To amend the Clean Air Act to establish a grant program for supporting local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating about, or mitigating the environmental and public health impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 19, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2023 establishes a federal grant program to help local communities prepare for and respond to wildfire smoke and extreme heat events. The EPA would award grants to air pollution control agencies to fund activities such as air quality monitoring, public education, deployment of air filters in public buildings, and distribution of protective masks and equipment to vulnerable populations. The bill also creates four university-based Centers of Excellence to research the health effects of smoke and extreme heat and develop community response strategies, authorizes $20 million annually for related research, and establishes a $50 million annual competitive grant program for states, local governments, tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to develop community protection plans. The legislation requires the EPA to establish grant formulas that prioritize communities most vulnerable to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, with specific funding authorized beginning in fiscal year 2024.
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