Municipal vulnerability preparedness grant program

Section 11. (a) The secretary shall develop and support a municipal vulnerability preparedness grant program. The program shall consist of: (i) financial assistance to municipalities to complete a community-led resilience building process and vulnerability assessment that enables climate change information and adaptation actions to be directly incorporated into existing municipal plans, policies and spending programs; (ii) technical planning guidance; (iii) a statewide catalogue of municipal climate vulnerabilities and impacts identified through the assessment process that may be incorporated into the state plan; and (iv) support for implementation projects to address vulnerabilities. (b) A grant of financial assistance issued under this section shall be used to advance efforts to adapt land use, zoning, infrastructure, financial decision-making, policies and programs to reduce the vulnerability of the built and natural environment to changing environmental conditions that are a result of climate change. (c) The secretary shall develop and implement an outreach and education program about climate change and its effects for low-income, environmental justice and urban communities to increase participation in the grant program established in this section.