Sponsor
Ken Calvert
Representative · R-CA
Representative · R-CA
The bill makes it easier to hold and promote more fireworks displays nationwide during 2026—boosting celebrations and local economic activity and clarifying some authorities—while raising public‑safety, environmental, fiscal, and regulatory-complexity risks for residents, local governments, and businesses, and creating uncertainty when the one‑year waiver expires.
Communities, event organizers, and tourists: the Act enables more public fireworks displays across 2026 by creating a nationwide, year‑long semiquincentennial designation and reducing certain state permitting/setback requirements, supporting larger celebrations and local tourism/economic activity.
Local governments, fire authorities, and tribal governments: the Act clarifies which entities and displays are covered and sets a fixed timeframe (through Dec 31, 2026), giving officials and organizers clearer legal scope for planning and response.
Workers and nearby communities: the Act preserves federal safety, environmental, and hazardous-materials laws (Clean Air Act, OSHA, explosives statutes, etc.) and professional pyrotechnic licensing requirements, keeping key workplace, product, and air-quality protections in force.
Residents, pets, and people with respiratory conditions: waiving many state fire codes, setbacks, burn restrictions, and noise rules for covered displays increases risks of fires, injuries, property damage, noise and air pollution during 2026.
Local governments, firefighters/EMS, and taxpayers: increased displays and reduced state controls can shift emergency response, cleanup, and enforcement costs to localities and strain limited permitting and emergency resources.
Nearby residents and communities: waiving state event‑notification and permitting requirements can reduce public notice and local input, increasing unexpected noise, traffic, and community disruption.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Temporarily suspends most Federal and State restrictions on fireworks displays during 2026 while preserving federal hazardous‑materials, OSHA, product safety, and Clean Air Act rules and local/tribal authority.
Official title: To provide a temporary waiver of certain Federal and State laws governing fireworks displays during the 250th anniversary year of the United States, while preserving local authority, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 30, 2026 by Ken Calvert · Last progress April 30, 2026
Temporarily suspends most Federal and State restrictions on public and private fireworks displays occurring from enactment through December 31, 2026, to encourage nationwide participation in the United States' 250th‑anniversary celebrations. The waiver applies only to the act of conducting and possessing fireworks at an event site during the event and explicitly preserves federal manufacturing, transportation, hazardous materials, OSHA, and Clean Air Act rules, while leaving local governments and federally recognized Tribes free to regulate or prohibit displays within their jurisdictions.