,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ahac  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ab1     
#bjai ,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security
 and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  
,to amend the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford     
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act to provide wildfire    
smoke mitigation assistance to ,states  
and units of local government1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,smoke-,ready 
,communities ,act of #bjai4  #b4        
,wildfire smoke mitigation assistance   
,title ,,iv of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford
 ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency       
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj et
 seq47 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  #dca4 ,wildfire smoke   
mitigation assistance  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,president may provide assistance1 
including grants1 equipment1 supplies1  

and personnel1 to any eligible ,state1  
unit of local government1 or ,indian    
,tribe for the mitigation1 management1  
and control of smoke caused by one or   
more wildfires4  7b7 ,eligibility ,a    
,state or local government with         
jurisdiction of an area impacted by     
smoke caused by one or more wildfires   
shall be eligible for assistance under  
this section4  7c7 ,coordination with   
,state and ,tribal departments ,in      
providing assistance under this section1
 the ,president shall coordinate with   
,state and ,tribal departments of       
health1 forestry1 and emergency         
management4  7d7 ,essential assistance  
,in providing assistance under this     
section1 the ,president may use the     
authority provided under section #djc1  
including providing ,n#ie filtering     
facepiece respirators1 mechanical air   
filters1 portable air filters1 or       
upgrading central heating1 ventilating1 
and air-conditioning 7,,hvac7 systems   
for public buildings4  7e7 ,rules and   

regulations ,the ,president shall       
prescribe such rules and regulations as 
are necessary to carry out this section4
  4  #c4 ,smoke resilient housing grant 
program  7a7 ,definition ,in this       
section-- 7#a7 the term eligible entity 
means--  7,a7 a ,state2  7,b7 an ,indian
 ,tribe2  7,c7 a homeowner2  7,d7 an    
individual or family renting a dwelling 
unit or home2 and  7,e7 an owner of a   
building with rental dwelling units or  
of a home that is rented to an          
individual or family2 and  7#b7 the term
 ,secretary means the ,secretary of     
,housing and ,urban ,development4  7b7  
,establishment ,the ,secretary shall    
establish a program under which the     
,secretary shall provide grants to      
eligible entities to increase the smoke 
resiliency of dwellings owned or        
occupied by vulnerable persons and pay  
for any associated increases in energy  
costs4  7c7 ,use of funds ,activities   
carried out using grant funds may       
include-- 7#a7 carrying out             

weatherization measures to mitigate air 
infiltration2  7#b7 installing air      
filtration systems2 and  7#c7 providing 
assistance for related energy costs from
 the operation of those systems4  7d7   
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated such   
sums as may be necessary to carry out   
this section4  #d4 ,smoke resilient     
business grant program  7a7 ,definitions
 ,in this section--  7#a7 the term      
,administrator means the ,administrator 
of the ,small ,business ,administration2
 and  7#b7 the term small business      
concern has the meaning given the term  
in section #c of the ,small ,business   
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74  7b7         
,establishment ,the ,administrator shall
 establish a program under which the    
,administrator shall provide grants to  
owners of small business concerns to    
increase the smoke resiliency of the    
business concern4  7c7 ,use of funds    
,activities carried out using grant     
funds may include-- 7#a7 acquiring      

protective gear for employees2 and  7#b7
 upgrading the heating1 ventilation1 and
 air cooling system of any building in  
which the small business concern        
operates4  7d7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated such sums as may be     
necessary to carry out this section4