II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1997 

To authorize transitional sheltering assistance for individuals who live in 

areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 26, 2019 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. MERKLEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

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 


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1 wildfire smoke related illness’’ means an individual, 

2 living in an area where the air quality index is deter3 mined to be unhealthy for not less than 3 consecu4 tive days as a result of a wildfire, who is— 

5 (A) a low-income individual; 

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

7 has not attained 19 years of age; 

8 (C) a pregnant woman; 

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

10 or older; 

11 (E) an individual with chronic respiratory 

12 or cardiovascular illness; or 

13 (F) an individual with a chronic disease 

14 that is exacerbated by smoke inhalation. 

15 (2) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘low16 income individual’’ means an individual from a fam17 ily whose taxable income (as defined in section 63 of 

18 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) for the pre19 ceding year did not exceed 200 percent of an 

20 amount equal to the poverty level, as determined by 

21 using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau 

22 of Census. 

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

24 entity’’ means— 

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


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1 (B) a local public health authority; and 

2 (C) a coordinated care organization. 

3 (b) TRANSITIONAL SHELTERING ASSISTANCE PRO4 GRAM.—In carrying out the Transitional Sheltering As5 sistance Program of the Federal Emergency Management 

6 Agency under section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Dis7 aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 5170b), the President shall— 

9 (1) provide assistance to a qualified entity to 

10 purchase and provide, to an individual at risk of 

11 wildfire smoke related illness, smoke-inhalation pre12 vention equipment, including— 

13 (A) a portable air filtration unit; 

14 (B) an air filter; 

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

16 (i) a N95 respirator; 

17 (ii) a P100 respirator; or 

18 (iii) other equipment certified by the 

19 National Institute for Occupational Safety 

20 and Health to protect from airborne par21 ticle exposure; 

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

23 of a house, such as: 

24 (i) a weather strip; 


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1 (ii) not more than 1 portable air-con2 ditioning unit per household; 

3 (iii) ventilation equipment; 

4 (iv) a screening and shading device; or 

5 (v) a window covering; or 

6 (E) other similarly effective devices; and 

7 (2) in any case in which smoke-inhalation pre8 vention equipment is not sufficient to mitigate the 

9 risk of illness, provide cost-efficient transitional shel10 ter assistance to an individual at risk of wildfire 

11 smoke related illness. 

Æ 


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