Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2023

Bill: 118-s-1948
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2023-06-13
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air quality

Community life and organization

Congressional oversight

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental technology

Fires

Forests, forestry, trees

Health technology, devices, supplies

Low- and moderate-income housing

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2023-06-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1948 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 13, 2023 Mr. Bennet (for himself, Mr. Merkley , Mr. Blumenthal , Mr. Whitehouse , Ms. Cortez Masto , Mr. Wyden , and Mrs. Gillibrand ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement a cleaner air space program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cleaner Air Spaces Act of 2023 . 2. Cleaner air space program grants (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (2) Air pollution control agency The term air pollution control agency has the meaning the term given in section 302 of the Clean Air Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7602 ). (3) Clean air center The term clean air center means 1 or more clean air rooms in a publicly accessible building. (4) Clean air room The term clean air room means a room that is designed to keep levels of harmful air pollutants as low as possible during wildland fire smoke events. (5) Covered household The term covered household means a household that— (A) is located in a low-income community; and (B) includes a person who— (i) is at high-risk of experiencing a wildland fire smoke event; and (ii) is vulnerable to negative health effects caused by wildland fire smoke due to factors such as an underlying health condition, a disability, or age. (6) Eligible air filtration unit The term eligible air filtration unit means an air filtration unit that— (A) is certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers to have a Clean Air Delivery Rate of at least 97 for smoke; (B) is certified under the Energy Star program established by section 324A of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6294a ); (C) does not emit ozone; and (D) uses a true high-efficiency particulate air filter rated to remove 99.97 percent of particles measuring 0.3 micrometers or greater. (7) Low-income community The term low-income community has the meaning given the term in section 45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code. (b) Grants authorized Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement a cleaner air space program in accordance with this section. (c) Grant requirements (1) Amounts Under this section, the Administrator may not provide a grant to an air pollution control agency in an amount that exceeds $3,000,000. (2) Grants for Tribes The Administrator shall provide at least 1 grant under this section to a Tribal agency that has jurisdiction over air quality. (d) Application (1) In general To apply for a grant under this section, an air pollution control agency shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator determines appropriate, including a proposal for the implementation of a cleaner air space program. (2) Proposal for cleaner air space program requirements A proposal for the implementation of a cleaner air space program of an air pollution control agency under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) Certification of partnering with a community-based organization. (B) Details on the responsibilities of all parties involved with the cleaner air space program, including the responsibilities of— (i) the air pollution control agency; and (ii) any community-based organizations with which the air pollution control agency is partnering under subparagraph (A). (C) Information with respect to which geographic population or community of covered households may be receiving eligible air filtration units under the cleaner air space program. (D) Information on how the air pollution control agency plans— (i) to distribute educational materials related to eligible air filtration units; and (ii) to advertise the availability of clean air centers. (E) Information on how the air pollution control agency plans to establish a clean air center, including— (i) the facility in which a clean air center may be established; and (ii) the capacity and ventilation characteristics of that facility. (F) A description of the costs that may be associated with the cleaner air space program, including any administrative costs. (e) Cleaner air space program requirements Subject to satisfaction of the partnership requirement described in subsection (f), an air pollution control agency implementing a cleaner air space program pursuant to a grant provided under subsection (b) shall— (1) establish at least 1 clean air center that is— (A) located in an area at risk of being exposed to wildland fire smoke; (B) accessible to individuals that reside in covered households; (C) open, accessible, and staffed during wildland fire smoke events with the option of being open, accessible, and staffed before or after wildland fire smoke events; (2) advertise to the public— (A) during a wildland fire smoke event, the availability of a clean air center; and (B) the cleaner air space program that the air pollution control agency is implementing, including information about the cleaner air space program, the availability of free air filtration units (if applicable), eligibility requirements to receive those free air filtration units, and information on who to contact for more information with respect to the cleaner air space program; (3) at no cost to covered households— (A) distribute not less than 1,000 eligible air filtration units to those covered households; and (B) provide 1 air filter replacement for each eligible air filtration unit distributed under subparagraph (A); (4) distribute educational materials that include information with respect to how to best utilize an eligible air filtration unit to create a clean air room in a home; (5) collect, and provide to the Administrator, information on— (A) each type of eligible air filtration unit distributed under the cleaner air space program; (B) the number of eligible air filtration units so distributed; and (C) the cost of each type of eligible air filtration unit so distributed; and (6) not later than 6 months after providing an eligible air filtration unit to a covered household, conduct an anonymous survey of an individual of the covered household that received the eligible air filtration unit through the cleaner air space program with respect to— (A) whether the individual understood how to properly set up a clean air room and how to utilize the air filtration unit; (B) how often the individual utilized the air filtration unit; (C) the largest barriers to properly utilizing the air filtration unit or creating a clean air room; (D) whether the individual reported better air conditions in the clean air room compared to other parts of the home of that individual; and (E) how the implementation of the cleaner air space program could improve. (f) Partnership In implementing a cleaner air space program pursuant to a grant provided under subsection (b), an air pollution control agency shall partner with at least 1 community-based organization to carry out the requirements of the cleaner air space program described in subsection (e). (g) Report Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (1) information on each cleaner air space program implemented using a grant provided under subsection (b), including— (A) the name of the air pollution control agency that received the grant; and (B) the information described in subsection (e)(5) collected by the air pollution control agency; (2) responses from the surveys described in subsection (e)(6); and (3) recommendations with respect to— (A) whether the grant program under this section should be expanded; and (B) how the grant program under this section can be improved. (h) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $30,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2026. (2) Administrative expenses Of the funds made available under paragraph (1), the Administrator may use not more than 10 percent for expenses relating to administering the grant program under this section.