This bill lets the President declare a smoke emergency when wildland fire smoke causes, or is expected to cause, a significant decrease in air quality in one or more States. A Governor or other appropriate State agency may ask the President to make that declaration. If a smoke emergency is declared, the President, acting through FEMA and other federal agencies, may provide assistance such as grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel. The bill lists examples of support including establishing smoke shelters, providing air purifiers, and adding air monitoring sites. The Small Business Administration may give grants to small businesses that lose a significant amount of revenue because of wildland fire smoke in an area with a declaration. The bill authorizes appropriations "such sums as may be necessary" to carry out these actions and amends federal budget rules to define and treat "smoke emergency assistance" in budget adjustments.
The bill "authorizes to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary" to carry out its programs. There is no specific dollar amount in the bill text. The bill also changes budget rules by adding "smoke emergency assistance" to the budget adjustment provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act; it defines the term and says appropriations so designated are not eligible for certain other adjustments. No publicly available information on total costs or specific funding amounts is included in the bill text.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.