[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1690 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1690
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require carbon monoxide alarms or detectors in certain federally
assisted housing, 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 ``Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every
Resident To Safety Act of 2019'' or the ``CO ALERTS Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) carbon monoxide alarms are not required by federally
assisted housing programs, when not required by State or local
codes;
(2) numerous federally assisted housing residents have lost
their lives due to carbon monoxide poisoning;
(3) the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning occur
immediately and can result in death in a matter of minutes;
(4) carbon monoxide exposure can cause permanent brain
damage, life-threatening cardiac complications, fetal death or
miscarriage, and death, among other harmful health conditions;
(5) carbon monoxide poisoning is especially dangerous for
unborn babies, children, elderly individuals, and individuals
with cardiovascular disease, among others with chronic health
conditions;
(6) the majority of the 4,600,000 families receiving
Federal housing assistance are families with young children,
elderly individuals, or individuals with disabilities, making
them especially vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning;
(7) more than 400 people die and 50,000 additional people
visit the emergency room annually as a result of carbon
monoxide poisoning;
(8) carbon monoxide poisoning is entirely preventable and
early detection is possible with the use of carbon monoxide
alarms;
(9) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns
that carbon monoxide poisoning is entirely preventable and
recommends the installation of carbon monoxide alarms;
(10) the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes of
the Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends the
installation of carbon monoxide alarms as a best practice to
keep families and individuals safe and to protect health; and
(11) in order to safeguard the health and well-being of
tenants in federally assisted housing, the Federal Government
should consider best practices for primary prevention of carbon
monoxide-related incidents.
SEC. 3. CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS OR DETECTORS IN FEDERALLY ASSISTED
HOUSING.
(a) Public Housing, Tenant-Based Assistance, and Project-Based
Assistance.--The United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et
seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 3(a) (42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)), by adding at the
end the following:
``(8) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each public housing agency
shall ensure that carbon monoxide alarms or detectors are
installed in each dwelling unit in public housing owned or
operated by the public housing agency in a manner that meets or
exceeds--
``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11
of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code,
as published by the International Code Council; or
``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in
the Federal Register.''; and
(2) in section 8 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)--
(A) by inserting after subsection (i) the
following:
``(j) Carbon Monoxide Alarms.--Each owner of a dwelling unit
receiving project-based assistance under this section shall ensure that
carbon monoxide alarms or detectors are installed in the dwelling unit
in a manner that meets or exceeds--
``(1) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the
2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published
by the International Code Council; or
``(2) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the International
Fire Code, through a notice published in the Federal
Register.''; and
(B) in subsection (o), by adding at the end the
following:
``(21) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each dwelling unit
receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance
under this subsection shall have carbon monoxide alarms or
detectors installed in the dwelling unit in a manner that meets
or exceeds--
``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11
of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code,
as published by the International Code Council; or
``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in
the Federal Register.''.
(b) Supportive Housing for the Elderly.--Section 202(j) of the
Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q(j)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(9) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each owner of a dwelling
unit assisted under this section shall ensure that carbon
monoxide alarms or detectors are installed in the dwelling unit
in a manner that meets or exceeds--
``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11
of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code,
as published by the International Code Council; or
``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in
the Federal Register.''.
(c) Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities.--Section
811(j) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42
U.S.C. 8013(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(7) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each dwelling unit assisted
under this section shall contain installed carbon monoxide
alarms or detectors that meet or exceed--
``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11
of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code,
as published by the International Code Council; or
``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in
the Federal Register.''.
(d) Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS.--Section 856 of
the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12905)
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(i) Carbon Monoxide Alarms.--Each dwelling unit assisted under
this subtitle shall contain installed carbon monoxide alarms or
detectors that meet or exceed--
``(1) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the
2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published
by the International Code Council; or
``(2) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, including any relevant updates to the International
Fire Code, through a notice published in the Federal
Register.''.
(e) Rural Housing.--Title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C.
1471 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 514 (42 U.S.C. 1484), by adding at the end
the following:
``(j) Housing and related facilities constructed with loans under
this section shall contain installed carbon monoxide alarms or
detectors that meet or exceed--
``(1) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the
2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published
by the International Code Council; or
``(2) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in the
Federal Register.''; and
(2) in section 515 (42 U.S.C. 1485)--
(A) in subsection (m), by inserting ``(1)'' before
``The Secretary shall establish''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Housing and related facilities rehabilitated or repaired with
amounts received under a loan made or insured under this section shall
contain installed carbon monoxide alarms or detectors that meet or
exceed--
``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the
2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published
by the International Code Council; or
``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the
Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development, including any relevant updates to the
International Fire Code, through a notice published in the
Federal Register.''.
(f) Guidance.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
provide guidance to public housing agencies (as defined in section
3(b)(6) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437a(b)(6)) on how to educate tenants on health hazards in the home,
including to carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning, asthma induced
by housing-related allergens, and other housing-related preventable
outcomes, to help advance primary prevention and prevent future deaths
and other harms.
(g) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) through
(d) shall take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act, $101,400,000 per year for each of
fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022.
(i) No Preemption.--Nothing in the amendments made by this section
shall be construed to preempt or limit the applicability of any State
or local law relating to the installation and maintenance of carbon
monoxide alarms or detectors in housing that requires standards that
are more stringent than the standards described in the amendments made
by this section.
SEC. 4. STUDY ON INCLUSION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS OR DETECTORS IN
OTHER UNITS.
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation
with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, shall conduct a study and
issue a publicly available report on requiring carbon monoxide alarms
or detectors in federally assisted housing that is not covered in the
amendments made by section 3.
Passed the House of Representatives September 10, 2019.
Attest:
Clerk.
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1690
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require carbon monoxide alarms or detectors in certain federally
assisted housing, and for other purposes.