the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study the public health impacts of wildfire smoke and effective responses. • Creating a grant program at EPA to help local communities plan and respond to wildfire smoke. The Wildfire Smoke Relief Act would provide federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals—including the elderly, children and infants, low-income families, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions made worse by wildfire smoke—in areas with unhealthy air quality caused by wildfires by: • Authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide these individuals with low-cost home improvements and smoke inhalation prevention equipment—like masks and air filters— when wildfire smoke causes unhealthy air quality levels for three consecutive days. • Allowing FEMA to provide transitional sheltering assistance for at-risk individuals in extreme circumstances. In addition to Merkley and Wyden, the Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act and the Smoke Planning and Research Act are cosponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA). n
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health and provide relief to businesses that lose revenue from smoke. The bills address public health and economic impacts of wildfire smoke. The Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act would allow the president to declare a “smoke emergency” when wildfire smoke creates hazardous air quality conditions. • This declaration would authorize federal agencies to provide emergency assistance to states and local communities to establish smoke shelters, assist with relocation efforts, and install emergency smoke monitors. • The bill would also authorize the Small Business Administration to provide financial relief to businesses affected by wildfire smoke to help cover lost revenue. The Smoke Planning and Research Act would provide federal funding to help communities research, develop, and implement plans to help mitigate smoke by: • Establishing four Centers of Excellence at institutions of higher education to ensure that research is responsive to the challenges that people face on the ground. • Authorizing $20 million in research funding through
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The Business Review | August 2021
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