The CLEAR Act modifies the Clean Air Act to give states more flexibility and time to meet federal air quality standards. Key changes include extending the review timeline for air quality standards from every five years to every ten years, allowing the EPA to consider whether standards are economically achievable when setting them, and requiring the EPA to give states at least one year to fix deficiencies before imposing federal plans. The bill also exempts extreme ozone nonattainment areas from certain pollution control requirements and allows states to exclude air quality data affected by wildfires or other exceptional events beyond their control when determining compliance with standards. Additionally, the legislation adds more state representatives to the EPA's scientific advisory committee and prevents the EPA from imposing sanctions on states for missing air quality deadlines if emissions come from outside the state, exceptional events, or mobile sources beyond state control. No specific funding is allocated, but the bill must be implemented within 18 months of enactment.
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