Sen. Gallego proposes $30M federal grant program to help cities deal with extreme heat

Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is sponsoring a new bill to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat in urban areas across the U.S.

As heat-related deaths in Arizona have increased, local leaders in the state have called for a more permanent source of federal funding to protect people from extreme temperatures.

In the last few summers, Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix largely relied on temporary pandemic relief funds to pay for cooling centers and other heat relief initiatives.

In his Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, Gallego is proposing to create a $30 million grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Local governments, tribes or nonprofits could use the grants for things like cool roof technology, tree planting or cooling centers.

The Democrat-backed bill is likely to face long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress.