[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4203 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4203

 To require owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units 
 to install temperature sensors in such units, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2023

    Mr. Torres of New York introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units 
 to install temperature sensors in such units, 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 ``Housing Temperature Safety Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. TEMPERATURE SENSOR PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a temperature sensor 
3-year pilot program to provide grants to public housing agencies and 
owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units to install 
and test the efficacy of temperature sensors in residential dwelling 
units to ensure such units remain in compliance with temperature 
requirements.
    (b) Application.--The Secretary shall, not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish eligibility 
criteria for participation in the pilot program established pursuant to 
subsection (a) and such criteria shall be designed to ensure--
            (1) the pilot program includes a diverse range of 
        participants that represent different geographic regions, 
        climate regions, unit sizes and types of housing; and
            (2) the functionality of the temperature sensors that will 
        be tested, including internet connectivity requirements.
    (c) Installation.--Each public housing agency or owner of a covered 
federally assisted rental dwelling unit that receives one or more 
temperature sensors under this Act shall, after receiving written 
permission from the resident of a dwelling unit, install such 
temperature sensor and monitor the data from such temperature sensor.
    (d) Collection of Complaint Records.--
            (1) In general.--Each public housing agency or owner of a 
        covered federally assisted rental dwelling unit that receives 
        one or more temperature sensors under this Act shall collect 
        and retain information about temperature-related complaints and 
        violations.
            (2) Definitions.--The Secretary shall, not later than 180 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, define the 
        terms temperature-related complaints and temperature-related 
        violations for the purposes of this Act.
    (e) Data Collection.--
            (1) In general.--Data collected from temperature sensors 
        provided to public housing agencies and owners of covered 
        federally assisted rental dwelling units under this Act shall 
        be retained until the Secretary notifies the public housing 
        agency or owner that the pilot program and the evaluation of 
        the pilot program are complete.
            (2) Personally identifiable information.--The Secretary 
        shall, not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, establish standards for the protection of 
        personally identifiably information collected during the pilot 
        program by public housing agencies, owners of federally 
        assisted rental dwelling units, and the Secretary.
    (f) Pilot Program Evaluation.--
            (1) Interim evaluation.--Not later than 12 months after the 
        establishment of the pilot program under this Act, the 
        Secretary shall publicly publish and submit to the Congress a 
        report that--
                    (A) examines the number of temperature-related 
                complaints and violations in federally assisted rental 
                dwelling units with temperature sensors, disaggregated 
                by temperature sensor technology and climate region--
                            (i) that occurred before the installation 
                        of such sensor, if known; and
                            (ii) that occurred after the installation 
                        of such sensor; and
                    (B) identifies any barriers to full utility of 
                temperature sensor capabilities, including broadband 
                internet access and tenant participation.
            (2) Final evaluation.--Not later than 36 months after the 
        conclusion of the pilot program established by the Secretary 
        under this Act, the Secretary shall publicly publish and submit 
        to the Congress a report that--
                    (A) examines the number of temperature-related 
                complaints and violations in federally assisted rental 
                dwelling units with temperature sensors, disaggregated 
                by temperature sensor technology and climate region--
                            (i) that occurred before the installation 
                        of such sensor; and
                            (ii) that occurred after the installation 
                        of such sensor;
                    (B) identifies any barriers to full utility of 
                temperature sensor capabilities, including broadband 
                internet access and tenant participation; and
                    (C) compare the utility of various temperature 
                sensor technologies based on--
                            (i) climate zones;
                            (ii) cost;
                            (iii) features; and
                            (iv) any other factors identified by the 
                        Secretary.
    (g) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act:
            (1) Temperature sensor.--The term ``temperature sensor'' 
        means an internet capable temperature reporting device able to 
        measure ambient air temperature to the tenth degree Fahrenheit 
        and Celsius.
            (2) Covered federally assisted housing.--The term ``covered 
        federally assisted rental dwelling unit'' means a residential 
        dwelling unit that is made available for rental and for which 
        assistance is provided, or that is part of a housing project 
        for which assistance is provided, under--
                    (A) the program for project-based rental assistance 
                under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 
                1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f);
                    (B) the public housing program under the United 
                States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.);
                    (C) the program for supportive housing for the 
                elderly under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 
                (12 U.S.C. 1701q); or
                    (D) the program for supportive housing for persons 
                with disabilities under section 811 of the Cranston-
                Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
                8013).
            (3) Owner.--The term ``owner'' means--
                    (A) with respect to the program for project-based 
                rental assistance under section 8 of the United States 
                Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), any private 
                person or entity, including a cooperative, an agency of 
                the Federal Government, or a public housing agency, 
                having the legal right to lease or sublease dwelling 
                units;
                    (B) with respect to public housing program under 
                the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 
                et seq.), a public housing agency or an owner entity of 
                public housing units as defined in section 905.108 of 
                title 24, Code of Federal Regulations;
                    (C) with respect to the program for supportive 
                housing for the elderly under section 202 of the 
                Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q), a private 
                nonprofit organization as defined under section 
                202(k)(4) of the Housing Act of 1959; and
                    (D) with respect to the program for supportive 
                housing for persons with disabilities under section 811 
                of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 8013), a private nonprofit organization 
                as defined under section 811(k)(5) of section 811 of 
                the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary--
            (1) such sums as may be necessary for the Secretary to 
        provide grants to owners of covered federally assisted rental 
        dwelling units participating in the pilot program established 
        under this Act;
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for the Secretary to 
        administer the pilot program established under this Act; and
            (3) such sums as may be necessary for the Secretary to 
        provide technical assistance to owners of covered federally 
        assisted rental dwelling units that are participating in the 
        pilot program established under this Act.
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