I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3006

To improve the safety of houseboat generator exhaust systems. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 4, 2003

Mr. HAYWORTH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL

To improve the safety of houseboat generator exhaust 

systems.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Houseboat Safety Im5 provement Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) In studies conducted in June 2001, the Na9 tional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

10 (NIOSH) determined that the open space under a 

11 houseboat’s swim platform, or area directly around 
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1 the back of the swim platform, can have carbon 

2 monoxide concentrations above the ‘‘Immediately 

3 Dangerous to Life and Health’’ level, if the onboard 

4 gasoline generator is in operation. 

5 (2) Based on the data that the National Insti6 tute for Occupational Safety and Health collected, 

7 an exhaust stack that extends well above the upper 

8 deck of a houseboat appears to be a reliable and 

9 cost-effective solution that is capable of dramatically 

10 reducing carbon monoxide hazards. 

11 (3) The National Institute for Occupational 

12 Safety and Health found that while evaluating a sin13 gle stationary boat, average carbon monoxide con14 centrations on the lower rear deck of the houseboat 

15 were reduced by about 99 percent through use of a 

16 vertical stack exhaust system, compared with a rear 

17 exhaust system. 

18 (4) At least 164 carbon monoxide poisonings 

19 have occurred between 1990 and 2003 on or near 

20 boats on Lake Powell, in Arizona and Utah. 

21 SEC. 3. HOUSEBOAT GENERATOR EXHAUST SAFETY RULES. 

22 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

23 of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in con24 sultation with the National Institute for Occupational 
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1 Safety and Health, shall prescribe the following rules re2 garding houseboat generator exhaust safety: 

3 (1) SAFETY STANDARD.—A rule setting a 

4 standard for houseboat generator exhaust safety 

5 that will ensure that carbon monoxide from such ex6 haust is not expelled in a manner that would impair 

7 the safety of the occupants of the houseboat or 

8 swimmers near and around the houseboat. 

9 (2) MANUFACTURE.—A rule requiring a house10 boat manufactured after a date specified by the 

11 Commandant of the Coast Guard to meet the re12 quirements of the safety standard prescribed under 

13 paragraph (1). 

14 (3) RECALL AND RETROFIT.—A rule requiring 

15 the manufacturer of any houseboat that does not 

16 comply with the safety standard prescribed under 

17 paragraph (1) to issue a recall for any such house18 boat in order to retrofit the houseboat so that it is 

19 in compliance with that standard. The cost to the 

20 houseboat owner must not exceed the actual cost of 

21 the retrofit to the manufacturer (or any other per22 son performing the retrofit). 

23 (4) SAFETY WARNING.—A rule requiring any 

24 person who commercially rents a houseboat, and any 

25 person who commercially sells a used houseboat, to 
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1 another person to inform the other person of the po2 tential hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning from 

3 houseboat generator exhaust, particularly for the oc4 cupants of the houseboat or swimmers near and 

5 around the houseboat, if the houseboat—

6 (A) was manufactured prior to the date set 

7 for the beginning of manufacture of houseboats 

8 that comply with the standard issued under 

9 paragraph (1), in accordance with the rule pre10 scribed under paragraph (2); and 

11 (B) has not been retrofitted to comply with 

12 the standard issued under paragraph (1).

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