Pennsylvania : 2025-2026 Regular Session : BILL HB1167
Prohibiting solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding and polluting atmospheric interventions within this Commonwealth; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police and sheriffs; and imposing penalties.
Sponsor: Rep John Schlegel & Rep Jacob Banta & Rep Robert Kauffman & Rep Joe Hamm & Rep Nancy Guenst & Rep David Zimmerman & Rep Wendy Fink & Rep Roni Green
Bill Details
An Act prohibiting solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding and polluting atmospheric interventions within this Commonwealth; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police and sheriffs; and imposing penalties.
Bill summary (AI generated)
HB1167: Clean Air Preservation Act • This bill, introduced on April 7, 2025, is known as the Clean Air Preservation Act. It is identical to Senate Bill 508 (SB508). • The act explicitly prohibits solar radiation modification/sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding, and polluting atmospheric interventions within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. • The legislation treats solar radiation modification (SRM/sunlight reflection method) and cloud seeding as forms of "intervention", which are included under the prohibited activity known as a polluting atmospheric intervention. • The Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff must immediately issue a cease-and-desist order when cloud seeding or polluting atmospheric intervention is suspected. This order has the weight of a court order. • Police or sheriffs are authorized to implement the act, determine violations, and may refer potentially prohibited activity to the Air National Guard. • If a hazardous activity is Federally approved, police or a sheriff must issue a notice to the appropriate Federal agency stating the activity cannot lawfully be carried out within or over the Commonwealth. • An entity (which includes individuals, corporations, government agencies, and artificial intelligence) that engages in a polluting atmospheric intervention or uses an unmarked aircraft/facility for such purposes commits a felony. • Penalties include a fine of not less than $500,000 or imprisonment for not less than two years, or both. Each day of prohibited activity constitutes a separate offense. • Violators are also subject to penalties under the Air Pollution Control Act (Act of January 8, 1960). • The act takes effect immediately.
History
The bill HB1167, titled "Prohibiting solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding and polluting atmospheric interventions within this Commonwealth; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police and sheriffs; and imposing penalties," was filed and is designed to address various geoengineering practices and establish regulatory measures. As of April 7, 2025, it was referred to the Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee for further consideration. The next step for this bill involves discussions and potential votes within the Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee. If the committee approves it, the bill will move to the floor of the legislature for broader debate and voting by all members. Conversely, if the committee does not favor the bill, it could be stalled or effectively fail to progress. The committee's opinion will be crucial in determining the future of HB1167.
- Mon 07 Apr 2025 Referred to Environmental & Natural Resource Protection
Bill text (Transcribed)
PRINTER'S NO. 1293
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL No. 1167 Session of 2025
INTRODUCED BY SCHLEGEL, BANTA, KAUFFMAN, HAMM AND GUENST, APRIL 7, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, APRIL 7, 2025
AN ACT
Prohibiting solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding and polluting atmospheric interventions within this Commonwealth; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police and sheriffs; and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Clean Air Preservation Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Air National Guard." The Pennsylvania Air National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Air Force.
"Artificial intelligence" or "AI." A field of science and technology encompassing systems and tools that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence such as learning, reasoning, pattern recognition and decision making, often through computational techniques like machine learning and neural networks.
"Cloud seeding." A type of weather engineering or experimentation that may change the amount or type of
precipitation by dispersing chemicals such as dry ice, silver iodide or trimethylaluminum into the atmosphere by means of aircraft or ground generators.
"Entity." Any of the following:
(1) Individual.
(2) Trust.
(3) Firm.
(4) Joint stock company.
(5) Corporation, including a quasi-governmental corporation.
(6) Nongovernmental organization.
(7) Partnership.
(8) Association.
(9) Syndicate.
(10) Municipality or municipal agency.
(11) Program.
(12) Fire district.
(13) Club.
(14) Nonprofit agency.
(15) Commission.
(16) University, college or academic institution.
(17) Department or agency of this Commonwealth.
(18) The Federal Government or any interstate or international governance or instrumentality thereof, including foreign, domestic and mercenary armed services or region within the United States.
(19) Artificial intelligence.
"Hazardous." A substance or physical agent by its nature that is harmful to living organisms generally or to property or another interest of value.
"Intervention." The act of interfering with weather processes, altering atmospheric or environmental conditions or releasing pollutants by methods, including, but not limited to, solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening,
cirrus cloud thinning, weather modification, cloud seeding or outdoor pollution dispersion modeling.
"Machine learning." The process in which a machine can learn on its own without being explicitly programmed.
"Physical agent." An agent, other than a substance, including, without limitation, radio frequency, microwave radiation and other electromagnetic radiation and fields, barometric pressure, temperature, gravity, kinetic weaponry, mechanical vibration and sound.
"Pollutant." Any of the following:
(1) An aerosol, biologic, trans-biologic, genetically modified agent, chaff, metal, radioactive material, acid, alkali, chemical, chemical compound, contaminant, microelectronic mechanical system, smart dust, smoke, soot, substance, fume, vapor or air pollutant regulated by the Commonwealth.
(2) A mechanical vibration, physical agent, particulate or waste, including materials that may be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed.
(3) A solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant.
(4) An artificially produced electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, electromagnetic pulse, sound wave, sound pollution, light pollution, microwave or ionizing or nonionizing radiation.
"Polluting atmospheric intervention." An experiment or intervention involving the release of pollutants, conducted by any iteration of human, machine learning or artificial intelligence, or any combination of human, machine learning or artificial intelligence, that occurs in the atmosphere and may have harmful consequences upon health, the environment or Agriculture.
"Pollution." The discharge, dispersal, deposition, release, seepage, migration or escape of pollutants.
"Release." Any activity that results in the issuance of contaminants such as the emitting, transmitting, discharging or injecting of one or more nuclear, biological, trans-biological, chemical or physical agents into the ambient atmosphere, whether once, intermittently or continuously.
"Sheriff." A Pennsylvania sheriff, the Constitutional officers responsible for county law enforcement.
"Solar radiation modification" or "sunlight reflection method." An experiment in the Earth's climatic system involving the release of pollutants that reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. The term includes the use of interoperable, ground-based, airborne and space-based Facilities.
"Weather engineering." The deliberate manipulation of the environment for purposes that include changing the weather or climate by artificial means, typically involving the release of pollutants into the atmosphere via cloud seeding, for small-scale, large-scale and global-scale alteration of the Environment.
"Weather modification." Changing, controlling or interfering with or attempting to alter, change, control or interfere with the natural development of cloud forms, precipitation, barometric pressure, temperature, conductivity or other electromagnetic or sonic characteristics of the atmosphere.
Section 3. Prohibited activity.
The Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff shall immediately issue a cease-and-desist order when cloud seeding or polluting atmospheric intervention is suspected. The cease-and-desist
order under this section shall have the weight of a court order and any violation shall be punished in accordance with section 5.
Section 4. Notice to cease Federal or foreign-approved programs.
(a) Notice.--Government and armed forces projects must meet all the requirements of this act. If an activity deemed hazardous by this act has been approved, explicitly or implicitly, by the Federal Government, the Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff shall issue a notice to the appropriate
Federal agency that the activity cannot lawfully be carried out within or over this Commonwealth.
(b) Implementation.--The Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff is authorized to and shall implement this act, determining whether violations have occurred and, if deemed necessary, shall refer potentially prohibited activity to the Air National Guard.
Section 5. Penalties and enforcement.
An entity that engages in a polluting atmospheric intervention or uses an unmarked or unidentified aircraft or other vehicle or facility to carry out a weather engineering or a polluting atmospheric intervention shall:
(1) Have committed a felony and shall pay a fine of not less than $500,000 or be imprisoned for not less than two years, or both.
(2) Be guilty of a separate offense for each day during which prohibited activity has been conducted, repeated or continued.
(3) Be deemed in violation and subject to any further penalties of the act of January 8, 1960 (1959 P.L.2119, No.787), known as the Air Pollution Control Act.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL No. 1167 Session of 2025
INTRODUCED BY SCHLEGEL, BANTA, KAUFFMAN, HAMM AND GUENST, APRIL 7, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, APRIL 7, 2025
AN ACT
Prohibiting solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, cloud seeding and polluting atmospheric interventions within this Commonwealth; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania State Police and sheriffs; and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Clean Air Preservation Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Air National Guard." The Pennsylvania Air National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Air Force.
"Artificial intelligence" or "AI." A field of science and technology encompassing systems and tools that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence such as learning, reasoning, pattern recognition and decision making, often through computational techniques like machine learning and neural networks.
"Cloud seeding." A type of weather engineering or experimentation that may change the amount or type of
precipitation by dispersing chemicals such as dry ice, silver iodide or trimethylaluminum into the atmosphere by means of aircraft or ground generators.
"Entity." Any of the following:
(1) Individual.
(2) Trust.
(3) Firm.
(4) Joint stock company.
(5) Corporation, including a quasi-governmental corporation.
(6) Nongovernmental organization.
(7) Partnership.
(8) Association.
(9) Syndicate.
(10) Municipality or municipal agency.
(11) Program.
(12) Fire district.
(13) Club.
(14) Nonprofit agency.
(15) Commission.
(16) University, college or academic institution.
(17) Department or agency of this Commonwealth.
(18) The Federal Government or any interstate or international governance or instrumentality thereof, including foreign, domestic and mercenary armed services or region within the United States.
(19) Artificial intelligence.
"Hazardous." A substance or physical agent by its nature that is harmful to living organisms generally or to property or another interest of value.
"Intervention." The act of interfering with weather processes, altering atmospheric or environmental conditions or releasing pollutants by methods, including, but not limited to, solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening,
cirrus cloud thinning, weather modification, cloud seeding or outdoor pollution dispersion modeling.
"Machine learning." The process in which a machine can learn on its own without being explicitly programmed.
"Physical agent." An agent, other than a substance, including, without limitation, radio frequency, microwave radiation and other electromagnetic radiation and fields, barometric pressure, temperature, gravity, kinetic weaponry, mechanical vibration and sound.
"Pollutant." Any of the following:
(1) An aerosol, biologic, trans-biologic, genetically modified agent, chaff, metal, radioactive material, acid, alkali, chemical, chemical compound, contaminant, microelectronic mechanical system, smart dust, smoke, soot, substance, fume, vapor or air pollutant regulated by the Commonwealth.
(2) A mechanical vibration, physical agent, particulate or waste, including materials that may be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed.
(3) A solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant.
(4) An artificially produced electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, electromagnetic pulse, sound wave, sound pollution, light pollution, microwave or ionizing or nonionizing radiation.
"Polluting atmospheric intervention." An experiment or intervention involving the release of pollutants, conducted by any iteration of human, machine learning or artificial intelligence, or any combination of human, machine learning or artificial intelligence, that occurs in the atmosphere and may have harmful consequences upon health, the environment or Agriculture.
"Pollution." The discharge, dispersal, deposition, release, seepage, migration or escape of pollutants.
"Release." Any activity that results in the issuance of contaminants such as the emitting, transmitting, discharging or injecting of one or more nuclear, biological, trans-biological, chemical or physical agents into the ambient atmosphere, whether once, intermittently or continuously.
"Sheriff." A Pennsylvania sheriff, the Constitutional officers responsible for county law enforcement.
"Solar radiation modification" or "sunlight reflection method." An experiment in the Earth's climatic system involving the release of pollutants that reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. The term includes the use of interoperable, ground-based, airborne and space-based Facilities.
"Weather engineering." The deliberate manipulation of the environment for purposes that include changing the weather or climate by artificial means, typically involving the release of pollutants into the atmosphere via cloud seeding, for small-scale, large-scale and global-scale alteration of the Environment.
"Weather modification." Changing, controlling or interfering with or attempting to alter, change, control or interfere with the natural development of cloud forms, precipitation, barometric pressure, temperature, conductivity or other electromagnetic or sonic characteristics of the atmosphere.
Section 3. Prohibited activity.
The Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff shall immediately issue a cease-and-desist order when cloud seeding or polluting atmospheric intervention is suspected. The cease-and-desist
order under this section shall have the weight of a court order and any violation shall be punished in accordance with section 5.
Section 4. Notice to cease Federal or foreign-approved programs.
(a) Notice.--Government and armed forces projects must meet all the requirements of this act. If an activity deemed hazardous by this act has been approved, explicitly or implicitly, by the Federal Government, the Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff shall issue a notice to the appropriate
Federal agency that the activity cannot lawfully be carried out within or over this Commonwealth.
(b) Implementation.--The Pennsylvania State Police or a sheriff is authorized to and shall implement this act, determining whether violations have occurred and, if deemed necessary, shall refer potentially prohibited activity to the Air National Guard.
Section 5. Penalties and enforcement.
An entity that engages in a polluting atmospheric intervention or uses an unmarked or unidentified aircraft or other vehicle or facility to carry out a weather engineering or a polluting atmospheric intervention shall:
(1) Have committed a felony and shall pay a fine of not less than $500,000 or be imprisoned for not less than two years, or both.
(2) Be guilty of a separate offense for each day during which prohibited activity has been conducted, repeated or continued.
(3) Be deemed in violation and subject to any further penalties of the act of January 8, 1960 (1959 P.L.2119, No.787), known as the Air Pollution Control Act.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.