[House Report 117-422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-422
======================================================================
HOUSING TEMPERATURE SAFETY ACT OF 2022
_______
July 20, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Waters, from the Committee on Financial Services, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6528]
The Committee on Financial Services, to whom was referred
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, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 3
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 3
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 4
Hearing.......................................................... 4
Committee Consideration.......................................... 4
Committee Votes.................................................. 5
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 5
Statement of Performance Goals and Objectives.................... 5
New Budget Authority and C.B.O. Cost Estimate.................... 5
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 5
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 5
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 5
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 5
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 6
Duplicative Federal Programs..................................... 6
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
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.
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
On January 28, 2022, Representative Torres introduced H.R.
6528, the ``Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022'', which
would establish a pilot at the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to install and study the efficacy of temperature
sensors in federally assisted housing to better ensure tenant
health and safety.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
On January 9, 2022, a fire broke out at the Twin Parks
North West apartment building, killing 17 Bronx residents in
what was New York City's deadliest fire in three decade. All of
the victims, including 8 children, were determined to have died
from smoke inhalation. The 19-story apartment building includes
120 units, of which, 91 units were assisted with Housing Choice
Vouchers (HCVs). The New York Fire Department reported the fire
was caused by a malfunctioning space heater. Previously, the
building was cited by the city for issues related to its
heating and ventilation systems that led to tenants relying on
space heaters with tragic results. Currently, in federally
assisted housing, there is no widespread technology system used
to monitor unit temperature to ensure compliance with minimum
heating requirements. The ANS to H.R. 6528 would establish a
pilot program at HUD to install and study the efficacy of
temperature sensor technology in federally assisted housing to
ensure units are maintaining proper temperature levels.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
This section establishes the short title of
the bill as ``Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022''.
Section 2. Temperature Sensor Pilot Program
This section would require HUD to establish
a pilot program to provide grants to public housing
agencies (PHAs) and owners of federally assisted rental
units to install and test the efficacy of temperature
sensors to ensure those units remain in compliance with
temperature requirements.
HUD would be required to establish
eligibility criteria within 120 days of enactment,
designed to ensure the inclusion of diverse units, and
to test the functionality of the selected sensors,
including internet connectivity requirements.
Grantee PHAs and unit owners would be
required to install the sensors, with permission of the
resident.
This section requires non-personally
identifiable data to be collected and retained for the
duration of the pilot program and evaluation.
HUD would be required to publicly publish
and submit to Congress interim and final evaluations,
within one year of the establishment of the program and
one year of the conclusion of the program,
respectively. The reports would examine the number of
temperature-related complaints and violations before
and after the installation of sensors, identify
barriers to the use of such sensors, and compare the
utility of various temperature sensor technologies
across different regions.
This section authorizes the expenditure of
such sums as may be necessary to provide the grants,
administer the pilot program, and provide technical
assistance to participants.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of section 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
Committee on Financial Services' Subcommittee on Housing,
Community Development and Insurance, held a hearing to consider
H.R. 6528 entitled, ``Housing America: Addressing Challenges in
Serving People Experiencing Homelessness,'' on February 2,
2022. The Committee's Subcommittee on Housing, Community
Development and Insurance held a second hearing to consider
H.R. 6528 entitled ``A Matter of Life and Death: Improving Fire
Safety in Federally Assisted Housing,'' on April 20, 2022.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
The Committee on Financial Services met in open session on
June 22, 2022 and ordered H.R. 6528 to be reported favorably to
the House with an amendment in the nature of a substitute by a
voice vote, a quorum being present.
COMMITTEE VOTES AND ROLL CALL VOTES
In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that no
roll call votes occurred during the Committee's consideration
of H.R. 6528.
STATEMENT OF OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives,
the Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in the descriptive portions of this report.
STATEMENT OF PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause (3)(c) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the goals of H.R. 6528 are to
establish a pilot at the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to install and study the efficacy of temperature
sensors in federally assisted housing to better ensure tenant
health and safety.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND CBO COST ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to clause
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, the Committee has requested an estimate from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office. CBO was unable to
provide an estimate in a timely manner.
COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE
Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the
costs that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 6528. After
careful review, including discussions with the Congressional
Budget Office, the Committee estimates that H.R. 6528 would
have an insignificant impact on spending.
UNFUNDED MANDATE STATEMENT
Pursuant to Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, Pub. L. 104-4), the Committee
adopts its own the estimate of federal mandates regarding H.R.
6528, as amended.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
APPLICATION OF LAW TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Pursuant to section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional
Accountability Act, Pub. L. No. 104-1, H.R. 6528, as amended,
does not apply to terms and conditions of employment or to
access to public services or accommodations within the
legislative branch.
EARMARK STATEMENT
In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H.R. 6528 does not contain any
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as described in clauses 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule
XXI.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee states that no
provision of H.R. 6528 establishes or reauthorizes a program of
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another
federal program, a program that was included in any report from
the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.
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