; and (C) waste heat produced in urban areas. 3. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Extreme heat events have been the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States over the last 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Weather Service. (2) The fourth National Climate Assessment, mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 ( 15 U.S.C. 2921 et seq. ), finds that during the next few decades, annual average temperature over the contiguous United States is projected to increase by a further 2.2°F relative to current temperatures, regardless of future scenarios. The National Climate Assessment projects that the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events will increase in the future as global temperature increases. (3) Exposure to extreme heat can cause acute heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke, which already result in more than 65,000 emergency room visits each year and exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. (4) Heat poses the greatest health risks for adults older than 65 years of age, pregnant people, young children, low-income communities, urban communities, communities with low air conditioning prevalence, socially isolated individuals, people with mental or physical disabilities, people with underlying medical conditions, agricultural or other outdoor workers, workers without sufficient access to cooling, athletes, incarcerated individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and military personnel. (5) Extreme heat is significantly associated with serious adverse pregnancy outcomes across the United States. Those adverse pregnancy outcomes disproportionately impact Black mothers. (6) Heat exposure is an issue of environmental justice, as people living in low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal nations face a number of interacting factors that render them more vulnerable to extreme heat. (7) The impacts of heat on human health are more severe in urban areas where land surface properties