EPA grants free air filters to low-income families in wildfire smoke zones

What it does

This bill directs the EPA to award grants (up to $3 million each) to state and local air pollution agencies to set up 'clean air centers'—publicly accessible buildings with filtered air rooms—and distribute free air filtration units to low-income households in wildfire smoke-prone areas. Agencies must partner with community organizations, distribute at least 1,000 units per grant, provide one replacement filter, and survey recipients on effectiveness. The bill authorizes $30 million over three fiscal years (2026–2028) and requires the EPA to report back to Congress within three years on program outcomes and expansion recommendations.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a direct grant program to state/local agencies for distributing air filtration equipment and establishing public clean air facilities in low-income communities during wildfire smoke events. This is a straightforward public health intervention, not a tax provision, deregulation, or industry carve-out.

What the text implies

• Program success depends entirely on appropriations; if Congress does not fund the $30M authorization, no grants flow and no air filters reach households.
• Effectiveness relies on community-based organization partnerships, which may vary widely in capacity and reach across different regions.
• Survey data collection (subsection d(6)) creates a feedback loop for program improvement but also means individual household air quality outcomes will be tracked and reported to Congress.
• The definition of 'covered household' (low-income + high-risk location + health vulnerability) may exclude some low-income households in wildfire zones who do not meet the health-vulnerability criterion, creating a narrower beneficiary pool than the title might suggest.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Low-income households in wildfire smoke-prone areas receive free air filtration units and access to public clean air centers, addressing a documented public health gap during wildfire season. The program targets vulnerable populations (elderly, disabled, those with underlying health conditions) who face disproportionate harm from smoke exposure and may lack resources to purchase filters independently.

Who stands to gain

• air filtration equipment manufacturers (HEPA filter units meeting Energy Star and AHAM standards)
• community-based organizations (administrative partners in program implementation)

Named in the bill

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air pollution control agencies (state/local), Tribal agencies, community-based organizations, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), Energy Star program, Clean Air Act (section 302), Internal Revenue Code (section 45D), Energy Policy and Conservation Act (section 324A)

Where it stands

18 cosponsors: 18 Democrats.

• Jan 20, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 20, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $2,098,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 5 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Scott Peters, the sponsor, reported $1,174,750 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Association of Manufacturers — $2,030,000 on 1 filing
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District — $68,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.