Voters should care about this bill because extreme heat is a growing public health crisis in the United States, causing hundreds of deaths and many illnesses each year, with forecasts predicting worse heat waves in the future. Urban areas are significantly hotter than surrounding areas due to their design, and low-income communities and communities of color often bear the brunt of this heat.

If this bill becomes law, it would create a dedicated federal source of funding to help communities actively combat urban heat. This means more trees, cooler surfaces, and accessible cooling centers in vulnerable neighborhoods, potentially saving lives, improving health, lowering energy bills, and making cities more livable as temperatures rise. If it doesn't pass, many communities will continue to struggle without dedicated resources to adapt to increasing heat.