# Youth Climate Leadership Act of 2024

This bill creates official advisory councils made up of young people aged 16 to 29 who will give advice to five major federal agencies about environmental issues. The five agencies involved are the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Commerce. Essentially, the government is creating a formal way for young people to have a voice in environmental decision-making at the federal level.

Each agency will establish its own Youth Advisory Council with between 15 and 25 members. These young advisors will make recommendations about how to help communities—especially low-income and communities of color that face the worst pollution and climate impacts—deal with environmental problems. They'll also suggest ways to measure how climate change and pollution are affecting young people, and they'll research and report on environmental justice, climate solutions, and pollution reduction. At least half of each council's members must come from or work in disadvantaged communities, ensuring that the voices of young people most affected by environmental problems are heard. The councils will meet at least once a year, hold open meetings that the public can attend, and submit annual reports with their recommendations to the agency leaders.

The bill funds this effort with $250,000 per year for each of the five agencies through 2035. This money covers the costs of running the councils, providing staff support, and educating the young members about how each agency works. The councils can also create smaller subcommittees to focus on specific issues. Importantly, the bill requires diversity in council membership—no single background (like business, academia, or nonprofits) can make up more than 60 percent of any council, and the bill specifically calls for geographic diversity across the country and consideration of people from different races, abilities, and backgrounds.