S. 4732: Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026

This bill would let the President formally declare a “smoke emergency” when wildland fire smoke is causing, or is expected to cause, a significant drop in air quality in one or more states.

What triggers the declaration

A smoke emergency could be declared if the President decides wildfire smoke is seriously affecting air quality. A state governor, or another appropriate state agency, could also ask for such a declaration.

What federal help could be provided

Once a smoke emergency is declared, the President, through FEMA and other federal agencies, could provide assistance to affected states and local communities. The bill specifically mentions help such as:

• grants
• equipment and supplies
• personnel and other resources
• support for setting up smoke shelters
• air purifiers
• additional air monitoring sites

Help for small businesses

The Small Business Administration could provide grants to small businesses that lose a significant amount of revenue because of wildfire smoke in an area covered by a smoke emergency declaration.

Funding

The bill says Congress may appropriate whatever money is needed to carry out the new program. It also changes federal budget rules so that appropriations specifically designated for smoke emergency assistance would be treated in a particular way when calculating budget limits.

Relevant Companies

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