# The Climate Adaptation Plan Act of 2025

The CAP Act creates a new federal grant program that gives money to local governments, tribal nations, and other community organizations to help them develop plans for dealing with climate change. Think of it as funding to help communities figure out how they'll adapt to rising temperatures, extreme weather, flooding, and other climate-related challenges they're already facing or expect to face in the future.

The Environmental Protection Agency will run this program and award grants on a competitive basis, meaning communities will need to apply and explain why they need the money and what they plan to do with it. The bill specifically prioritizes communities that include low-income neighborhoods or communities of color—groups that often face the worst impacts of climate change but have the fewest resources to prepare. There's no requirement for communities to match the federal funding with their own money, which makes it more accessible to poorer areas.

To get a grant, communities need to show they have experience (or will hire someone who does) in assessing climate risks, planning for disaster prevention, managing finances, and applying for federal grants. They'll also need to demonstrate they'll involve local stakeholders—young people, farmers, Indigenous communities, businesses, unions, and environmental groups—in developing their plan. The resulting climate adaptation plan must assess how climate change threatens the people, nature, buildings, and infrastructure in their area, and then describe specific actions they'll take to address those threats, like changing building codes, updating zoning rules, or protecting natural areas.

Essentially, this bill gives communities the tools and funding to get ahead of climate impacts rather than just reacting to disasters after they happen. It's particularly designed to help disadvantaged communities that often get left behind in climate planning efforts.