Air Quality Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Steube, would make it illegal for anyone to try to change the weather or the atmosphere in the United States. This includes activities like 'cloud seeding' to make it rain or 'geoengineering' to try to cool down the planet by reflecting sunlight.
• People or companies caught trying to modify the weather could face serious consequences. The bill sets a criminal fine of up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison for each violation. The Environmental Protection Agency could also hand out civil fines of $10,000 per incident.
• The government would set up new ways for the public and pilots to report suspicious activity. The Federal Aviation Administration would track planes that have equipment used for weather modification, and the Environmental Protection Agency would investigate reports from citizens to see if the law was broken.
• The bill would stop all federal agencies and any group receiving federal money from doing research or experiments on weather modification. It also cancels any existing laws or executive orders that currently allow these types of activities.
• This policy aims to prevent the intentional release of chemicals or biological agents into the sky to change the climate. If passed, the law would take effect 90 days after being signed.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.