[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2383 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2383

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2023

 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Mr. Padilla, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Sanders) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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.

    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 ``Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act 
of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Extreme heat.--The term ``extreme heat'' has the 
        meaning given the term through a rulemaking of the 
        Administrator, in consultation with the heads of relevant 
        Federal agencies.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (4) Native hawaiian organization.--The term ``Native 
        Hawaiian organization'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).

SEC. 3. SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT-READY COMMUNITIES.

    Part A of title I of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 139. SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT-READY COMMUNITIES.

    ``(a) Definition of Extreme Heat.--The term `extreme heat' has the 
meaning given the term in section 2 of the Smoke and Heat Ready 
Communities Act of 2023.
    ``(b) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Administrator may make grants under this section to 
air pollution control agencies to support air pollution control 
agencies in developing and implementing programs that support local 
communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public 
about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of 
wildfire smoke and extreme heat.
    ``(c) Eligible Activities.--In carrying out a program described in 
subsection (b), an air pollution control agency may use funds from a 
grant received under this section for--
            ``(1) activities related to the monitoring of, the 
        interpretation of, and communicating with the public about 
        past, present, and future data related to ambient air quality 
        conditions that are caused by wildfire smoke and extreme heat;
            ``(2) conducting community outreach in areas that may be 
        prone to poor air quality that is attributable to elevated 
        levels of particulate matter, ozone, and other harmful 
        components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat;
            ``(3) the deployment of air quality monitoring equipment in 
        a manner that is sufficient to evaluate an increased prevalence 
        of poor air quality that is attributable to elevated levels of 
        particulate matter, ozone, and other harmful components of 
        wildfire smoke and extreme heat;
            ``(4) equipping public buildings with air filtration 
        systems that are capable of removing particulate matter and 
        other harmful components of wildfire smoke and extreme heat 
        from the air so that the public buildings may serve as cleaner 
        air spaces during wildfire smoke events and extreme heat events 
        and other poor air quality events;
            ``(5) the purchase, storage, and distribution of face masks 
        and personal protective equipment, including N-95 filtering 
        facepiece respirators, portable air filtration systems, and 
        other masks and equipment that are capable of removing or 
        otherwise preventing the inhalation of particulate matter, 
        ozone, and other harmful components of wildfire smoke and 
        extreme heat from the air;
            ``(6) subgrants or providing other financing to private or 
        other public entities with demonstrated financial need--
                    ``(A) to acquire protective gear; or
                    ``(B) to carry out weatherization measures to 
                mitigate air infiltration; and
            ``(7) such other activities that the Administrator 
        determines to be necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
        section.
    ``(d) Allocation of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
        Administrator shall establish a formula to distribute grants 
        under this section among air pollution control agencies.
            ``(2) Considerations.--In establishing the formula required 
        under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider--
                    ``(A) the vulnerability of communities within a 
                State to wildfire smoke and extreme heat; and
                    ``(B) the degree to which a State is prone to poor 
                air quality that is attributable to elevated levels of 
                particulate matter from wildfire smoke and extreme 
                heat.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.''.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON WILDFIRE SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT.

    (a) Centers of Excellence.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish at 
        institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) 4 
        centers, each of which shall be known as a ``Center of 
        Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat'', to carry out 
        research relating to--
                    (A) the effects on public health, including the 
                health of outdoor workers, of--
                            (i) smoke emissions from wildland fires; 
                        and
                            (ii) extreme heat; and
                    (B) means by which communities can better respond 
                to the impacts of--
                            (i) emissions from wildland fires; and
                            (ii) extreme heat events.
            (2) Priority.--In selecting institutions of higher 
        education (as so defined) at which to establish a center under 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator shall give priority to 
        institutions of higher education (as so defined) that--
                    (A) have established expertise with respect to air 
                quality or dedicated centers of air quality research;
                    (B) have experience with relevant outreach and 
                extension work;
                    (C) have established relationships with relevant 
                Federal, State, and local agencies, community 
                organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and 
                Indian Tribes; and
                    (D) are located in an area that is economically or 
                environmentally impacted by wildfire smoke or extreme 
                heat.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
        subsection $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal 
        year thereafter.
    (b) Research.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall begin to carry 
        out research--
                    (A) to study the health effects of--
                            (i) smoke emissions from wildland fires; 
                        and
                            (ii) extreme heat;
                    (B) to develop and disseminate personal and 
                community-based interventions to reduce exposure to and 
                adverse health effects of--
                            (i) smoke emissions from wildland fires; 
                        and
                            (ii) extreme heat;
                    (C) to increase the quality of smoke and extreme 
                heat monitoring and prediction tools and techniques; 
                and
                    (D) to develop implementation and communication 
                strategies.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
        subsection $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal 
        year thereafter.

SEC. 5. COMMUNITY SMOKE AND EXTREME HEAT PLANNING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a competitive 
grant program to assist eligible entities described in subsection (b) 
in developing and implementing collaborative community plans for 
mitigating the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires and 
extreme heat.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--An entity that is eligible to submit an 
application for a grant under subsection (a) is--
            (1) a State;
            (2) a unit of local government (including any special 
        district, such as an air quality management district or a 
        school district);
            (3) an Indian Tribe; or
            (4) a Native Hawaiian organization.
    (c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), an eligible entity described in subsection (b) shall 
submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may 
require, which shall include a plan to collaborate with a public 
institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) or other research 
institution that--
            (1) has established expertise with respect to air quality 
        or dedicated centers of air quality research;
            (2) has experience with relevant outreach and extension 
        work;
            (3) has established relationships with relevant Federal, 
        State, and local agencies, community organizations, Native 
        Hawaiian organizations, and Indian Tribes; and
            (4) is located in an area that is economically or 
        environmentally impacted by wildfire smoke or extreme heat.
    (d) Technical Assistance.--The Administrator may use amounts made 
available to carry out this section to provide to eligible entities 
described in subsection (b) technical assistance in--
            (1) submitting grant applications under subsection (c); or
            (2) carrying out projects using a grant under this section.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $50,000,000 
for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter.
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