119 HR 4976 IH: Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-08-15 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I119th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 4976IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESAugust 15, 2025Ms. Dexter (for herself, Mr. Tonko, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Norton, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Thanedar, and Ms. DeGette) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and WorkforceA BILLTo improve understanding and policy responses to the impacts of wildfire smoke on children in educational and childcare settings, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act.

2.

Review of impacts of wildfire smoke on children in educational and childcare settings

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall seek to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a review of existing school and childcare policies addressing wildfire smoke exposure, both during and after a wildfire event, to ensure that children in K–12 educational settings and young children in childcare settings, including in out-of-school or out-of-childcare activities (such as children’s sports and summer camps) that are administered by a school or childcare program are adequately protected from the risks posed by wildfire smoke. (b)

Elements

The review under subsection (a) shall contain the following: (1) An assessment of current standards, guidance, and mitigation strategies for wildfire smoke in K–12 educational settings and childcare settings, including in out-of-school or out-of-childcare activities. (2)An identification of gaps in research and policy relating to such standards, guidance, and strategies. (3) Recommendations to Congress regarding strategies to better protect children during and after wildfire smoke events, including children in under-resourced K–12 educational settings and childcare settings.