Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9243
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Emergency Management
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T22:18:48Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This legislation authorizes the President to declare a smoke emergency in response to significant decreases in air quality caused by wildland fire smoke. It aims to provide targeted federal assistance to affected states, communities, and small businesses.
Key Provisions
- Smoke Emergency Declaration: The President may declare a smoke emergency in any state where there is or is expected to be a major drop in air quality from wildland fire smoke. A state governor or appropriate agency may request such a declaration.
- Federal Assistance: Upon declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies can offer grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel. This includes support for smoke shelters, air purifiers, and additional air monitoring sites.
- Small Business Support: The Small Business Administration (SBA) may provide grants to small businesses that experience significant revenue loss due to smoke in a declared emergency area.
- Funding Authorization: Congress is authorized to appropriate necessary funds to implement the Act.
- Budget Adjustment: The bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to allow designated appropriations for smoke emergency assistance to receive a budget adjustment. These funds are not eligible for certain other emergency adjustments.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new presidential authority for declaring smoke emergencies, which did not previously exist under federal law for this specific purpose.
- Creates a dedicated category for smoke emergency assistance in the budget process, expanding the types of disaster-related spending that can receive special fiscal treatment.
- Establishes SBA grant eligibility tied directly to presidential smoke emergency declarations, linking business aid to air quality events from wildfires.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Expands FEMA's role in providing non-traditional disaster aid for smoke-related issues and requires coordination with other agencies. The SBA gains authority for new grant programs. The amendment affects how Congress and the Office of Management and Budget handle discretionary spending limits.
- Citizens and Communities: Enables access to protective resources like shelters and air purifiers in smoke-affected areas, potentially improving public health responses during wildfire seasons.
- Small Businesses: Provides financial relief to businesses facing revenue declines from smoke, which could support economic stability in impacted regions.
- No direct effects on international relations are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies, including the President, FEMA, and the SBA.
- State governments and local communities in areas with wildfire smoke.
- Small businesses operating in declared emergency zones.
- Congress, through its role in appropriations and budget designations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill creates a new form of emergency declaration that could interact with existing disaster authorities, potentially raising questions about the scope of presidential powers in non-traditional emergencies like air quality events.
- The budget adjustment provision modifies fiscal rules to treat smoke assistance similarly to other emergencies but with explicit exclusions from overlapping adjustments, which may influence future spending decisions.
- It focuses on domestic wildfire impacts without addressing cross-border smoke issues or constitutional limits on federal involvement in state air quality matters.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-06-10: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-10 — PDF (4 pages)