S 341 — Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025

Summary

Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make grants to air pollution control agencies to support the development and implementation of programs that support local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The EPA must establish a formula to distribute the grants among air pollution control agencies.The bill requires the EPA to establish four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat at institutions of higher education to research (1) the effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat on public health, and (2) the means by which communities can better respond to impacts from such conditions.Additionally, the EPA must begin to carry out research tostudy the health effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat;develop and disseminate personal and community-based interventions to reduce exposure to, and health effects of, wildland fire smoke emissions and extreme heat;increase the quality of smoke and extreme heat monitoring and prediction tools and techniques; anddevelop implementation and communication strategies.The EPA must also establish a competitive grant program to assist certain entities (e.g., a state) in developing and implementing collaborative community plans for mitigating the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat.

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in Senate Current html January 30, 2025

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes a new grant program under the Clean Air Act for communities to address the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

• 42 U.S.C. 7401

  SEC. 139. SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT-READY COMMUNITIES. (a) Definition of Extreme Heat.--The term 'extreme heat' has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025. (b) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator may make grants under this section to air pollution control agencies to support air pollution control agencies in developing and implementing programs that support local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. (c) Eligible Activities.--In carrying out a program described in subsection (b), an air pollution control agency may use funds from a grant received under this section for-- (1) activities related to the monitoring of, the interpretation of, and communicating with the public about past, present, and future data related to ambient air quality conditions that are caused by wildfire smoke and extreme heat; (2) conducting community outreach in areas that may be prone to poor air quality that is attributable to elevated levels of particulate matter, ozone, and other harmful components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat; (3) the deployment of air quality monitoring equipment in a manner that is sufficient to evaluate an increased prevalence of poor air quality that is attributable to elevated levels of particulate matter, ozone, and other harmful components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat; (4) equipping public buildings with air filtration systems that are capable of removing particulate matter and other harmful components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat from the air so that the public buildings may serve as cleaner air spaces during wildfire smoke events and extreme heat events and other poor air quality events; (5) the purchase, storage, and distribution of face masks and personal protective equipment, including N-95 filtering facepiece respirators, portable air filtration systems, and other masks and equipment that are capable of removing or otherwise preventing the inhalation of particulate matter, ozone, and other harmful components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat from the air; (6) subgrants or providing other financing to private or other public entities with demonstrated financial need-- (A) to acquire protective gear; or (B) to carry out weatherization measures to mitigate air infiltration; and (7) such other activities that the Administrator determines to be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (d) Allocation of Funds.-- (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Administrator shall establish a formula to distribute grants under this section among air pollution control agencies. (2) Considerations.--In establishing the formula required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider-- (A) the vulnerability of communities within a State to wildfire smoke and extreme heat; and (B) the degree to which a State is prone to poor air quality that is attributable to elevated levels of particulate matter from wildfire smoke and extreme heat. (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

  This new section allows the EPA to provide grants to communities to mitigate the health impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

• 20 U.S.C. 1001(a)

  the term `institution of higher education' means an educational institution in any State that-- (1) admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, or persons who meet the requirements of section 1091(d) of this title; (2) is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education; (3) provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor’s degree or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary; (4) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and (5) is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted preaccreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of preaccreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.

  This adds the definition of 'institution of higher education' to the Clean Air Act for establishing research centers.

• Section 4 of the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025 establishes research centers at institutions of higher education focused on wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

  This provision directs the establishment of research centers dedicated to studying the effects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

Action History

1. January 30, 2025

   Introduced in Senate

2. January 30, 2025

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sponsors

• Jeff Merkley · Primary
• Richard Blumenthal · Cosponsor
• Alex Padilla · Cosponsor
• Adam B. Schiff · Cosponsor
• Ron Wyden · Cosponsor
• Bernard Sanders · Cosponsor
• Michael F. Bennet · Cosponsor
• Tina Smith · Cosponsor

Subjects