[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 43 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 43

 To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide 
   financial assistance for the development and reuse of brownfields.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2007

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide 
   financial assistance for the development and reuse of brownfields.

    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 ``Brownfields Housing and Community 
Renewal Development Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Addressing the problem of contaminated abandoned 
        industrial or commercial properties by funding programs that 
        encourage the reuse of such properties must continue to be a 
        priority of this country.
            (2) Brownfields grant programs funded through the 
        Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are utilized for 
        environmental assessment, planning, job training, and cleanup.
            (3) EPA brownfields programs are not adequate to 
        rehabilitate, demolish, or redevelop structures.
            (4) The Department of Housing and Urban Development is an 
        appropriate agency to provide grants to redevelop contaminated, 
        abandoned or underutilized buildings, which pose not only a 
        possible health risk but also impact a community's quality of 
        life.
            (5) Local communities need additional redevelopment 
        programs that provide new flexibility to organizations to be 
        part of community development efforts.
            (6) The Congress should fund appropriate Federal programs 
        that allow communities to redevelop their neighborhoods and 
        improve the quality of life in the surrounding areas.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to empower local 
communities and their partners to clean and redevelop brownfields in 
their communities by providing--
            (1) flexibility for the development of local plans to 
        address brownfields problems; and
            (2) access to economic development grant funds.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY RENEWAL THROUGH BROWNFIELD 
              REDEVELOPMENT.

    Section 108 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 5308) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (r) as subsection (s); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (q) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(r) Grant Program to Promote Community Renewal Through Brownfield 
Redevelopment.--
            ``(1) Establishment of program.--The Secretary shall 
        establish a program under this subsection to make grants to 
        assist in carrying out redevelopment activities for brownfield 
        sites and abandoned, idled, and underused industrial, 
        commercial or housing structures located in brownfield sites.
            ``(2) Grantees and grant conditions.--A grant may be made 
        under this subsection to a unit of general local government, 
        including an agency of such a unit, an entity affiliated with 
        such a unit, a nonprofit organization, or a community 
        development corporation, but only pursuant to a grant proposal 
        for redevelopment of a brownfield site or sites, which is 
        submitted to and approved by the Secretary and ensures that the 
        grant will be used for at least one of the following purposes:
                    ``(A) To benefit low and moderate income 
                communities.
                    ``(B) To increase affordable housing opportunities.
                    ``(C) To address imminent threats or urgent 
                community needs.
                    ``(D) To provide open spaces or parks.
            ``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection, 
        the Secretary shall give priority to grant proposals that 
        ensure that the grant will be used for two or more of the 
        objectives specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
        paragraph (2).
            ``(4) Availability of assistance.--The Secretary shall not 
        require, for eligibility to a grant under this section, that 
        such grant amounts be used only in connection or conjunction 
        with projects and activities assisted with a loan guaranteed 
        under this section.
            ``(5) Grant amount.--Each grant award made under this 
        subsection shall be of sufficient size to carry out the goals 
        of this subsection, but shall not exceed $1,000,000.
            ``(6) Administrative costs.--A recipient of a grant under 
        this subsection may use not more than 10 percent of the amount 
        of the grant for reasonable administrative costs necessary in 
        carrying out the brownfields project for which the grant is 
        made.
            ``(7) Audits.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out 
        procedures for auditing or reviewing grants made under this 
        subsection.
            ``(8) Violations.--The Secretary shall establish and 
        implement appropriate measures to sanction grantees who are 
        found to have violated the requirements under this subsection 
        or any grant conditions.
            ``(9) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `brownfield site' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
        Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601).
            ``(10) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated for grants under this subsection 
                $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $50,000,000 for 
                fiscal year 2009, and $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
                    ``(B) Availability.--Any amounts appropriated 
                pursuant to this paragraph shall remain available until 
                expended.
            ``(11) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall submit a 
        report to the Congress, not later than 30 months after the date 
        of the enactment of the Brownfields Housing and Community 
        Renewal Development Act, on the use and impact of the grant 
        program under this subsection.''.
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