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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildfire Smoke Relief 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

8 (1) INDIVIDUAL AT RISK OF WILDFIRE SMOKE

9 RELATED ILLNESS.—The term ‘‘individual at risk of 

10 wildfire smoke related illness’’ means an individual, 


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1 living in an area where the air quality index is deter2 mined to be unhealthy for not less than 3 consecu3 tive days as a result of a wildfire, who is— 

4 (A) a low-income individual; 

5 (B) a parent or guardian with a child who 

6 has not attained 19 years of age; 

7 (C) a pregnant woman; 

8 (D) an individual who is 65 years of age 

9 or older; 

10 (E) an individual with chronic respiratory 

11 or cardiovascular illness; or 

12 (F) an individual with a chronic disease 

13 that is exacerbated by smoke inhalation. 

14 (2) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘low15 income individual’’ means an individual from a fam16 ily whose taxable income (as defined in section 63 of 

17 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) for the pre18 ceding year did not exceed 200 percent of an 

19 amount equal to the poverty level, as determined by 

20 using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau 

21 of Census. 

22 (3) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘qualified 

23 entity’’ means— 

24 (A) a State or unit of local government; 

25 (B) a local public health authority; and 


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1 (C) a coordinated care organization. 

2 (b) TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE PRO3 GRAM.—In carrying out the Transitional Sheltering As4 sistance Program of the Federal Emergency Management 

5 Agency under section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis6 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 5170b), the President shall— 

8 (1) provide assistance to a qualified entity to 

9 purchase and provide, to an individual at risk of 

10 wildfire smoke related illness, smoke-inhalation pre11 vention equipment, including— 

12 (A) a portable air filtration unit; 

13 (B) an air filter; 

14 (C) a face mask or respirator, such as— 

15 (i) a N95 respirator; 

16 (ii) a P100 respirator; or 

17 (iii) other equipment certified by the 

18 National Institute for Occupational Safety 

19 and Health to protect from airborne par20 ticle exposure; 

21 (D) low-cost equipment to keep smoke out 

22 of a house, such as— 

23 (i) a weather strip; 

24 (ii) not more than 1 portable air-con25 ditioning unit per household; 


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1 (iii) ventilation equipment; 

2 (iv) a screening and shading device; or 

3 (v) a window covering; or 

4 (E) other similarly effective devices; and 

5 (2) in any case in which smoke-inhalation pre6 vention equipment is not sufficient to mitigate the 

7 risk of illness, provide cost-efficient transitional shel8 ter assistance to an individual at risk of wildfire 

9 smoke related illness. 

Æ 


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