Josh Harder (D-CA)
Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act of 2026 allows the President to declare a smoke emergency when wildland fire smoke causes a significant decrease in air quality. State Governors or appropriate agencies can request this declaration. Once declared, the President can provide assistance via FEMA and other agencies, including grants, equipment, and personnel. The bill also allows the Small Business Administration to provide grants to small businesses that lose significant revenue due to the smoke. Finally, it authorizes necessary funding and adjusts budget rules to account for this assistance.
Yes· 3 of 23
- Scored +9
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
Explicitly expands FEMA's authority to provide targeted assistance for smoke emergencies.
- Scored +8
Would business owners be better off under this?
Small business owners can receive grants to recover lost revenue due to smoke emergencies.
- Scored +8
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Directly authorizes SBA grants for small businesses losing revenue due to wildfire smoke.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill authorizes new spending for emergency grants, equipment, and personnel.
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill authorizes necessary appropriations without specifying a funding source, which may increase national debt.
- Scored -2
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?
Amending budget rules to exempt smoke emergency assistance from certain deficit controls may reduce fiscal rigidity.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Public Health and Safety Support: Section 2(c) allows for the provision of air purifiers, smoke shelters, and additional air monitoring sites, which helps people deal with poor air quality.
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Community Resources: Section 2(c) enables the government to provide grants, equipment, supplies, and personnel to affected states and local communities.
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Financial Help for Small Businesses: Section 2(d) allows the Small Business Administration to provide grants to small businesses that suffer a significant loss of revenue because of wildland fire smoke in a declared emergency area.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Small business owners can receive grants to recover lost revenue due to smoke emergencies. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Provides critical health equipment (purifiers, shelters) that low-income individuals may not be able to afford. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural areas are more likely to be near wildland fires and benefit most from these emergency declarations. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Seniors are high-risk for respiratory issues and benefit significantly from air purifiers and smoke shelters. Would children be better off under this? — Children are more vulnerable to poor air quality, and air purifiers/shelters directly benefit them. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — People with respiratory disabilities are heavily impacted by smoke and benefit from shelters and purifiers. Would retired people be better off under this? — Retirees, often being older, are more susceptible to smoke-induced health issues. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — General improvement in air quality management and public health resources. Would farmers be better off under this? — Farmers in smoke-affected rural areas benefit from emergency infrastructure and monitoring. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — General public health improvement during smoke events. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban areas affected by drifting smoke benefit from air monitoring and shelters. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — General public health improvement during smoke events. Would high-income households be better off under this? — General improvement in regional air quality management.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — Explicitly expands FEMA's authority to provide targeted assistance for smoke emergencies. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — Increases air monitoring and mitigates the health effects of wildfire smoke. Does this invest in rural communities? — Provides critical infrastructure support (shelters, monitoring) to rural areas often hardest hit by wildfires.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Grants the President new authority to declare a specific type of emergency and deploy federal resources. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — Allows Governors to request federal assistance, providing them more leverage to get help for their states.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Provision of smoke shelters and air purifiers improves immediate health protections during air quality crises.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Directly authorizes SBA grants for small businesses losing revenue due to wildfire smoke. Is this likely to grow the economy? — SBA grants help small businesses recover revenue losses, supporting local economic stability. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes new spending for emergency grants, equipment, and personnel. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — Amending budget rules to exempt smoke emergency assistance from certain deficit controls may reduce fiscal rigidity. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill authorizes necessary appropriations without specifying a funding source, which may increase national debt.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — Authorization for additional air monitoring sites supports environmental data collection.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Financial assistance and equipment grants prevent further economic loss for affected low-income communities.
- 6/10/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.