HR4403-119

What This Bill Does

The Clear Skies Act prohibits knowingly conducting weather modification in the United States, territories, possessions, special maritime and territorial jurisdiction, special aircraft jurisdiction, or otherwise in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Weather modification is defined as injecting, releasing, emitting, dispersing chemicals, compounds, substances, or conveying apparatus into the atmosphere to artificially change atmospheric composition, behavior, dynamics, temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight intensity, including geoengineering, cloud seeding, solar radiation modification and management, and aerosol releases. Violators face up to a $100,000 criminal fine per violation, up to five years in prison, or both. EPA, coordinated with FAA, may add civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, and every injection, release, emission, or dispersal counts separately. EPA, FAA, and NOAA must establish a public reporting system by telephone, email, mail, or online portal; EPA must publish reports, investigate suspected violations it deems worthy of review, coordinate with Agriculture, Interior, FAA, NASA, NOAA, and other agencies to verify activity, and refer confirmed violations to the Attorney General. The bill repeals any federal statute and nullifies any regulation or executive order authorizing or requiring weather modification, including licensing or permit requirements, and takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Who Benefits and How

People concerned about geoengineering or cloud seeding benefit because the bill creates a federal ban, penalties, public reporting, and EPA investigations. Communities under proposed weather modification projects benefit from repeal or nullification of federal authorities that permit those activities. Environmental watchdog organizations benefit from public EPA reporting and referral pathways for suspected violations. The Department of Justice benefits from EPA referrals of confirmed weather-modification violations for further action.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Weather modification operators face criminal fines, imprisonment risk, and EPA civil penalties for each release or dispersal. EPA must establish reporting, publish reports, investigate suspected violations, coordinate with other agencies, and refer confirmed violations. FAA and NOAA must coordinate on public reporting and investigations. Federal agencies with weather-modification authorities lose statutory, regulatory, or executive-order authorization when those authorities are repealed or nullified.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits knowing weather modification in U.S. jurisdiction or affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
• Provides criminal penalties up to $100,000 per violation and five years imprisonment plus EPA civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
• Requires EPA, FAA, and NOAA public reporting, EPA publication of reports, investigations, interagency verification, and Attorney General referrals.
• Repeals federal weather-modification statutes and nullifies federal regulations or executive orders authorizing or requiring weather modification after 90 days.