Bill Summary
The "Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2025" is a legislative proposal aimed at improving air quality through the establishment of a "cleaner air space program." The bill directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement this program, with a maximum grant limit of $3 million per agency.
Key components of the legislation include:
1. **Grants and Requirements**: Air pollution control agencies can apply for grants to create programs that provide air filtration units and establish clean air centers for communities at risk from wildland fire smoke. Tribal agencies are guaranteed at least one grant.
2. **Program Implementation**: Agencies must partner with community-based organizations and meet specific requirements, such as distributing at least 1,000 air filtration units to eligible households, which are defined as low-income families at high risk from air pollution.
3. **Educational Outreach**: Agencies are required to provide educational materials on air filtration use and to distribute information about available services during wildland fire events.
4. **Monitoring and Reporting**: Agencies must collect data on the distribution and effectiveness of air filtration units and conduct surveys to assess community impact. A report summarizing the program's outcomes and recommendations for improvement is to be submitted to Congress after three years.
5. **Funding**: The bill authorizes $30 million for the program over three fiscal years, with a provision allowing up to 10% of the funds for administrative expenses.
Overall, the legislation seeks to enhance public health and safety by ensuring communities have access to clean air resources during environmental crises.
Possible Impacts
The "Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2025" could affect people in various ways. Here are three specific examples:
1. **Improved Air Quality for Vulnerable Populations**: The legislation mandates the distribution of eligible air filtration units to low-income households, particularly those at high risk of exposure to wildland fire smoke. This initiative could significantly improve indoor air quality for these vulnerable populations, thereby reducing health risks such as respiratory issues, allergies, and other complications associated with poor air quality.
2. **Creation of Clean Air Centers**: The Act requires the establishment of clean air centers in areas at risk of wildland fire smoke exposure. These centers would provide safe spaces for individuals, particularly those from covered households, to seek refuge during smoke events. The accessibility of these centers could help mitigate the health impacts of smoke exposure, offering a communal location where people can access cleaner air and potentially receive educational resources about air quality and health.
3. **Community Engagement and Education**: The legislation emphasizes the importance of partnerships between air pollution control agencies and community-based organizations. This requirement aims to enhance community engagement and ensure that educational materials about air filtration and clean air practices are effectively distributed. As a result, individuals in low-income communities may become more informed about how to utilize air filtration units and maintain healthier living environments, ultimately fostering a culture of health and awareness regarding air quality issues.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 566 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 566
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement a cleaner
air space program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 20, 2025
Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Titus, Mr. Moulton, Mr.
Khanna, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Costa, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Mullin,
Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. DeGette, and Ms. Schrier) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement a cleaner
air space program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. CLEANER AIR SPACE PROGRAM GRANT.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the
Administrator shall provide grants to air pollution control agencies to
implement a cleaner air space program in accordance with this section.
(b) Grant Requirements.--
(1) Amounts.--Under this section, the Administrator may not
provide a grant to an air pollution control agency in an amount
that exceeds $3,000,000.
(2) Grants for tribes.--The Administrator shall provide at
least one grant to a Tribal agency that has jurisdiction over
air quality.
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--To apply for a grant provided under this
section, an air pollution control agency shall submit to the
Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Administrator determines
appropriate, including a proposal for the implementation of a
cleaner air space program.
(2) Proposal for cleaner air space program requirements.--A
proposal for the implementation of a cleaner air space program
under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) Certification of partnering with a community-
based organization.
(B) Details on the responsibilities of all parties
involved with the cleaner air space program, including
the responsibilities of--
(i) the air pollution control agency; and
(ii) any community-based organizations for
which the air pollution control agency is
partnering with under subparagraph (A).
(C) Information regarding which geographic
population or community of covered households may be
receiving eligible air filtration units under such
cleaner air space program.
(D) Information on how the air pollution control
agency plans to--
(i) distribute educational materials
related to eligible air filtration units; and
(ii) advertise the availability of clean
air centers.
(E) Information on how such air pollution control
agency plans to establish a clean air center,
including--
(i) the facility in which a clean air
center may be established; and
(ii) the capacity and ventilation
characteristics of such facility.
(F) A description of the costs that may be
associated with the program, including any
administrative costs.
(d) Cleaner Air Space Program Requirements.--Subject to partnership
requirement under subsection (e), an air pollution control agency
implementing a cleaner air space program pursuant to subsection (a)
shall--
(1) establish at least one clean air center that is--
(A) located in an area at risk of being exposed to
wildland fire smoke;
(B) accessible to individuals that reside in
covered households; and
(C) open, accessible, and staffed during wildland
fire smoke events with the option of being open,
accessible, and staffed before or after wildland fire
smoke events;
(2) advertise to the public--
(A) during a wildland fire smoke event, the
availability of a clean air center; and
(B) the local cleaner air space program that such
air pollution control agency is implementing, including
information about such local cleaner air space program,
the availability of free air filtration units (if
applicable), eligibility requirements to receive such
free air filtration unit, and information on who to
contact for more information with respect to such local
cleaner air space program;
(3) at no cost to covered households--
(A) distribute a minimum of 1,000 eligible air
filtration units to such covered households; and
(B) provide one air filter replacement for each
eligible air filtration unit distributed under
subparagraph (A);
(4) distribute educational materials that include
information on how to best utilize an eligible air filtration
unit to create a clean air room in a home;
(5) collect, and provide to the Administrator, information
on--
(A) each type of eligible air filtration unit
distributed under such cleaner air space program;
(B) the number of eligible air filtration unit so
distributed; and
(C) the cost of each type of eligible air
filtration unit so distributed; and
(6) not later than 6 months after providing an eligible air
filtration unit to a covered household, conduct an anonymous
survey of an individual of such covered household that received
the eligible air filtration unit through the cleaner air space
program on--
(A) whether such individual understood how to
properly set up a clean air room and how to utilize the
air filtration unit;
(B) how often such individual utilized the air
filtration unit;
(C) the largest barriers to properly utilizing the
air filtration unit or creating a clean air room;
(D) whether such individual reported better air
conditions in the clean air room of such individual
compared to other parts of the home of such individual;
and
(E) how the implementation of the cleaner air space
program could improve.
(e) Partnership.--In implementing a cleaner air space program under
subsection (a), an air pollution control agency shall partner with at
least one community-based organization to carry out the requirements of
such cleaner air space program under subsection (d).
(f) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that
includes--
(1) information on each cleaner air space program
implemented using a grant provided under subsection (a),
including--
(A) the name of the air pollution control agency
that received such grant; and
(B) the information described in subsection (d)(5)
collected by such air pollution control agency;
(2) responses from the survey described in subsection
(d)(6); and
(3) recommendations on--
(A) whether the cleaner air space program should be
expanded; and
(B) how the cleaner air space program can be
improved.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Air pollution control agency.--The term ``air pollution
control agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 302
of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7602).
(3) Clean air center.--The term ``clean air center'' means
one or more clean air rooms in a publicly accessible building.
(4) Clean air room.--The term ``clean air room'' means a
room that is designed to keep levels of harmful air pollutants
as low as possible during wildland fire smoke events.
(5) Covered household.--The term ``covered household''
means a household that--
(A) is located in a low-income community; and
(B) includes a person who--
(i) is at high risk of experiencing a
wildland fire smoke event; and
(ii) is vulnerable to negative health
effects caused by wildland fire smoke due to
factors such as an underlying health condition,
a disability, or age.
(6) Eligible air filtration unit.--The term ``eligible air
filtration unit'' means an air filtration unit that--
(A) is certified by Association of Home Appliance
Manufacturers to have a Clean Air Delivery Rate of at
least 97 for smoke;
(B) is certified under the Energy Star program
established by section 324A of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6294a);
(C) does not emit ozone; and
(D) uses a true high-efficiency particulate air
filter rated to remove 99.97 percent of particles
measuring 0.3 micrometers or greater.
(7) Low-income community.--The term ``low-income
community'' has the meaning given such term in section 45D of
the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 45D).
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator to carry out this section $30,000,000 for the
period of fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the funds made available
under paragraph (1), the Administrator may use not more than 10
percent of such funds on expenses relating to administering the
cleaner air space program.
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