II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1813 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act to provide wildfire smoke mitigation assistance to States and units 

of local government, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2019 

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

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

A BILL 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide wildfire smoke mitigation 

assistance to States and units of local government, 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 ‘‘Smoke-Ready Commu5 nities Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. WILDFIRE SMOKE MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 

2 Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

3 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is 

4 amended by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 431. WILDFIRE SMOKE MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President may provide as7 sistance, including grants, equipment, supplies, and per8 sonnel, to any eligible State, unit of local government, or 

9 Indian Tribe for the mitigation, management, and control 

10 of smoke caused by one or more wildfires. 

11 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A State or local government with 

12 jurisdiction of an area impacted by smoke caused by one 

13 or more wildfires shall be eligible for assistance under this 

14 section. 

15 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION WITH STATE AND TRIBAL DE16 PARTMENTS.—In providing assistance under this section, 

17 the President shall coordinate with State and Tribal de18 partments of health, forestry, and emergency manage19 ment. 

20 ‘‘(d) ESSENTIAL ASSISTANCE.—In providing assist21 ance under this section, the President may use the author22 ity provided under section 403, including providing N95 

23 filtering facepiece respirators, mechanical air filters, port24 able air filters, or upgrading central heating, ventilating, 

25 and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for public buildings. 


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1 ‘‘(e) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The President 

2 shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are necessary 

3 to carry out this section.’’. 

4 SEC. 3. SMOKE RESILIENT HOUSING GRANT PROGRAM. 

5 (a) DEFINITION.—In this section— 

6 (1) the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 

7 (A) a State; 

8 (B) an Indian Tribe; 

9 (C) a homeowner; 

10 (D) an individual or family renting a dwell11 ing unit or home; and 

12 (E) an owner of a building with rental 

13 dwelling units or of a home that is rented to an 

14 individual or family; and 

15 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

16 of Housing and Urban Development. 

17 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

18 a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants 

19 to eligible entities to increase the smoke resiliency of dwell20 ings owned or occupied by vulnerable persons and pay for 

21 any associated increases in energy costs. 

22 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities carried out using 

23 grant funds may include— 

24 (1) carrying out weatherization measures to 

25 mitigate air infiltration; 


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1 (2) installing air filtration systems; and 

2 (3) providing assistance for related energy costs 

3 from the operation of those systems. 

4 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec6 essary to carry out this section. 

7 SEC. 4. SMOKE RESILIENT BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

9 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad10 ministrator of the Small Business Administration; 

11 and 

12 (2) the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the 

13 meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small 

14 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 

15 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es16 tablish a program under which the Administrator shall 

17 provide grants to owners of small business concerns to in18 crease the smoke resiliency of the business concern. 

19 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities carried out using 

20 grant funds may include— 

21 (1) acquiring protective gear for employees; and 

22 (2) upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air 

23 cooling system of any building in which the small 

24 business concern operates. 


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1 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec3 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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