Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (5 Oct 2026): Held at the desk.
What this bill does
S. 5045, the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026, would amend the Clean Air Act's treatment of "exceptional events"—air quality incidents excluded from certain regulatory calculations because they are not reasonably preventable. The bill explicitly adds prescribed fires, including tribal cultural burning, to the definition of exceptional events, and directs the EPA Administrator to revise related regulations within set deadlines to reduce the burden on states seeking this designation, clarify prescribed-fire eligibility, and create a review process for state petitions. Petitions not acted on within one year would be automatically deemed approved unless later found not to qualify. The bill also creates a "Smoke Ready Communities Program," authorizing EPA to award competitive grants to states, tribes, and other eligible entities to address wildfire smoke hazards in community and school buildings, with a federal cost share generally capped at 90 percent (waivable for economically distressed communities) and a limit of 25 percent of annual program funds to any single state.
The bill primarily affects state and tribal air agencies, land managers, and forestry programs that use prescribed burning, as well as schools and communities seeking help mitigating wildfire smoke exposure. It does not change rules for stationary industrial sources, which remain excluded from the "exceptional event" classification if they didn't already qualify.
Introduced July 21, 2026, by Senator Curtis with bipartisan cosponsors, the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. It would need committee consideration, floor votes in both chambers, and the President's signature to become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Timeline
5 Oct 2026
Held at the desk.
Common questions
- What does S. 5045 do?
- S. 5045, the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026, would amend the Clean Air Act's treatment of "exceptional events"—air quality incidents excluded from certain regulatory calculations because they are not reasonably preventable. The bill explicitly adds prescribed fires, including tribal cultural burning, to the definition of exceptional events, and directs the EPA Administrator to revise related regulations within set deadlines to reduce the burden on states seeking this designation, clarify prescribed-fire eligibility, and create a review process for state petitions. Petitions not acted on within one year would be automatically deemed approved unless later found not to qualify. The bill also creates a "Smoke Ready Communities Program," authorizing EPA to award competitive grants to states, tribes, and other eligible entities to address wildfire smoke hazards in community and school buildings, with a federal cost share generally capped at 90 percent (waivable for economically distressed communities) and a limit of 25 percent of annual program funds to any single state. The bill primarily affects state and tribal air agencies, land managers, and forestry programs that use prescribed burning, as well as schools and communities seeking help mitigating wildfire smoke exposure. It does not change rules for stationary industrial sources, which remain excluded from the "exceptional event" classification if they didn't already qualify. Introduced July 21, 2026, by Senator Curtis with bipartisan cosponsors, the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. It would need committee consideration, floor votes in both chambers, and the President's signature to become law.
- Has S. 5045 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 5045. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 5045?
- S. 5045 was sponsored by Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT), with 7 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 5045?
- Held at the desk. (5 Oct 2026).
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