I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2248 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 5, 2009 Mr. Butterfield (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Rush, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, and Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To establish a grant program to assist States in inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009.

2.

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)on February 12, 2008, a thorough inspection of a hotel in Nashua, New Hampshire, found that 16 of 117 rooms were infested with bedbugs; (2)cimex lectularius, commonly known as bed bugs, travel through the ventilation systems in multi-unit establishments causing exponential infestations; (3)female bedbugs can lay up to 5 eggs in a day and 500 during a lifetime; (4)bedbug populations in the United States have increased by 500 percent in the past few years; (5)in 2004, New York City had 377 bedbug violations and from July to November of 2005, a 5-month span, there were 449 violations reported in the city, an alarming increase in infestations over a short period of time; (6)in a study of 700 hotel rooms between 2002 and 2006, 25 percent of hotels were found to be in need of bedbug treatment; (7)bed bugs possess all of the necessary prerequisites for being capable of passing diseases from one host to another; and (8)research on the public health implications of bed bugs and their potential for spread of infectious disease is not current.

3.

Bed bug inspection grant program

(a)

Administration; Amount

The Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, may provide grants to an eligible State to assist such State in carrying out the inspections described in subsection (c). The grants shall be in amounts determined by the Secretary, taking into consideration the relative needs of the State. (b)

Eligibility

A State is eligible for a grant under this Act if the State has established a program whereby— (1)not fewer than 20 percent of rooms in lodging facilities in such State are inspected annually for cimex lectularius, commonly known as the bed bug; and (2)inspections are conducted by individuals who meet the minimum competency standard or requirement for inspecting or treating rooms in lodging facilities for bed bugs, as adopted by the State agency charged with regulating pest management activities. (c)

Federal share

The Federal share of funding for such a program shall not exceed 80 percent. (d)

Use of grants

A State may use a grant received under this Act to— (1)conduct inspections of lodging facilities for cimex lectularius, including transportation, lodging, and meal expenses for inspectors; (2)train inspection personnel; (3)contract with a commercial applicator, as defined in section 2(e) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136(e)), to inspect and treat lodging facilities for cimex lectularius; and (4)educate the proprietors and staff of lodging establishments about methods to prevent and eradicate cimex lectularius. (e)

Application

To receive a grant under this Act, an eligible State shall submit an application to the Secretary of Commerce in such form and containing such information as the Secretary shall determine. (f)

Definition of lodging facility

For purposes of this Act and the requirement under subsection (b) for State programs receiving funding under this Act, the term lodging facility means any individual hotel, motel, or inn that makes available for commercial lodging more than 10 individual rooms. (g)

Authorization of Appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013 to the Secretary of Commerce for the grants authorized under this Act.

4.

Adding bed bug prevention and management to public housing agency plans

Paragraph (5) of section 5A(d) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c–1(d)(5)) is amended by inserting and bed bugs after cockroaches.

5.

Bed Bug Prevention and Control under the Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant Program

Section 1904(a)(1)(B) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300w–3(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting and bed bugs after rodents.

6.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Investigation and Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall investigate the public health implications of bed bugs on lodging and housing. The investigation shall specifically consider the impacts on mental health of bed bugs, their potential for spreading infectious disease, and contributing to other diseases such as asthma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall report their findings and recommend any potential solutions to Congress not later than December 31, 2010.

7.

Report to Congress

The Secretary of Commerce shall transmit a report to Congress not later than 3 years after the issuance of the first grant authorized by section 3 of this Act, which shall contain an assessment of the effectiveness of the bed bug inspection grant program.