Sponsors (19)
The bill provides targeted HEPA units, clean air centers, and training to protect vulnerable residents from wildfire smoke, but limited funding, administrative requirements, and sustainability constraints mean many communities—especially small, remote, or Tribal—may remain underserved.
Low-income households (including seniors and people with disabilities) in wildfire-prone areas receive free HEPA air cleaners and one replacement filter, reducing indoor smoke exposure and short-term health risks.
Communities get publicly accessible clean air centers that remain open during wildland fire smoke events, giving vulnerable residents (children, seniors, low-income people) safe indoor spaces during smoke episodes.
The bill provides dedicated federal funding ($30 million across 2026–2028) to support local and Tribal air quality responses, enabling grants and program start-up for state, local, and Tribal partners.
The total program funding is limited ($30 million), so many eligible communities and households likely will not receive grants or enough units to meet need.
Providing units and operating clean air centers creates ongoing costs (staffing, replacement filters, facility operation) that may exceed grant amounts and risk program sustainability once federal funding ends.
A program requirement to distribute at least 1,000 units per program may favor larger agencies and leave small, remote, or Tribal communities underserved.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes EPA grants for clean air centers, air filtration unit distribution, and outreach to reduce smoke exposure in at-risk and low-income communities.
Official title: 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.
Introduced January 20, 2025 by Scott Peters · Last progress January 20, 2025
Provides federal grant authority for the EPA to fund state, local, interstate, and Tribal air pollution control agencies to run a “cleaner air space” program that creates public clean air centers, distributes air filtration units (including replacements), and provides education and outreach, especially for low-income households and areas at risk from wildland fire smoke. Grants are subject to appropriations, capped at $3,000,000 per agency, and the EPA must report to Congress within three years listing participating agencies and program details. The bill requires applicants to show partnerships with community-based organizations, describe target populations and distribution plans, and operate centers during wildland fire smoke events. At least one Tribal air quality agency grant must be awarded; recipient agencies must collect and report program data to EPA.