US Congress : 2025-2026 Regular Session : BILL HB4403
Clear Skies Act
Sponsor: Rep Marjorie Greene & Rep Tim Burchett & Rep Tony Wied & Rep Thomas Massie
Bill Details
To prohibit weather modification within the United States, and for other purposes.
GeoLawWatch Bill Summary
Prohibited Activities: Weather modification is prohibited throughout the United States, including all territories and possessions. Weather modification includes any injection, release, emission, or dispersal of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere for the express purpose of:
Producing artificial changes in the composition, behavior, or dynamics of the atmosphere Affecting temperature, weather, climate, or the intensity of sunlight Geoengineering, cloud seeding, solar radiation modification and management, or aerosol releases to influence temperature, precipitation, or sunlight intensity
Federal Jurisdiction Requirements: The prohibition applies when the conduct involves interstate or foreign commerce, occurs within U.S. territorial jurisdiction, or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce. Criminal Penalties: Violators face:
Fines up to $100,000 per violation Imprisonment up to 5 years, or both Each instance of injection, release, emission, or dispersal constitutes a separate violation
Civil Penalties: The EPA Administrator, in coordination with the FAA Administrator, may impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation, in addition to criminal penalties. Public Reporting System: The EPA, in coordination with the FAA and NOAA, will establish a public reporting system to collect suspected violations via:
Telephone Email Mail Online portal
All reports will be published on the EPA website. Investigation Process: The EPA Administrator will investigate suspected violations that warrant further review and may coordinate with multiple federal agencies including:
Department of Agriculture Department of the Interior Federal Aviation Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Other relevant federal agencies
Referral to Justice Department: If the EPA determines a violation occurred, the case will be referred to the U.S. Attorney General for prosecution. Repeal of Existing Authorities: All existing federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders that authorize or require weather modification, including licensing and permit requirements, are repealed and nullified. Effective Date: The Act takes effect 90 days after enactment.
History
House Resolution 4403 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia during the first session of the 119th Congress. On the same day, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which will review the legislation and determine whether to advance it for further consideration. Committee referral is the standard first step in the legislative process, where the bill will undergo detailed examination and potentially be subject to committee hearings before any floor action.
- Tue 15 Jul 2025 Introduced in House
- Tue 15 Jul 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Consolidated Bill Text
1ST SESSION H. R. 4403
To prohibit weather modification within the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 15, 2025
Ms. GREENE of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To prohibit weather modification within the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the "Clear Skies Act".
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF WEATHER MODIFICATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Whoever, in any circumstance described in subsection (b), knowingly conducts weather modification in the United States, including the territories and possessions of the United States, shall be subject to the penalties described in subsection (c).
(b) CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED.—For the purposes of subsection (a), the circumstances described in this subsection are that—
(1) the defendant traveled in interstate or foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a);
(2) the defendant used a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a);
(3) the defendant transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce any communication relating to or in furtherance of the conduct described in subsection (a) using any means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means or in any manner, including by computer, mail, wire, or electromagnetic transmission;
(4) the conduct described in subsection (a) occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, or any territory or possession of the United States; or
(5) the conduct described in subsection (a) otherwise occurred in or affected interstate or foreign commerce.
(c) PENALTIES.—
(1) CRIMINAL PENALTY.—Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be fined not more than $100,000 for each violation, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(2) CIVIL PENALTY.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, impose a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation of subsection (a), in addition to any other penalties provided by law.
(3) REPEAT VIOLATIONS.—Each instance of injection, release, emission, or dispersal under subsection (a) shall constitute a separate violation of such section.
SEC. 3. REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION.
(a) PUBLIC REPORTING.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF SYSTEM.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a system for the public to report suspected violations of section 2.
(2) SUBMISSION OF REPORTS.—Such system may collect reports via telephone, email, mail, or an online portal.
(3) PUBLICATION OF REPORTS.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall make publicly available on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency any reports collected by such system under this subsection.
(b) INVESTIGATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall investigate suspected violations of section 2 reported under subsection (a) that the Administrator determines warrant further review.
(2) DETERMINATION.—
(A) REQUIREMENT.—For any suspected violation investigated under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall determine whether a violation of section 2 has occurred.
(B) COORDINATION.—In determining whether a violation of section 2 occurred, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the head of any other Federal agency that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency determines to be relevant, to verify the nature of any activities described in a report submitted under subsection (a).
(c) REFERRAL TO DOJ.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall refer a suspected violation that the Administrator determines to have occurred under subsection (b)(2) to the Attorney General of the United States for further action.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF EXISTING AUTHORITIES.
(a) FEDERAL STATUTES.—Any provision of a Federal statute authorizing or requiring weather modification, including a licensing requirement or permit for any such weather modification, is hereby repealed.
(b) FEDERAL REGULATIONS OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS.—Any provision of a Federal regulation or executive order authorizing or requiring weather modification, including a licensing requirement or permit for any such weather modification, is hereby nullified and shall have no force or effect.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ATMOSPHERE.—The term "atmosphere" means the gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth, including all airspace within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
(2) WEATHER MODIFICATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term "weather modification" means any injection, release, emission, or dispersal of a chemical, a chemical compound, or a substance, or conveyance of an apparatus, into the atmosphere for the express purpose of—
(i) producing an artificial change in the composition, behavior, or dynamics of the atmosphere; or
(ii) affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight.
(B) EXAMPLES.—Such term includes—
(i) geoengineering;
(ii) cloud seeding;
(iii) solar radiation modification and management; and
(iv) a release of an aerosol into the atmosphere to influence temperature, precipitation, or the intensity of sunlight.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.