S. 341: Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-30 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] |
| Policy area | Environmental Protection |
| Cosponsors | 8 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-30 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. |
| Last updated | 2026-07-30 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-30):
Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025
This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make grants to air pollution control agencies to support the development and implementation of programs that support local communities in detecting, preparing for, communicating with the public about, or mitigating the environmental and public health aspects of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. The EPA must establish a formula to distribute the grants among air pollution control agencies.
The bill requires the EPA to establish four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke and Extreme Heat at institutions of higher education to research (1) the effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat on public health, and (2) the means by which communities can better respond to impacts from such conditions.
Additionally, the EPA must begin to carry out research to
- study the health effects of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat;
- develop and disseminate personal and community-based interventions to reduce exposure to, and health effects of, wildland fire smoke emissions and extreme heat;
- increase the quality of smoke and extreme heat monitoring and prediction tools and techniques; and
- develop implementation and communication strategies.
The EPA must also establish a competitive grant program to assist certain entities (e.g., a state) in developing and implementing collaborative community plans for mitigating the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires and extreme heat.
Cosponsors (8)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Richard Blumenthal | D CT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Alex Padilla | D CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Adam B. Schiff | D CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Ron Wyden | D OR (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Bernard Sanders | I VT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Michael F. Bennet | D CO (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Tina Smith | D MN 2025-09-02 |
| Amy Klobuchar | D MN 2026-07-29 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 341 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 341?
S. 341 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 341 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).