1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Smoke-Ready Communities Act of 2019”.
Smoke-Ready Communities Act of 2019
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.
2. Wildfire smoke mitigation assistance
Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“431. Wildfire smoke mitigation assistance
“(a) In general—The President may provide assistance, including grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel, to any eligible State, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe for the mitigation, management, and control of smoke caused by one or more wildfires.
“(b) Eligibility—A State or local government with jurisdiction of an area impacted by smoke caused by one or more wildfires shall be eligible for assistance under this section.
“(c) Coordination with State and Tribal departments—In providing assistance under this section, the President shall coordinate with State and Tribal departments of health, forestry, and emergency management.
“(d) Essential assistance—In providing assistance under this section, the President may use the authority provided under section 403, including providing N95 filtering facepiece respirators, mechanical air filters, portable air filters, or upgrading central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for public buildings.
“(e) Rules and regulations—The President shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.”
3. Smoke resilient housing grant program
Definition— In this section—
the term eligible entity means—
a State;
an Indian Tribe;
a homeowner;
an individual or family renting a dwelling unit or home; and
an owner of a building with rental dwelling units or of a home that is rented to an individual or family; and
the term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Establishment— The Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants to eligible entities to increase the smoke resiliency of dwellings owned or occupied by vulnerable persons and pay for any associated increases in energy costs.
Use of funds— Activities carried out using grant funds may include—
carrying out weatherization measures to mitigate air infiltration;
installing air filtration systems; and
providing assistance for related energy costs from the operation of those systems.
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
4. Smoke resilient business grant program
Definitions— In this section—
the term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration; and
the term small business concern has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
Establishment— The Administrator shall establish a program under which the Administrator shall provide grants to owners of small business concerns to increase the smoke resiliency of the business concern.
Use of funds— Activities carried out using grant funds may include—
acquiring protective gear for employees; and
upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air cooling system of any building in which the small business concern operates.
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.