This bill updates the Clean Air Act to treat prescribed fires—including Tribal cultural burns—separately from wildfires, making it easier and less costly for states and Tribes to exclude controlled burn air data from federal compliance. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise rules, sets deadlines for timely petition responses (with automatic approval after a year), and encourages collaboration on smoke events. The bill also creates the Smoke Ready Communities Program, offering competitive grants—up to 90% of costs, with special help for distressed communities—to help states, Tribes, and local entities reduce wildfire smoke hazards in public buildings, with a 25% annual cap per state.
