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HR8474FEDERALin_committee

High Impact

Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

April 23, 2026

environment urban planning climate change public health infrastructure forestry

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Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.Apr 23, 2026

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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The Frame

What this does

The bill authorizes $2 billion in federal spending over five years (2025–2029) to expand urban tree canopies, specifically targeting neighborhoods with high poverty rates or extreme heat.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local community tree volunteer groups

These groups are eligible to apply for federal assistance to fund tree planting and maintenance projects.

Residents of low-income or high-heat urban areas

These communities are prioritized for tree-planting projects intended to mitigate heat and improve environmental conditions.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill creates a federal fund to help states, tribes, and local groups plant and maintain trees in urban areas. It prioritizes funding for low-income neighborhoods and areas with historically low tree cover to help reduce heat and improve air quality.

Key Facts

Authorizes $100M for 2025, $200M for 2026, $400M for 2027, $600M for 2028, and $700M for 2029 for the Neighborhood Tree Fund.
Establishes the Neighborhood Tree Fund under the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance for urban tree canopy health.
Eligible recipients include states, Indian Tribes, local governments, and approved community tree volunteer groups.
Prioritizes projects in census tracts with poverty rates of 20% or higher, including areas historically designated as 'hazardous' or 'declining' in redlining maps.
Prioritizes projects in neighborhoods with lower tree canopy and higher summer temperatures.
Limits spending on community tree assessments to no more than 10% of the annual fund allocation.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to consult with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on program requirements.
Increases the size of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council from 15 to 16 members.
Mandates that new council members include one resident from a community under 50,000 people and one resident from a low-income community.

Why It Matters

The bill authorizes $2 billion in federal spending over five years (2025–2029) to expand urban tree canopies, specifically targeting neighborhoods with high poverty rates or extreme heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for this tree-planting funding?

States, Indian Tribes, local governments, and approved local community tree volunteer groups are eligible.

How does the government decide which neighborhoods get priority?

Priority is given to areas with poverty rates of 20% or higher, areas with historically low tree cover, and neighborhoods that experience higher summer temperatures.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Explicit link between historical redlining and current environmental policy

The bill formally incorporates historical redlining data as a criterion for prioritizing federal environmental funding.

Home Owners' Loan Corporation

Connected Entities

organizationForest Service“Federal agency referenced for research and administration.”Map →

personMs. Norton“Co-sponsor of the bill.”Map →

personMs. Brown“Primary sponsor of the bill.”Map →

personMr. Thompson of California“Co-sponsor of the bill.”Map →

organizationDepartment of Housing and Urban Development“Consulting agency for program requirements.”Map →

personMs. Titus“Co-sponsor of the bill.”Map →

personMs. Matsui“Co-sponsor of the bill.”Map →

personMrs. Sykes“Co-sponsor of the bill.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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