[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7149-H7150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HOUSING TEMPERATURE SAFETY ACT OF 2022
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6528) to require owners of covered federally assisted rental
dwelling units to install temperature sensors in such units, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6528
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 2022''.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
[[Page H7150]]
California (Ms. Waters) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
this legislation and include extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Torres for introducing H.R.
6528, the Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022, in response to the
tragic apartment fire that occurred in his district in the Bronx.
Seventeen people died in that fire, including eight children, while
dozens more were injured. Sadly, this tragedy was entirely preventable
and even foreseeable.
The Twin Parks North West apartment building was home to 120
families, including 91 families who were assisted through the housing
choice voucher program. Because of heating and ventilation issues in
the building, too often families found themselves shivering in their
apartments, forcing them to take matters into their own hands by
purchasing space heaters, which were deemed to be the cause of this
tragic fire.
To address this issue, and to better hold housing providers
accountable to ensuring their apartments are meeting temperature
requirements, H.R. 6528 would create a pilot program to install and
study the efficacy of temperature sensors in federally assisted
housing.
{time} 2110
As the tragedy in the Bronx proved, inadequate heating and cooling in
federally assisted units is a danger to our communities. This bill
provides a key step towards researching and improving tools to better
ensure families' homes are both safe and warm.
I thank Representative Torres for his leadership on this issue.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6528, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, on the morning of January 9, a fire broke out in the
Twin Parks North West apartment building in the Bronx, New York.
Seventeen lives were tragically lost that day, including eight
children. Investigators later determined that the fire was caused by a
defective space heater left on to warm an apartment that was too cold
on that terrible January winter night.
H.R. 6528, ably written by my good friend from the Bronx, New York
(Mr. Torres), would create a pilot program at the Department of Housing
and Urban Development for building owners to voluntarily install
temperature sensors in federally assisted buildings. The hope is that
temperature sensors authorized by this pilot program will help monitor
the conditions inside housing units to ensure that conditions are not
too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Property owners who contract with HUD have a responsibility to
maintain decent, safe, and sanitary housing, and this legislation might
help to ensure that these homes have adequate heat during the winter so
residents will not have to rely on space heaters to keep warm.
Representative Torres' idea will try to protect the welfare of
renters in federally assisted housing and is a pilot program worth
taking a look at to see if this can make a real difference.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Torres).
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam Speaker, I am enormously grateful to
Chair Waters for her advocacy for safe, decent, and affordable housing
and her support. I thank the Representative from Arkansas for his kind
words.
The Housing Temperature Safety Act, H.R. 6528, comes more than 6
months following the tragedy of Twin Parks North West which was the
scene of the deadliest fire in New York City history in more than three
decades. Even though the immediate cause of the fire was a
malfunctioning space heater, the deeper cause of the fire cannot be
overlooked.
We must ask ourselves a simple but fundamental question: What
prompted tenants to use hazardous space heaters in the first place?
The answer, of course, is the chronic deprivation of heat and hot
water which is all too common in places like the South Bronx. Tenants
freezing in their apartments are left with no choice but to resort to
space heaters out of desperation for heat. A space heater is often a
cry for help and a cry for heat.
The catastrophic fire at Twin Parks North West was a consequence not
only of a broken space heater but also of an equally broken system of
housing code enforcement.
The Housing Temperature Safety Act would pilot the use of heat
sensors which would enable State and local housing administrators to
monitor heat and hot water levels in real time in order to hold
property owners accountable for providing sufficient heat and hot
water.
When I served on the New York City Council, I passed a local law
establishing the New York City Heat Sensors Program which led to a 58
percent decline in heat and hot water complaints among buildings where
the sensors were installed.
The Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022 presents us with a
historic opportunity to harness the power of technology to bring
housing code enforcement into the 21st century which is long overdue.
Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R.
6528 and embrace the future of housing enforcement in America.
Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I want to commend my friend from New York
(Mr. Torres) who has brought his exceptional service to the people of
the Bronx to the people's House. He does what all Members do here which
is take a great idea at a time of tragedy when he learned a better way
to do something and bring that to the House, use it as an example from
which all Americans can benefit.
So, again, Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R.
6528, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 6528 is an important step forward in holding
housing providers accountable to better protect the health and safety
of families receiving Federal housing assistance.
What happened in the Bronx is a tragedy that was wholly preventable.
While more must be done to prevent similar tragedies, I am glad that we
are providing new solutions to improve fire safety in Federal housing.
I thank Representative Torres for this bill.
Madam Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to join me in supporting
H.R. 6528, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6528, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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