S. 341 — Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including (1) Administrator, meaning the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; (2) extreme heat, as defined through a rulemaking by the Administrator in consultation with relevant federal agency heads; (3) Indian Tribe, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); and (4) Native Hawaiian organization, as defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517) (i.e., a private nonprofit organization serving Native Hawaiian interests with Native Hawaiians in substantive and policymaking positions and recognized by the Governor of Hawaii for administering programs benefiting Native Hawaiians).

This section establishes a grant program under the Clean Air Act for the EPA Administrator to award to air pollution control agencies—subject to appropriations—for developing and implementing programs to help local communities detect, prepare for, communicate about, and mitigate the environmental and public health effects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat (defined by reference to the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025). Eligible activities include (1) monitoring, interpreting, and public communication of air quality data related to wildfire smoke and extreme heat; (2) community outreach in prone areas; (3) deploying air quality monitoring equipment; (4) installing air filtration systems in public buildings to create cleaner air spaces; (5) purchasing, storing, and distributing face masks, N95 respirators, portable air filters, and other protective equipment; (6) subgrants or financing to public and private entities for protective gear or weatherization to reduce air infiltration; and (7) other activities deemed necessary by the Administrator. The Administrator must allocate grants via a formula that considers state-level community vulnerability to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, as well as proneness to poor air quality from elevated particulate matter, ozone, and other components thereof. The section authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary.

This section directs the Administrator to establish, not later than 180 days after enactment, four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat at institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), i.e., public or nonprofit institutions providing education beyond secondary school that are accredited or preaccredited) to conduct research on public health effects of wildland fire smoke emissions and extreme heat (including on outdoor workers) and community response strategies, with selection priority for institutions having air quality expertise, outreach experience, relevant relationships, and location in impacted areas; authorizes $10 million for the centers for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter. The section further directs the Administrator, not later than 180 days after enactment, to conduct research studying health effects of wildland fire smoke and extreme heat, developing interventions and monitoring tools, and creating implementation strategies; authorizes $20 million for this research for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.

This section directs the Administrator to establish, not later than 180 days after enactment, a competitive grant program to assist states, units of local government (including special districts such as air quality management districts or school districts), Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations in developing and implementing collaborative community plans to mitigate the impacts of wildfire smoke emissions and extreme heat. Grant applications must include a plan to collaborate with a public institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965) or other research institution with expertise in air quality, relevant outreach, established agency and community relationships, and location in an impacted area; authorizes $50 million for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter and permits use of funds for technical assistance.