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Council proposes bill to identify environmental justice communities in permit reviews

Official:Amending Title 6 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Health Code,” to add a new Chapter 6-1400, entitled “Cumulative Impacts Assessment,” to provide for the identification of environmental justice communities and inclusion of cumulative impacts assessments as part of certain permit and license review and approval processes, to provide for the administration and enforcement of the cumulative impacts assessment approval process, and make certain technical changes; and amending Chapter 21-3000, entitled “Environmental Justice Reporting,” to further provide for certain powers and duties of the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee, and make certain technical changes; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Gym

Introduced: February 3, 2022

: Committee on Public Health and Human Services

environment public health

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2020–2023 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill requires the city to identify 'environmental justice communities' and consider their health impacts when reviewing permits and licenses. It also makes changes to how the city reports on environmental justice efforts.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Requires the city to identify "environmental justice communities" for the purpose of considering their health impacts.
Requires the inclusion of cumulative impacts assessments as part of certain permit and license review and approval processes.
Amends Chapter 21-3000, entitled "Environmental Justice Reporting", to further provide for the powers and duties of the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.
Requires the administration and enforcement of cumulative impacts assessment approval processes.