PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] · D–NC
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 29, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Tropospheric Ozone Research Act of 2026 would create competitive research grants to study how ozone in the lower atmosphere affects climate, crops, forests, and ecosystems. Universities, National Laboratories, and qualifying nonprofit research organizations could apply. The bill would also support better monitoring and require public research findings and recommendations. It would authorize funding, with the program’s launch tied to a subsequent appropriation.
This Act may be cited as the Tropospheric Ozone Research Act of 2026.
Not later than 90 days after the date on which amounts are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Administrator shall establish a competitive grant program to award grants to eligible entities to carry out research with respect to the climate impacts of tropospheric ozone.
An entity eligible to receive a grant under the program is— (1) an institution of higher education; (2) a National Laboratory (as defined in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)); or (3) any other nonprofit research entity with demonstrated expertise in atmospheric chemistry, weather modeling, climate modeling, or air quality monitoring.
(D) improving understanding of crop loss impacts from elevated levels of tropospheric ozone, including regional and local impacts and potential measures to reduce crop loss impacts; (E) improving understanding of forest and ecosystem productivity impacts from elevated levels of tropospheric ozone, including regional and local impacts;
strengthening and expanding tropospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone precursor monitoring and observational infrastructure
make publicly available a report that describes the findings and recommendations of the Administrator with respect to the program and tropospheric ozone
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out the program
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would administer the program. It would have to establish the program within 90 days after funding is appropriated and select grant recipients within 180 days after establishment.
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Not later than 90 days after the date on which amounts are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Administrator shall establish a competitive grant program
The Administrator shall select recipients of grants under the program not later than 180 days after the date on which the program is established.
The bill defines ozone precursors as substances that react to form tropospheric ozone, including methane, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and nonmethane volatile organic compounds.
The term tropospheric ozone means ozone found within the Earth's troposphere.
The term tropospheric ozone precursor means any of methane, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, nonmethane volatile organic compounds, and other compounds that react to form tropospheric ozone.
Funded research would have to address how ozone concentrations and efforts to reduce them affect global temperatures and regional, local, and seasonal temperatures and heat stress. This would include local ozone concentrations, emissions or reductions of particular ozone-forming substances, and interactions with other air pollutants.
The research carried out using grants under the program shall include research with respect to— (A) improving understanding of the impact of tropospheric ozone concentrations and mitigation on global temperatures, including— (i) the role of regional or localized tropospheric ozone concentrations; (ii) the role of emission or mitigation of specific tropospheric ozone precursors; and (iii) interactions with other atmospheric pollutants (such as particulate matter);
(B) improving understanding of the impact of tropospheric ozone concentrations and mitigation on regional, localized, and seasonal temperatures and heat stress, including— (i) the role of regional or localized tropospheric ozone concentrations; (ii) the role of emission or mitigation of specific tropospheric ozone precursors; and (iii) interactions with other atmospheric pollutants (such as particulate matter);
Research would also cover natural influences on ozone, including emissions from sources other than human activity, ozone in the stratosphere, and lightning. It would examine crop losses and possible ways to reduce them, along with effects on forest and ecosystem productivity, including regional and local effects.
(C) improving understanding of natural interactions affecting tropospheric ozone concentrations and mitigation, such as nonanthropogenic tropospheric ozone precursor emissions, stratospheric ozone, and lightning; (D) improving understanding of crop loss impacts from elevated levels of tropospheric ozone, including regional and local impacts and potential measures to reduce crop loss impacts; (E) improving understanding of forest and ecosystem productivity impacts from elevated levels of tropospheric ozone, including regional and local impacts;
The program would support developing or updating models to better represent ozone’s effects on Earth’s energy balance and temperatures, and its interactions with other greenhouse gases and air pollutants.
(F) developing or updating existing regional and global climate models or other relevant models to better incorporate the radiative forcing and temperature impacts of tropospheric ozone and the interactions between tropospheric ozone and other greenhouse gases and air pollutants;
Monitoring research would expand ground networks, especially in rural, agricultural, and understudied areas; combine surface observations with satellite and model information; and expand measurements at different heights using ozone instruments and aircraft. It would also develop standardized ways to combine data for climate and air-quality monitoring. EPA would have to make data collected through this monitoring work public.
(G) subject to paragraph (3), strengthening and expanding tropospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone precursor monitoring and observational infrastructure, including— (i) enhancement of ground-based monitoring networks (with increased coverage in rural, agricultural, and other understudied regions); (ii) integration of surface observations with satellite remote sensing and chemical transport model outputs; (iii) expanded vertical profiling through ozonesondes and aircraft measurements, particularly in understudied regions; and (iv) development of standardized data assimilation frameworks to support climate and air quality monitoring.
The Administrator shall ensure that any data collected pursuant to paragraph (1)(G) is made publicly available.
For the research topics other than monitoring infrastructure, EPA would have to seek studies of ozone concentrations present when the program starts and models of future conditions. Future modeling would seek to compare continuing emissions trends with emissions reductions and assess how climate changes and other pollutants affect ozone across those scenarios.
In seeking to carry out the research described in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1), the Administrator shall seek to include research that— (i) assesses tropospheric ozone impacts and interactions at concentrations present on the date the program is established; and (ii) models future tropospheric ozone concentrations, impacts, and interactions.
the Administrator shall seek to carry out research that— (i) models a range of scenarios, including scenarios that assume that trends in emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors, other atmospheric pollutants, and greenhouse gases in effect on the date on which the program is established continue and scenarios that assume reductions in such emissions; and (ii) includes an assessment of how climate impacts (such as increased wildfires, increased temperatures, altered atmospheric circulation patterns, and changes in humidity, stagnation frequency, and lightning frequency) or changes in other atmospheric pollutants across the modeled range of scenarios affect tropospheric ozone concentrations, and related impacts.
Eligible applicants would be higher-education institutions, National Laboratories as defined in the referenced federal law, and other nonprofit research organizations with demonstrated expertise in specified atmospheric, weather, climate, or air-quality fields. EPA would set application deadlines, submission methods, and required information.
An entity eligible to receive a grant under the program is— (1) an institution of higher education; (2) a National Laboratory (as defined in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)); or (3) any other nonprofit research entity with demonstrated expertise in atmospheric chemistry, weather modeling, climate modeling, or air quality monitoring.
An eligible entity seeking a grant under the program shall submit to the Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may require.
EPA would have to collaborate with the international scientific community on the program’s research topics and data sharing, including through forums involving multiple countries.
In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall collaborate with the international scientific community on science, research, and data-sharing with respect to the research topics described in subsection (c)(1), including through multilateral forums.
Grant recipients would have to report their research findings to EPA annually. Those reports would have to be publicly available.
The recipient of a grant under the program shall annually submit to the Administrator a report describing the findings of the recipient with respect to the research for which the grant was provided.
A report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall be made publicly available.
Within four years after the program starts, EPA would have to submit a public findings-and-recommendations report to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Not later than 4 years after the date on which the program is established, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and make publicly available a report that describes the findings and recommendations of the Administrator with respect to the program and tropospheric ozone
EPA’s report would describe ozone’s contributions to warming, heat stress, crop losses, forest and ecosystem productivity effects, and health effects at concentrations present when the report is submitted. It would also forecast those contributions under scenarios that include continuing emissions trends and emissions reductions.
(A) a description of the contributions of tropospheric ozone at concentrations in effect on the date the report is submitted to— (i) global temperature rise; (ii) regional, localized, and seasonal warming and heat stress; (iii) crop losses and forest and ecosystem productivity impacts; and (iv) health effects;
(B) the forecasted future contributions, under a range of scenarios, including scenarios that assume trends in emissions of tropospheric ozone precursors, other atmospheric pollutants, and greenhouses gases in effect on the date the report is submitted continue and scenarios that assume reductions in such emissions, of tropospheric ozone to— (i) global temperature rise; (ii) regional, localized, and seasonal warming and heat stress; (iii) crop losses and forest and ecosystem productivity impacts; and (iv) health effects;
EPA’s report would examine options for reducing particular ozone-forming substances nationally or, where appropriate, regionally, locally, or seasonally. It would assess options aimed at reducing warming and adverse health, forest, ecosystem, and crop effects, provide a high-level cost-benefit assessment, and recommend mitigation policies, data improvements, and further research.
(C) a description of the national or, as appropriate, regional, local, or seasonal options to mitigate specific tropospheric ozone precursors— (i) to maximize global and localized warming reductions; (ii) to minimize adverse impacts to health, forests, or ecosystems; and (iii) to minimize crop loss impacts;
(D) a high-level assessment of the costs and benefits of tropospheric ozone precursor mitigation options identified under subparagraph (C); and (E) policy recommendations for— (i) mitigation strategies for specific tropospheric precursors to minimize the negative impacts of tropospheric ozone, based on the findings described subparagraphs (C) and (D); (ii) improvements in data collection and reporting for tropospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone precursors; and (iii) further research needs.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $10.5 million in each fiscal year from 2027 through 2029 and $1 million in fiscal year 2030. It would not itself appropriate that money. Of the annual 2027–2029 funding made available, $10 million would have to fund grants and $500,000 would have to fund implementation and oversight. The 2030 funding would have to support EPA’s required report.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out the program— (A) $10,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029; and (B) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.
Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1)— (A) with respect to the amounts made available under subparagraph (A) of that paragraph— (i) $10,000,000 shall be used to make grants under the program; and (ii) $500,000 shall be used to implement and oversee the program; and (B) the amounts made available under subparagraph (B) of that paragraph shall be used to prepare the report required under subsection (h)(2).
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 29, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on September 21, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-29T16:39:44Z. 2026-09-21: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. 2026-09-21: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status in accompanying materials cannot be established.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment beyond ordinary program eligibility was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 29, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI