Sponsors (6)
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Joseph Neguse · Last progress September 18, 2025
The bill would reduce smoke exposure and near-term health harms for many vulnerable Americans by funding supplies, shelters, and local coordination during severe wildfire smoke events, but it requires federal spending, places operational burdens on state/local agencies, and may exclude some at-risk people due to strict income-based eligibility rules.
Low-income individuals, people with chronic conditions, children, and youth can receive free or subsidized air filters, masks, and weatherization supplies during multi-day unhealthy smoke events, reducing indoor smoke exposure and the risk of respiratory hospitalizations.
Low-income individuals, seniors, and pregnant people whose homes remain unsafe can access cost-efficient transitional sheltering during severe smoke episodes, lowering immediate exposure and potential hospitalizations.
State and local public health authorities and hospitals can coordinate targeted assistance, improving rapid local response to wildfire smoke impacts and enabling more efficient distribution of supplies and sheltering.
Some vulnerable people may be excluded because eligibility is tied to taxable income and federal poverty definitions, leaving people who do not fit those definitions without needed assistance.
State and local agencies may face increased logistical and administrative burdens to implement distribution and sheltering, potentially straining limited public-health resources and slowing response.
Taxpayers could face increased federal spending to supply equipment and fund sheltering during wildfire seasons, which may require new appropriations or reallocations of funds.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires FEMA to supply smoke-prevention equipment to at-risk people and provide cost-efficient transitional sheltering when wildfire smoke causes 'unhealthy' AQI for 3+ consecutive days.
Directs the President, through FEMA and using the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, to give qualified state and local entities funding or support to buy and supply smoke-inhalation prevention equipment to people at risk from wildfire smoke when an area’s air quality is “unhealthy” for at least three straight days because of wildfire. If equipment is not enough to protect affected people, it requires FEMA to provide cost-efficient short-term sheltering through the same program. The law defines who counts as "at risk" (including low-income people, parents/guardians of children under 19, pregnant people, people 65+, and people with chronic respiratory/cardiovascular or smoke‑exacerbated conditions), sets a low-income cutoff at 200% of the federal poverty level, and lists which entities can receive and distribute assistance (states, local governments, local public health authorities, and coordinated care organizations).