118 HR 4077 IH: Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2023
U.S. House of Representatives
2023-06-13
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I
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4077
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 13, 2023
Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Phillips, Ms. Titus, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Caraveo, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Costa, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Pettersen, and Mr. Mullin) 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.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2023”.
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;
(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; and
(2)
advertise to the public—
(A)
during a wildland fire smoke event, the availability of a clean air center;
(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 2024 through 2026.
(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.