CLEAR Act
Sponsored By: Representative Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
In Committee
Summary
Shifts air-quality rules toward greater state flexibility and economic feasibility. This bill would change how the National Ambient Air Quality Standards are reviewed and enforced, add broader exceptions for wildfire and out‑of‑state pollution, and reshape the science advisory panel to weigh economic and energy effects.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
New wildfire exceptions in air quality rules
If enacted, EPA would update rules within 18 months to include actions to reduce wildfire risk, like prescribed fires done under state practices, as exceptional events. A Governor could ask EPA to exclude monitoring data tied to such events from key air decisions if there is a clear causal link or a reasonable expectation of one. If several states seek review of the same event, EPA would do regional analysis upon request. EPA would launch a public website within 12 months and update it monthly to show the status of all petitions.
Slower reviews and new input on air standards
If enacted, national air standards would be reviewed every 10 years instead of every 5. EPA could consider how attainable a standard is as a secondary factor, after consulting its science panel and only if a range of levels can still protect health. The science panel would add two more state members from different regions. Before EPA sets or changes a standard, the panel would advise on health, welfare, social, economic, and energy effects after public comment.
More time and relief for state air plans
Before issuing a federal plan, EPA would have to give a state at least one year to fix its plan. If the state sends a fix, EPA could wait up to 3 years from the finding to issue a federal plan. Severe or Extreme ozone areas and Serious particulate areas could avoid certain federal sanctions or fees if the state shows the problem came from outside emissions, an exceptional event, or mobile emissions it cannot control while fully using its own authority. States would need to renew this showing at least every 5 years and still work to meet the standards.
More cost focus and fewer ozone backups
If enacted, state air plans for particulate and ozone would have to consider both economic feasibility and technological achievability. Extreme ozone areas would no longer have to include contingency measures. The bill would also remove some conditional language in ozone plan rules.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
GA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]
VA • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Allen
GA • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Balderson
OH • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Latta
OH • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
WA • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Pfluger
TX • R
Sponsored 7/16/2025
Obernolte
CA • R
Sponsored 7/21/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov