{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/senate-unanimously-passes-merkley-curtis-bipartisan-wildfire-emissions-prevention-act/", "Senate Unanimously Passes Merkley-Curtis Bipartisan Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "Bipartisan legislation would remove regulatory burden on proactive forest management, lower net emissions\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Curtis (R-UT), members of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA).\n\nMerkley and Curtis\u2019 bipartisan legislation would 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.\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 Merkley. \u201cThis bipartisan bill would streamline the use of prescribed burns and includes my provisions to establish the Smoke Ready Communities Program. With our Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act passing the Senate, 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\u201cUtah has faced a devastating fire season, and we know that preventing catastrophic wildfires starts with giving land managers the tools to reduce hazardous fuels before they burn,\u201d said Curtis. \u201cPrescribed fire works, and states should not be penalized for responsibly using it to protect communities, forests, and air quality. I\u2019m grateful the Senate unanimously passed this commonsense, bipartisan bill, and I urge the House to act quickly so we can get it to the President\u2019s desk.\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 habitats;\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\nThe bill passed the EPW Committee with a vote of 19-0 on September 16, 2026.\n\nA one-page summary of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act is available by clicking here, and the full bill text of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act is available by clicking here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "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/senate-unanimously-passes-merkley-curtis-bipartisan-wildfire-emissions-prevention-act/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7808671109378338, "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"}