Wildfire Smoke Relief Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8421 To authorize transitional sheltering assistance for individuals who live in areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 Mr. HARDER of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To authorize transitional sheltering assistance for individuals who live in areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildfire Smoke Relief 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE. 6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 7 (1) INDIVIDUAL AT RISK OF WILDFIRE SMOKE 8 RELATED ILLNESS.—The term ‘‘individual at risk of 9 wildfire smoke related illness’’ means an individual, 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8421.IH H8421 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8421 IH living in an area where the air quality index is deter- 1 mined to be unhealthy for not less than 3 consecu- 2 tive days as a result of a wildfire, who is— 3 (A) a low-income individual; 4 (B) a parent or guardian with a child who 5 has not attained 19 years of age; 6 (C) a pregnant woman; 7 (D) an individual who is 65 years of age 8 or older; 9 (E) an individual with chronic respiratory 10 or cardiovascular illness; or 11 (F) an individual with a chronic disease 12 that is exacerbated by smoke inhalation. 13 (2) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘low- 14 income individual’’ means an individual from a fam- 15 ily whose taxable income (as defined in section 63 of 16 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) for the pre- 17 ceding year did not exceed 200 percent of an 18 amount equal to the poverty level, as determined by 19 using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau 20 of Census. 21 (3) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘qualified 22 entity’’ means— 23 (A) a State or unit of local government; 24 (B) a local public health authority; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8421.IH H8421 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8421 IH (C) a coordinated care organization. 1 (b) TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE PRO- 2 GRAM.—In carrying out the Transitional Sheltering As- 3 sistance Program of the Federal Emergency Management 4 Agency under section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis- 5 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 6 5170b), the President shall— 7 (1) provide assistance to a qualified entity to 8 purchase and provide, to an individual at risk of 9 wildfire smoke related illness, smoke-inhalation pre- 10 vention equipment, including— 11 (A) a portable air filtration unit; 12 (B) an air filter; 13 (C) a face mask or respirator, such as— 14 (i) a N95 respirator; 15 (ii) a P100 respirator; or 16 (iii) other equipment certified by the 17 National Institute for Occupational Safety 18 and Health to protect from airborne par- 19 ticle exposure; 20 (D) low-cost equipment to keep smoke out 21 of a house, such as— 22 (i) a weather strip; 23 (ii) not more than 1 portable air-con- 24 ditioning unit per household; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8421.IH H8421 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8421 IH (iii) ventilation equipment; 1 (iv) a screening and shading device; or 2 (v) a window covering; or 3 (E) other similarly effective devices; and 4 (2) in any case in which smoke-inhalation pre- 5 vention equipment is not sufficient to mitigate the 6 risk of illness, provide cost-efficient transitional shel- 7 ter assistance to an individual at risk of wildfire 8 smoke related illness. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Oct 24, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8421.IH H8421 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS