S. 2856 — Wildfire Smoke Relief Act

This section directs the President, in carrying out the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program (TSA) under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b), to provide assistance through qualified entities (i.e., states or units of local government, local public health authorities, and coordinated care organizations) to individuals at risk of wildfire smoke-related illness in areas with unhealthy air quality index levels for at least three consecutive days due to a wildfire. (As background, TSA provides temporary shelter and related assistance to disaster victims.) At-risk individuals include low-income individuals (i.e., family taxable income not exceeding 200% of the poverty level), parents or guardians of children under 19 years of age, pregnant women, individuals 65 years of age or older, and individuals with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular illness or other chronic diseases exacerbated by smoke inhalation. Assistance consists of (1) smoke-inhalation prevention equipment, including portable air filtration units, air filters, N95 or P100 respirators or equivalent NIOSH-certified devices, weather stripping, up to one portable air-conditioning unit per household, ventilation equipment, screening or shading devices, window coverings, or similar devices; and (2) cost-efficient transitional shelter assistance when equipment is insufficient to mitigate illness risks.