[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 39 (Friday, March 7, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1742-S1746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr.
Sununu):
S. 2731. A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009
through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/
AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to join Senators Lugar,
Kennedy, and Sununu in introducing legislation to reauthorize our
Government's effort to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria
overseas. Entitled the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States
Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Reauthorization Act of 2008--in recognition of the great service to
this issue by our recently departed friends from the House of
Representatives--the bill would continue and expand the revolutionary
public health program begun 5 years ago at the initiative of President
Bush.
In his State of the Union address in 2003, the President announced a
dramatic proposal--to spend $15 billion over 5 years to combat HIV/AIDS
globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been hardest
hit by the pandemic. Congress responded promptly, authorizing the full
amount requested by the President just a few months later.
In the last 5 years, the work of the U.S. Government and its
implementing partners around the world has been nothing short of
miraculous. Well over a million people have been saved from almost
certain death by the provision of anti-retroviral drugs. Mr. President,
150,000 babies have been born without HIV because of efforts to prevent
the transmission of the disease from mothers who were so infected.
Millions of people suffering from AIDS have received treatment and
care. Over two million orphans and vulnerable children have received
care, education and support. Across Africa, in communities large and
small, we have given millions of people hope for a better and longer
life.
Even the most optimistic among us would not have predicted these
dramatic results. History will record that this was President Bush's
finest hour--he challenged our Government, and the governments in
Africa, to respond to one of the most profound crises of our time. They
have met and exceeded that challenge. While implementation of the
program has not been problem-free, it has proceeded at a pace and scale
that was unimaginable to most of us. The credit for this success goes
to thousands of dedicated people serving here and abroad, and to the
American people, for their generosity in supporting this program.
We cannot, however, rest on this success. We have made progress, but
the disease is still winning. Thousands of new infections occur every
day. For every person enrolled in a treatment program last year, six
more became infected.
Last spring, the President challenged us again--to reauthorize the
program at a level of $30 billion over the next 5 years. In the course
of last summer and fall, the Committee on Foreign Relations has closely
reviewed the President's request and the operation of our current
programs. To review the programs in the field, teams of committee staff
traveled to most of the 15 ``focus'' countries that have received the
bulk of the funding. They visited dozens of clinics, hospitals, and
care centers. They talked to hundreds of government officials,
community members and health staff working against the disease, people
living with HIV/AIDS, and children orphaned by the disease. We have
learned what is working--and more important, what is not working. Last
fall, the committee held formal hearings to take testimony from experts
from within and without the Government. The committee has also closely
reviewed numerous studies performed by government agencies and
nongovernmental organizations working in this field.
The Congress is now ready to act, and we are ready to respond to the
President's call. The bill that we introduce today will reauthorize the
Global HIV/AIDS programs for the next 5 fiscal years. It will provide
authorization of appropriations of $50 billion over this period, of
which $9 billion is devoted to fighting malaria and tuberculosis, two
diseases that are also major causes of death in the developing world.
This higher figure is justified because the President's figure of $30
billion is too low--it will barely keep pace with inflation, as we are
already funding current programs at a rate above $6 billion a year.
Additionally, the President's request dealt only with HIV/AIDS,
although the initial legislation in 2003 covered all three deadly
diseases.
The bill that we introduce will keep the basic framework of the
program intact, but makes important adjustments based on lessons
learned over the past 5 years. First, the bill removes most earmarks in
the original law that delineated the percentages that should be devoted
to treatment, to care, and to prevention. A major, congressionally
mandated study by the Institute of Medicine, as well as one by the
Government Accountability Office, concluded that these earmarks unduly
limit flexibility for the people implementing the programs. We need to
lift these restrictions in order to let our Government and local
officials tailor their responses to local conditions. The only earmark
that is retained is a 10 percent allocation for orphans and vulnerable
children, for which there appears to be universal support.
The bill also seeks to coordinate our HIV/AIDS programs with other
health and development programs. The disease does not exist in a
vacuum. Across the
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developing world, people afflicted with HIV/AIDS face many other health
and economic challenges. We need to better coordinate all of our health
programs to promote efficiencies and expand the number of people we
reach. Nutrition is the best example of how we could positively affect
people's lives by improving our coordination. The bill promotes local
health capacity--an enormous challenge in Africa in combating this
disease. Further, the bill pushes the U.S. Government to plan for the
long-term. We need to move from responding to an emergency toward
building sustainability--so our local partners that have the resources
can take over this effort, with our technical assistance.
Perhaps most important, this legislation attempts to put major
emphasis on prevention. Simply put, we cannot win the fight against
HIV/AIDS unless we expand and improve efforts to prevent its spread.
Such efforts must include the so-called ``ABC'' approach--abstinence,
being faithful, and proper use of condoms. But they must involve much
more; in some places successful prevention will require major societal
and cultural change that must be initiated and led by local governments
and leaders.
Last week, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a
reauthorization bill on a bipartisan basis. The legislation was
sponsored by the acting chairman, Mr. Berman, and the ranking member,
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. It is endorsed by the President, who, having just
returned from visiting Africa, personally urged several of us to act
quickly on the reauthorization bill. The bill that we introduce today
mirrors the compromise in the House in several major respects, which
will facilitate a prompt conference with the other body.
In partnership with Senator Lugar, who chaired our committee when the
original legislation was approved in 2003, I have scheduled a markup in
the Committee on Foreign Relations next week. I am hopeful of strong
support to report the bill, and that the full Senate will act on the
bill soon after the Easter recess.
______
By Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Alexander, Mrs. Dole,
Mr. McConnell, Mr. Allard, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Cornyn, Mr.
Craig, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Stevens, Ms. Murkowski, and
Mr. Coleman):
S. 2734. A bill to aid families and neighborhoods facing home
foreclosure and address the subprime mortgage crisis; read the first
time.
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, as I described last Friday, too many
families in Missouri and across the Nation are feeling the pain of this
Housing crisis, and they need our help now. We have 57,000 people in
Missouri delinquent on their mortgages, with 20 percent of Missouri
subprime borrowers behind on their payments. These families,
unfortunately, similar to many across America in I imagine almost every
State, can least afford higher housing costs as they are being hit with
higher heating bills, higher health care costs, and more pain at the
gas pump.
That is why today I, in partnership with Senator Isakson, Senator
Coleman, and several other Republican colleagues, will proudly
introduce the Security Against Foreclosure and Education, or SAFE, Act
of 2008. This bill focuses solely on the housing needs of our families
and neighborhoods.
A growing economy free of excess litigation and cumbersome regulation
will help the most people find the most good-paying jobs and the relief
they need. The HOME Act we introduced last week on our side included
both housing relief provisions as well as tax relief for American
families, litigation reform, and capital markets reform.
However, we do not want Congress to lose sight of the housing crisis
that too many American people are facing and the help they need right
now. Therefore, we are introducing this measure today to focus solely
on the housing help our families and neighborhoods need.
Last week, I spoke about one person in need, suffering in the current
subprime mortgage meltdown. That was Willie Clay of Kansas City, MO, a
Vietnam vet unable to meet rising variable mortgage payments.
Unfortunately, there are many more like him.
Today I share with my colleagues the story of Katherine Gwinn of St.
Louis, MO. Her story appeared in the St. Louis Dispatch last year. She
is a disabled 53 year old living on Social Security and disability
payments. Mrs. Gwinn refinanced her home three times to get lower
payments and help pay off debt. Her subprime loan's initial fixed rate
expired after 1 year. Since then, her payments have gone up 40 percent,
now taking a large chunk of her $916 monthly income.
Ms. Gwinn said the last time she refinanced, her mortgage broker
fast-talked her into a subprime loan with provisions she did not
understand. The result is her variable rate payments are now at $566
per month. As I said earlier, Ms. Gwinn's monthly income of Social
Security and disability payments is only $916 per month. How many of us
could pay for food, gas, medicine, and heating bills on the remaining
$350 per month? That is why I believe so strongly that we need to help
folks such as Katherine Gwinn across the Nation.
First, the Republican SAFE Act will help folks such as Katherine
Gwinn and Willie Clay with $10 billion to State housing finance
authorities to refinance distressed subprime mortgages. Our proposal
would authorize the State housing finance agencies to issue $10 billion
in tax-exempt bonds and use the proceeds to help refinance subprime
mortgages, refinancing them at or near the original level which they
could afford.
Secondly, in order to help families avoid foreclosure and keep them
in their homes, we propose to expedite the delivery of $180 million
approved by Congress in December to assure counseling help to families
in distress. As I announced last week, the first block of these funds
has gone out, and we will ensure that remaining funds are delivered as
quickly as possible after we can confirm that counseling is having the
desired effect. This counseling is important because borrowers need to
know and lenders need to know the best way to get out of this crisis is
not to have foreclosures that throw families out of their homes. That
not only hurts the family, it hurts the lender because they have to
spend money on foreclosures, and it drives down the price of housing
that is in their stock. In addition, it hurts communities, because when
you have a community with significant numbers of foreclosures, you put
a blanket of debt and hopelessness on communities which cannot remain
viable.
Thirdly, we support helping struggling neighborhoods by providing
$15,000 in tax credits available over 3 years for purchasing a home in
or approaching foreclosure. This provision, initially proposed by
Senator Isakson, will help neighbors take down foreclosure signs and
stop the slide in property values. We also support the so-called net
operating loss carryback tax provisions to help firms that suffered
operating losses lower their tax burden, so we enable homebuilders to
get through this crisis.
Our proposal includes no new loan disclosure requirements for
prominent and plain English explanation of key loan conditions. Anybody
who has purchased a house recently knows you are confronted with a
stack of papers a half a foot high, with all kinds of legal
gobbledygook and with provisions, if you looked hard enough, that may
tell you what is going to happen to you if you borrow the money. Most
of it is legalese that we as lawyers--and I admit to having been one--
like to put in to cover every possible contingency. What borrowers need
to see is in big type: ``Teaser, introductory rates,'' their payments,
and when it expires. They need to know that if they are agreeing to an
adjustable rate, what that rate could be and how much the new payment
penalty will be or if there is going to be a repayment penalty. That
information needs to be portrayed on the first page so you can see on
the first page what you are getting into and how much it would cost you
to get out. They will be reminded that there is no guarantee they will
be able to refinance their loan before the introductory rate expires.
These are the very things Katherine Gwinn and Willie Clay and
thousands of borrowers did not understand when they agreed to their
loans. We hope this will protect future families who want their share
of the American dream.
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I also believe that providing the tax credit will help many first-
time homeowners get into a house and give them the extra cash they need
to be able to meet their mortgage payments.
Now, there are two new provisions added to our measure that we did
not introduce last week. Senator Coleman provided language to give
returning war veterans more time to avoid home foreclosure. Currently,
they have a 3-month window from their return to the private sector to
work out any mortgage difficulties they may have. That may not be
enough time for a vet newly returned from the war zone and dealing with
a host of family and financial problems. Our proposal would extend the
returned war veteran protection against foreclosure to 6 months after
they return.
We have also introduced provisions of the Federal Housing Act reform
bill that passed the Senate 93 to 1 last year. That bipartisan, near
unanimous reform bill deserves to become law, and it will assist the
FHA in stepping up to the plate in many areas where that agency can
provide the kind of help and assistance we initially intended it to
provide.
Now, in contrast to the housing proposal introduced on the other
side, Republicans will avoid making home ownership more expensive,
especially for low-income families, through harmful bankruptcy changes
that increase the cost of borrowing or encourage costly litigation.
If we put in law the fact that bankruptcy judges will be able to cram
down on lenders' onerous terms that were not included in the initial
mortgage, they will find that mortgage companies may increase their
rates by 1.5 to 2 percent. That could mean at least 6 million Americans
would no longer be able to afford a mortgage to buy the home they need.
Also, we will oppose plowing billions of dollars into big Government
programs that will not help our neediest families now. We will also
oppose adding more dollars to programs that are still flush with funds
that were given them in December.
Together, these housing proposals will help families such as those of
Katherine Gwinn and Willie Clay and neighborhoods across the country
get through this crisis. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I
invite all colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with us to see
if we cannot pass something that will provide relief now for the many
families across this Nation who are suffering because of the subprime
mortgage meltdown and the resulting financial pressures it puts on the
lending industry and, through them, to the families themselves.
This is the time. Now is the time for congressional action. I hope
that with a broad coalition of my colleagues, we will be able to make
these additions and provide assistance to suffering American families.
______
By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Hagel):
S. 2735. A bill to establish the Council on Healthy Housing, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I introduce, along with Senator Hagel, the
Healthy Housing Council Act of 2008. This legislation would establish
an independent interagency Council on Healthy Housing in the executive
branch. The bill would improve the coordination of existing but
fragmented programs, so that families can access Government programs
and services in a more efficient and effective manner.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more
than 6 million households live in housing with moderate or severe
heating, plumbing, or electric hazards. This count of moderate or
severe physical problems does not even include significant lead-based
paint hazards, which persist in 24 million, or approximately four times
as many, households.
Low-income and minority individuals and families are
disproportionately affected by housing-related health hazards. We know
that residents of poorly designed, constructed, or maintained housing
are at greater risk for serious illnesses and injuries, including
cancer, carbon monoxide poisoning, burns, falls, rodent bites,
childhood lead poisoning, and asthma. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican-
Americans are three times as likely to have elevated blood-lead levels,
compared to non-Hispanic whites. About 1.2 million housing units with
significant lead-based paint hazards house low-income families with
children under 6 years of age.
If the disease and injury toll taken on our Nation's individuals and
families, particularly our children, is not enough to demonstrate the
need for coordinated Federal Government action on housing-related
health hazards, consider some of the annual costs.
According to research at the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental
Health Center, annual costs for environmentally attributable childhood
diseases in the U.S. total an estimated $54.9 billion. That number is
approximately 3 percent of total health care costs.
The good news is that low-cost preventative measures can have
dramatic effects. For example, properly installing and maintaining a
smoke alarm can cut the risk of fire death in half. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention estimates that providing healthy housing
to American families will help prevent 20 million asthma cases, 240,000
incidents of elevated blood-lead levels in young children, 14,000 burn
injuries, and 21,000 radon-associated lung cancer deaths.
While there are many programs in place to address housing-related
health hazards, these programs are fragmented and spread across many
agencies, making it difficult for at-risk families to access assistance
or to receive the comprehensive information they need. It is time for
better coordination.
This bill authorizes $750,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 to 2013
for an independent Council on Healthy Housing, which would bring
Federal, State, and local government representatives, as well as
industry and nonprofit representatives, to the table at least once a
year.
The council would review, monitor, and evaluate existing housing,
health, energy, and environmental programs. The council would then make
recommendations to reduce duplication, ensure collaboration, identify
best practices, and develop a comprehensive healthy housing research
agenda.
In order to ensure that members of the public are informed of and
benefit from the council's activities, the council would hold biannual
stakeholder meetings, keep an updated Web site, and work towards
unified healthy housing data collection and maintenance.
While there is a growing consensus on ways to help communities make
housing healthier, there is also a lack of coordinated programs and
information, which has made it difficult for the public to access
research and data. By creating this council, we can provide a sorely
needed forum for otherwise disparate health and housing experts,
whether in the Government, private, or nonprofit sector, to share their
experiences, successes, and agendas for the future.
The Healthy Housing Council Act will help us start working towards a
time when an affordable, decent, and healthy home will be not just the
American dream, but the American promise. I hope my colleagues will
join me and Senator Hagel in supporting this bipartisan bill and other
healthy housing efforts.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2735
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 ``Healthy Housing Council Act
of 2008''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In the United States--
(A) 6,000,000 households live in homes with moderate or
severe physical hazards;
(B) 24,000,000 homes have significant lead-based paint
hazards;
(C) 11,000,000 homes have had leaks in the last 12 months;
(D) 6,000,000 homes have had signs of mice in the last 3
months; and
(E) 1 in 15 homes have dangerous levels of radon.
(2) Residents of housing that is poorly designed,
constructed, or maintained are at risk for cancer, carbon
monoxide poisoning,
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burns, falls, rodent bites, childhood lead poisoning, asthma,
and other illnesses and injuries. Vulnerable subpopulations,
such as children and the elderly, are at elevated risk for
housing-related illnesses and injuries.
(3) Because substandard housing typically poses the
greatest risks, the disparities in the distribution of
housing-related health hazards are striking. 1,200,000
housing units with significant lead-based paint hazards house
low-income families with children under 6 years of age.
(4) Minority populations also tend to be disproportionately
affected by housing-related illnesses, including lead
poisoning and asthma. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican
Americans are approximately 3 times as likely to have
elevated blood-lead levels, compared to non-Hispanic whites.
The non-Hispanic black population has an asthma mortality
rate 3 times greater than the rate for the non-Hispanic white
population.
(5) The annual costs for environmentally attributable
childhood diseases in the United States, including lead
poisoning, asthma, and cancer, total $54,900,000,000. This
amount is approximately 3 percent of total health care costs.
(6) Appropriate housing design, construction, and
maintenance, timely correction of deficiencies, planning
efforts, and low-cost preventative measures can reduce the
incidence of serious injury or death, improve the ability of
residents to survive in the event of a major catastrophe, and
contribute to overall well-being and mental health. Housing
units that are kept lead-safe are approximately 25 percent
less likely to have another child with elevated blood lead
levels. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms reduce
the risk of fire deaths by 50 percent.
(7) Providing healthy housing to families and individuals
in the United States will help prevent an estimated 240,000
elevated blood lead levels in young children, 11,000
unintentional injury deaths, 12,000,000 nonfatal injuries,
3,000 deaths in house fires, 14,000 burn injuries, and 21,000
radon-associated lung cancer deaths that occur in United
States housing each year, as well as 20,000,000 asthma cases
and 14,000,000 missed school days.
(8) While there are many programs in place to address
housing-related health hazards, these programs are fragmented
and spread across many agencies, making it difficult for at-
risk families and individuals to access assistance or to
receive comprehensive information.
(9) Better coordination among Federal agencies is needed,
as is better coordination at State and local levels, to
ensure that families and individuals can access government
programs and services in an effective and efficient manner.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Interagency
Council on Healthy Housing established under section 4.
(2) Housing.--The term ``housing'' means any form of
residence, including rental housing, homeownership, group
home, or supportive housing arrangement.
(3) Healthy housing.--The term ``healthy housing'' means
housing that is designed, constructed, rehabilitated, and
maintained in a manner that supports the health of the
occupants of such housing.
(4) Housing-related health hazard.--The term ``housing-
related health hazard'' means any biological, physical, or
chemical source of exposure or condition either in, or
immediately adjacent to, housing, that can adversely affect
human health.
(5) Low-income families and individuals.--The term ``low-
income families and individuals'' means any household or
individual with an income at or below 200 percent of the
Federal poverty line.
(6) Poverty line.--The term ``poverty line'' means the
official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and
Budget based on the most recent data available from the
Bureau of the Census.
(7) Program.--The term ``program'' includes any Federal,
State, or local program providing housing or financial
assistance, health care, mortgages, bond and tax financing,
homebuyer support courses, financial education, mortgage
insurance or loan guarantees, housing counseling, supportive
services, energy assistance, or other assistance related to
healthy housing.
(8) Service.--The term ``service'' includes public and
environmental health services, housing services, energy
efficiency services, human services, and any other services
needed to ensure that families and individuals in the United
States have access to healthy housing.
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HEALTHY HOUSING.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive
branch an independent council to be known as the Interagency
Council on Healthy Housing.
(b) Objectives.--The objectives of the Council are as
follows:
(1) To promote the supply of and demand for healthy housing
in the United States through capacity building, technical
assistance, education, and public policy.
(2) To promote coordination and collaboration among the
Federal departments and agencies involved with housing,
public health, energy efficiency, emergency preparedness and
response, and the environment to improve services for
families and individuals residing in inadequate or unsafe
housing and to make recommendations about needed changes in
programs and services with an emphasis on--
(A) maximizing the impact of existing programs and services
by transitioning the focus of such programs and services from
categorical approaches to comprehensive approaches that
consider and address multiple housing-related health hazards;
(B) reducing or eliminating areas of overlap and
duplication in the provision and accessibility of such
programs and services;
(C) ensuring that resources, including assistance with
capacity building, are targeted to and sufficient to meet the
needs of high-risk communities, families, and individuals;
and
(D) facilitating access by families and individuals to
programs and services that help reduce health hazards in
housing.
(3) To identify knowledge gaps, research needs, and policy
and program deficiencies associated with inadequate housing
conditions and housing-related illnesses and injuries.
(4) To help identify best practices for achieving and
sustaining healthy housing.
(5) To help improve the quality of existing and newly
constructed housing and related programs and services,
including those programs and services which serve low-income
families and individuals.
(6) To establish an ongoing system of coordination among
and within such agencies or organizations so that the healthy
housing needs of families and individuals are met in a more
effective and efficient manner.
(c) Membership.--The Council shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(2) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(3) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency.
(4) The Secretary of Energy.
(5) The Secretary of Labor.
(6) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(7) The Secretary of the Treasury.
(8) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(9) The Secretary of Education.
(10) The head of any other Federal agency as the Council
considers appropriate.
(11) 6 additional non-Federal employee members, as
appointed by the President to serve terms not to exceed 2
years, of whom--
(A) 1 shall be a State or local Government Director of
Health or the Environment;
(B) 1 shall be a State or local Government Director of
Housing or Community Development;
(C) 2 shall represent nonprofit organizations involved in
housing or health issues; and
(D) 2 shall represent for-profit entities involved in the
housing, banking, or health insurance industries.
(d) Co-Chairpersons.--The co-Chairpersons of the Council
shall be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and
the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(e) Vice Chair.--Every 2 years, the Council shall elect a
Vice Chair from among its members.
(f) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of either
co-Chairperson or a majority of its members at any time, and
no less often than annually.
SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) Relevant Activities.--In carrying out the objectives
described in section 4(b), the Council shall--
(1) review Federal programs and services that provide
housing, health, energy, or environmental services to
families and individuals;
(2) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements in
existing programs and services administered, funded, or
financed by Federal, State, and local agencies to assist
families and individuals in accessing healthy housing and
make recommendations about how such agencies can better work
to meet the healthy housing and related needs of low-income
families and individuals; and
(3) recommend ways to--
(A) reduce duplication among programs and services by
Federal agencies that assist families and individuals in
meeting their healthy housing and related service needs;
(B) ensure collaboration among and within agencies in the
provision and availability of programs and services so that
families and individuals are able to easily access needed
programs and services;
(C) work with States and local governments to better meet
the needs of families and individuals for healthy housing
by--
(i) holding meetings with State and local representatives;
and
(ii) providing ongoing technical assistance and training to
States and localities in better meeting the housing-related
needs of such families and individuals;
(D) identify best practices for programs and services that
assist families and individuals in accessing healthy housing,
including model--
(i) programs linking housing, health, environmental, human,
and energy services;
(ii) housing and remodeling financing products offered by
government, quasi-government, and private sector entities;
(iii) housing and building codes and regulatory practices;
(iv) existing and new consensus specifications and work
practices documents;
(v) capacity building and training programs that help
increase and diversify the supply of practitioners who
perform assessments of housing-related health hazards and
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interventions to address housing-related health hazards; and
(vi) programs that increase community awareness of, and
education on, housing-related health hazards and available
assessments and interventions;
(E) develop a comprehensive healthy housing research agenda
that considers health, safety, environmental, and energy
factors, to--
(i) identify cost-effective assessments and treatment
protocols for housing-related health hazards in existing
housing;
(ii) establish links between housing hazards and health
outcomes;
(iii) track housing-related health problems including
injuries, illnesses, and death;
(iv) track housing conditions that may be associated with
health problems;
(v) identify cost-effective protocols for construction of
new healthy housing; and
(vi) identify replicable and effective programs or
strategies for addressing housing-related health hazards;
(4) hold biannual meetings with stakeholders and other
interested parties in a location convenient for such
stakeholders (or hold open Council meetings) to receive input
and ideas about how to best meet the healthy housing needs of
families and individuals;
(5) maintain an updated website of policies, meetings, best
practices, programs and services, making use of existing
websites as appropriate, to keep people informed of the
Council's activities; and
(6) work with member agencies to collect and maintain data
on housing-related health hazards, illnesses, and injuries so
that all data can be accessed in 1 place and to identify and
address unmet data needs.
(b) Reports.--
(1) By members.--Each year the head of each agency who is a
member of the Council shall prepare and transmit to the
Council a report that briefly summarizes--
(A) each healthy housing-related program and service
administered by the agency and the number of families and
individuals served by each program or service, the resources
available in each program or service, as well as a breakdown
of where each program and service can be accessed;
(B) the barriers and impediments, including statutory or
regulatory, to the access and use of such programs and
services by families and individuals, with particular
attention to the barriers and impediments experienced by low-
income families and individuals;
(C) the efforts made by each agency to increase
opportunities for families and individuals, including low-
income families and individuals, to reside in healthy
housing, including how the agency is working with other
agencies to better coordinate programs and services; and
(D) any new data collected by each agency relating to the
healthy housing needs of families and individuals.
(2) By the council.--Each year the Council shall prepare
and transmit to the President and the Congress, a report
that--
(A) summarizes the reports required in paragraph (1);
(B) utilizes recent data to assess the nature of housing-
related health hazards, and associated illnesses and
injuries, in the United States;
(C) provides a comprehensive and detailed description of
the programs and services of the Federal Government in
meeting the needs and problems described in subparagraph (B);
(D) describes the activities and accomplishments of the
Council in working with Federal, State, and local
governments, nonprofit organizations and for-profit entities
in coordinating programs and services to meet the needs
described in subparagraph (B) and the resources available to
meet those needs;
(E) assesses the level of Federal assistance required to
meet the needs described in subparagraph (B); and
(F) makes recommendations for appropriate legislative and
administrative actions to meet the needs described in
subparagraph (B) and for coordinating programs and services
designed to meet those needs.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) Hearings.--The Council may hold such hearings, sit and
act at such times and places, take such testimony, and
receive such evidence as the Council considers advisable to
carry out the purposes of this Act.
(b) Information From Agencies.--Agencies which are
represented on the Council shall provide all requested
information and data to the Council as requested.
(c) Postal Services.--The Council may use the United States
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as
other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(d) Gifts.--
(1) The Council may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
(2) The Council shall adopt internal regulations governing
the receipt of gifts or donations of services or property
similar to those described in part 2601 of title 5, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(e) Contracts and Interagency Agreements.--The Council may
enter into contracts with State, Tribal, and local
governments, public agencies and private-sector entities, and
into interagency agreements with Federal agencies. Such
contracts and interagency agreements may be single-year or
multi-year in duration.
SEC. 7. COUNCIL PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--
(1) Non-federal employees.--A member of the Council who is
not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be
reasonably compensated for that member's participation in the
Council, including reimbursement for travel expenses as
described in subsection (b).
(2) Federal employees.--A member of the Council who is an
officer or employee of the United States shall serve without
compensation in addition to the compensation received for
services of the member as an officer or employee of the
Federal Government.
(b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Council shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of services for the Council.
(c) Staff.--
(1) Executive director.--The Council shall appoint an
Executive Director at its initial meeting. The Executive
Director shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the
rate of pay payable for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Compensation.--With the approval of the Council, the
Executive Director may appoint and fix the compensation of
such additional personnel as necessary to carry out the
duties of the Council. The rate of compensation may be set
without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter
II of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to
classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates,
except that the rate of pay may not exceed the rate payable
for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of
such title.
(d) Temporary and Intermittent Services.--In carrying out
its objectives, the Council may procure temporary and
intermittent services of consultants and experts under
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for
individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(e) Detail of Government Employees.--Upon request of the
Council, any Federal Government employee may be detailed to
the Council without reimbursement, and such detail shall be
without interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege.
(f) Administrative Support.--The Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development shall provide the Council with such
administrative (including office space) and supportive
services as are necessary to ensure that the Council can
carry out its functions.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act, $750,000 for each of fiscal years 2009
through 2013.
(b) Availability.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated by
subsection (a) shall remain available for the 2 fiscal years
following such appropriation.
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