropriate. (2) Selection.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the nonprofit organizations that receive a grant or enter into a contract with the Secretary under section 5(a), select to receive grants under this section 80 eligible municipalities that have successfully developed and planned a community greening initiative, as determined by the Secretary. (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may not award a grant under this section to an eligible municipality for a community greening initiative that the Secretary determines will require more than 2 years to complete. (d) Use of Grant Funds.--Each eligible municipality receiving a grant under this section shall, with technical assistance and training provided under section 5(c), use the grant to carry out the community greening initiative for which the grant is received. (e) Matching Requirement.--An eligible municipality seeking a grant under this section for a community greening initiative shall agree to make available non-Federal funds to carry out the community greening initiative in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the grant awarded to such eligible municipality under this section. (f) Report.--Not later than 60 days after an eligible municipality that receives a grant under this section for a community greening initiative completes such initiative, the eligible nonprofit organization that assisted such municipality with such initiative under subsection (d) shall submit to the Secretary a report assessing the implementation of such initiative. SEC. 5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR MUNICIPALITIES. (a) Grants or Contracts.-- (1) In general.--To the extent that funds are available, the Secretary shall award grants to, or enter into contracts with, 5 eligible nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance and training to municipalities that receive grants under section 4. (2) Duration.--A grant or contract under paragraph (1) shall be for a period of 5 years. (b) Eligible Nonprofit Organization.--For purposes of this section, an eligible nonprofit organization is any nonprofit organization that has experience with the following: (1) Planning and implementing projects concerning urban open space, landscape management, and community greening initiatives. (2) Land and water conservation. (3) Working with communities. (4) Forming partnerships or regional consortiums. (5) Urban ecology. (6) Such other experience as the Secretary considers appropriate. (c) Technical Assistance and Training.-- (1) In general.--Each eligible nonprofit organization receiving a grant or entering into a contract under subsection (a) shall provide technical assistance and training to municipalities receiving grants under section 4 to assist such municipalities in carrying out the community greening initiatives for which such grants were awarded. (2) Activities.--Technical assistance and training under paragraph (1) may include the following: (A) Developing, planning, implementing, and assessing community greening initiatives. (B) Developing and implementing training and workshops for municipal agencies and local partners. (C) Evaluating a community greening initiative. (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year for which amounts are made available for grants under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the technical assistance and training provided under this section. Each report shall describe the actions taken by the Secretary to ensure that technical assistance and training provided under this section is responsive to the needs of municipalities that receive grants under section 4. SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act-- (1) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010, 2013, and 2014; and (2) $90,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012. (b) Reservation of Funds.-- (1) Grants for community greening initiatives.--Not less than 66 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012 shall be made available for the awarding of grants under section 4. (2) Technical assistance and training.--Of the amounts made available to carry out this Act, amounts shall be made available for technical assistance and training under section 5 as follows: (A) For each of fiscal years 2010, 2013, and 2014, 85 percent of such amounts. (B) For each of fiscal years 2011 and 2013, 28 percent of such amounts. (c) Availability.--Funds made available under this Act shall remain available until expended.
summary: Green Communities Act of 2009 [sic] - Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, to make grants to eligible municipalities to carry out community greening initiatives. Defines such an initiative as a program that increases economic development by improving the environment and that may include: (1) revitalizing municipal parks and public spaces; (2) landscaping community gateways and key corridors; (3) tree plantings and urban forestry projects; (4) comprehensive planning for open space preservation; (5) education, training, and volunteer management concerning community green initiatives; (6) green roof construction; (7) green stormwater infrastructure; and (8) vacant lot management. Defines an "eligible municipality" as a municipality that meets criteria for an economic adjustment grant under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965. Directs the Secretary to select 80 eligible municipalities to receive grants. Requires an eligible municipality seeking a grant to agree to make available nonfederal funds to carry out the initiative in an amount equal to not less than 50% of the grant awarded. Directs the Secretary to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, five nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance and training to municipalities receiving grants.