Air Quality Act

This bill establishes a comprehensive prohibition on weather modification within the United States, its territories, and possessions. It broadly defines weather modification to include any injection, release, emission, or dispersal of chemical substances, biological agents, or air pollutants into the atmosphere that alters its composition, behavior, temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight intensity. Specific examples covered are geoengineering , cloud seeding , solar radiation modification, stratospheric aerosol injection, and marine cloud brightening. Individuals or entities knowingly authorizing or conducting such activities face severe penalties, including criminal fines up to $100,000 and up to five years imprisonment, or both, for each violation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), may also impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. These penalties apply if the conduct involves interstate or foreign commerce or occurs within U.S. jurisdiction, and officers or agents of entities can also be held liable. To enforce this prohibition, the bill mandates the establishment of reporting systems. The FAA will create a system for air carriers to report aircraft equipped for weather modification, while the EPA, in consultation with the FAA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will establish a public reporting system for suspected violations. The EPA Administrator is then required to investigate these reports and, if a violation is determined, refer the case to the Attorney General for further action. Furthermore, the legislation explicitly repeals any existing federal statutes, regulations, or executive orders that authorize or require weather modification activities. It also imposes a strict prohibition on any federal department or agency, or any recipient of federal funds, from conducting or authorizing any research, testing, or experimentation related to weather modification within the United States.