Following release of a new report of rising asthma rates in the Valley, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced new action to prevent asthma hospitalizations and improve air quality in the most at-risk communities. Frozen funding for the National Asthma Control Program has been released, and Harder is working on legislation to establish a new nationwide air quality system.

Life-threatening asthma rates are on the rise in the Valley, Harder noted.

Stockton and Sacramento rank among the top 30 metropolitan areas in the country for asthma, according to the 2025 Asthma Capitals Report.

Worse still, Stockton has the highest rate of asthma-related emergency department visits in California, and the eighth highest in the entire nation.

Over 5.9 million Californians have been diagnosed with asthma – including 900,000 children – costing the state $14.4 billion per year.

“I grew up with childhood asthma, and it makes me sick to my stomach that more and more kids are being rushed to the emergency room because they can’t breathe,” said Rep. Harder. “That’s why I called for an immediate reversal of frozen asthma funding, and I’m grateful to see this program restored. But we need to be doing more to clean up our air – that starts with upgrading our monitoring systems, and I’m leading a bipartisan bill to do exactly that.”

Harder is leading the charge on tackling soaring asthma rates:

Restored funding for training that has supported over 1,000 community health workers in California and 11 organizations in Sacramento and San Joaquin County.

Upgraded technology through bill to establish a nationwide real-time air quality monitoring and alert system.

Landmark legislation to tackle the growing megafire crisis that contributes to chronic poor air quality conditions.

As the Valley’s sole voice on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Harder has fought to bring more federal funding back to the Valley to tackle air quality concerns. Last year, Harder secured funding for 20 zero emissions school buses for the Stockton Unified School District, as well as $110 million to turn the Port of Stockton into the nation’s first small zero-emissions terminal.