Bill Summary
The "Wildfire Smoke Relief Act" is a proposed legislation aimed at providing transitional sheltering assistance to individuals living in areas where air quality has deteriorated due to wildfires. It targets individuals at high risk for health issues related to wildfire smoke, including low-income individuals, parents or guardians with minor children, pregnant women, seniors, and those with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
The legislation authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to administer a Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program that includes two primary components:
1. **Provision of Smoke-Inhalation Prevention Equipment**: Qualified entities, such as state or local governments and public health authorities, would receive federal assistance to supply at-risk individuals with equipment to prevent smoke inhalation. This includes portable air filtration units, air filters, respirators, and low-cost home equipment to reduce smoke exposure.
2. **Transitional Shelter Assistance**: If the provided equipment is insufficient to mitigate health risks, the act allows for cost-efficient transitional shelter assistance to ensure that at-risk individuals have a safe place to stay during periods of unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires.
Overall, the act aims to protect vulnerable populations from the health impacts of wildfire smoke by providing necessary resources and support during environmental crises.
Possible Impacts
The "Wildfire Smoke Relief Act" could affect people in various ways, particularly individuals at risk of wildfire smoke-related illness. Here are three examples:
1. **Improved Health Outcomes**: Individuals identified as at risk—such as low-income families, pregnant women, children, seniors, and those with pre-existing chronic health conditions—could receive essential smoke-inhalation prevention equipment. This assistance, which includes air filtration units and protective masks, could significantly reduce their exposure to harmful smoke particles and improve their overall health outcomes during wildfire events.
2. **Temporary Housing Solutions**: For individuals living in areas with unhealthy air quality, the Act provides a safety net through transitional sheltering assistance. If smoke-inhalation prevention equipment is insufficient, affected individuals can receive assistance for temporary housing, ensuring they have a safe place to stay while addressing the immediate health risks posed by wildfire smoke.
3. **Support for Local Governments and Health Authorities**: The Act empowers qualified entities, such as local governments and public health authorities, to implement the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program. This support can enhance community preparedness and response to wildfires, allowing these entities to distribute resources and assistance more effectively to vulnerable populations, ultimately leading to stronger community resilience in the face of environmental health challenges.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2856 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2856
To authorize transitional sheltering assistance for individuals who
live in areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025
Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize transitional sheltering assistance for individuals who
live in areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires, 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 ``Wildfire Smoke Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Individual at risk of wildfire smoke related illness.--
The term ``individual at risk of wildfire smoke related
illness'' means an individual, living in an area where the air
quality index is determined to be unhealthy for not less than 3
consecutive days as a result of a wildfire, who is--
(A) a low-income individual;
(B) a parent or guardian with a child who has not
attained 19 years of age;
(C) a pregnant woman;
(D) an individual who is 65 years of age or older;
(E) an individual with chronic respiratory or
cardiovascular illness; or
(F) an individual with a chronic disease that is
exacerbated by smoke inhalation.
(2) Low-income individual.--The term ``low-income
individual'' means an individual from a family whose taxable
income (as defined in section 63 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986) for the preceding year did not exceed 200 percent of
an amount equal to the poverty level, as determined by using
criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of Census.
(3) Qualified entity.--The term ``qualified entity''
means--
(A) a State or unit of local government;
(B) a local public health authority; and
(C) a coordinated care organization.
(b) Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program.--In carrying out
the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency under section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b), the President
shall--
(1) provide assistance to a qualified entity to purchase
and provide, to an individual at risk of wildfire smoke related
illness, smoke-inhalation prevention equipment, including--
(A) a portable air filtration unit;
(B) an air filter;
(C) a face mask or respirator, such as--
(i) an N95 respirator;
(ii) a P100 respirator; or
(iii) other equipment certified by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health to protect from airborne particle
exposure;
(D) low-cost equipment to keep smoke out of a
house, such as:
(i) a weather strip;
(ii) not more than 1 portable air-
conditioning unit per household;
(iii) ventilation equipment;
(iv) a screening and shading device; or
(v) a window covering; or
(E) other similarly effective devices; and
(2) in any case in which smoke-inhalation prevention
equipment is not sufficient to mitigate the risk of illness,
provide cost-efficient transitional shelter assistance to an
individual at risk of wildfire smoke related illness.
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