{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/curtis-merkley-wildfire-emissions-prevention-bill-unanimously-passes-committee/", "Curtis, Merkley\u00a0Wildfire Emissions Prevention Bill Unanimously Passes Committee", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today applauded the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee\u2019s unanimous passage of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA), bipartisan legislation to streamline states\u2019 use of prescribed fires to prevent wildfire emissions, protect ecosystems and wildlife habitats, and make American forests and communities safer, healthier, and cleaner. The bill\u2014led by Senator Curtis\u2014is cosponsored by EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s unanimous approval by the Committee brings us one step closer to addressing the glaring irony in our current environmental regulations: They deter prescribed burns due to pollution concerns, practically guaranteeing catastrophic wildfires that emit far more carbon than proactive management ever would,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cI thank my colleagues for their work and support and look forward to the bill\u2019s passage by the full Senate.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs climate chaos fuels longer, hotter, and more dangerous wildfire seasons, our communities need to have all the necessary resources to mitigate wildfire threats. Prescribed fire and cultural burning on the landscape are one such tool by reducing hazardous fuels,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cThis bipartisan bill would streamline the use of prescribed burns and establish the Smoke Ready Communities Program, which is based on provisions from my Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act. As our Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act moves closer to becoming law, we are on the way to supporting more prescribed fire on the landscape\u2014an essential forest management activity\u2014while giving our communities the resources to plan and prepare for smoke events, protecting public health and saving lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe unanimous passage of the WEPA through the EPW Committee represents a key step toward implementing common-sense solutions that will help states more effectively prevent wildfires and protect their land and communities. I am grateful to Senator Curtis and Senator Merkley for their leadership on this bill, and I look forward to supporting its passage through the full Senate,\u201d said Chair Capito.\n\n\u201cEmpowering states to proactively manage forests will reduce the frequency and devastation that wildfires increasingly inflict on communities. I am pleased the EPW Committee reached strong, bipartisan consensus around this commonsense solution and appreciate Sen. Curtis\u2019 leadership on this critical issue,\u201d said Senator Boozman.\n\n\u201cYear after year, increasingly devastating wildfires ravage our public lands and communities, so it\u2019s critical we act with urgency,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cToday\u2019s unanimous Committee vote to advance WEPA will allow more prescribed fire to be deployed on the landscape and help prevent or mitigate wildfires. I am proud to see our bill advance as we work to be proactive in responding to the wildfire crisis instead of waiting to respond after disaster strikes.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn Arizona, we know just how catastrophic wildfires can be. One of the best tools we have to reduce wildfire risk and the damage it wreaks is prescribed fires. But right now, federal air quality rules can make it harder for states to use prescribed fire proactively,\u201d said Senator Kelly. \u201cThe WEPA gives states greater certainty that they won\u2019t be penalized under the Clean Air Act for responsibly using prescribed burns to reduce the risk of a much larger and more destructive wildfires. This is a commonsense change that will help us keep our communities safe and our forests healthy.\u201d\n\nThe Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act would:\n\nMake it easier for states and communities to use prescribed fire to prevent wildfire emissions;\n\nProtect ecosystems and wildlife habitat;\n\nProvide certainty that states won\u2019t be penalized for taking action to prevent wildfires;\n\nPromote the efficient use of state air quality resources; and\n\nMake our forests and communities safer, healthier, and cleaner.\n\nA one-pager on the bill is available here, and the full bill text is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/curtis-merkley-wildfire-emissions-prevention-bill-unanimously-passes-committee/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7318668067455292, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}