H.R. 4976: Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

The Shielding Students from Wildfire Smoke Act is designed to address the impact of wildfire smoke on children in educational and childcare settings. The bill outlines several key actions to improve policies and responses to wildfire smoke exposure, particularly for K-12 students and younger children in childcare. Here are the main components of the bill:

Review of Impacts

The bill mandates that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review existing school and childcare policies regarding wildfire smoke exposure. This includes considerations for children during and after wildfire events.

Key Elements of the Review

The review will focus on several aspects:

Assessment of Current Standards: Evaluating the current standards, guidance, and strategies implemented in K-12 educational and childcare settings regarding wildfire smoke.
Identification of Gaps: Identifying any deficiencies in research and policy related to the existing standards and strategies.
Recommendations to Congress: Providing Congress with recommendations on how to enhance protections for children during wildfire smoke events. This includes special attention to under-resourced educational and childcare settings.

The overall aim of the legislation is to ensure that children are adequately protected from the health risks associated with wildfire smoke, enhancing public policy and preparedness in educational environments.