116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 481 

AN ACT 

To encourage States to require the installation of residential 

carbon monoxide detectors in homes, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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†S 481 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nicholas and Zachary 

3 Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention 

4 Act of 2019’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas 

8 produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to unheal9 thy levels of carbon monoxide can lead to carbon 

10 monoxide poisoning, a serious health condition that 

11 could result in death. 

12 (2) Unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning 

13 from motor vehicles and improper operation of fuel14 burning appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, 

15 portable generators, and stoves, annually kills more 

16 than 400 individuals and sends approximately 

17 15,000 individuals to hospital emergency rooms for 

18 treatment. 

19 (3) Research shows that installing carbon mon20 oxide alarms close to the sleeping areas in residen21 tial homes and other dwelling units can help avoid 

22 fatalities. 

23 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con24 gress that Congress should promote the installation of car25 bon monoxide alarms in residential homes and dwelling 

26 units across the United States in order to promote the 
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1 health and public safety of citizens throughout the United 

2 States. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.—The term 

6 ‘‘carbon monoxide alarm’’ means a device or system 

7 that— 

8 (A) detects carbon monoxide; and 

9 (B) is intended to sound an alarm at a 

10 carbon monoxide concentration below a con11 centration that could cause a loss of the ability 

12 to react to the dangers of carbon monoxide ex13 posure. 

14 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

15 means the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

16 (3) COMPLIANT CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.— 

17 The term ‘‘compliant carbon monoxide alarm’’ 

18 means a carbon monoxide alarm that complies with 

19 the most current version of— 

20 (A) the Standard for Single and Multiple 

21 Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms of the Amer22 ican National Standards Institute and UL 

23 (ANSI/UL 2034), or any successor standard; 

24 and 
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1 (B) the Standard for Gas and Vapor De2 tectors and Sensors of the American National 

3 Standards Institute and UL (ANSI/UL 2075), 

4 or any successor standard. 

5 (4) DWELLING UNIT.—The term ‘‘dwelling 

6 unit’’— 

7 (A) means a room or suite of rooms used 

8 for human habitation; and 

9 (B) includes— 

10 (i) a single family residence; 

11 (ii) each living unit of a multiple fam12 ily residence, including an apartment build13 ing; and 

14 (iii) each living unit in a mixed use 

15 building. 

16 (5) FIRE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.— 

17 The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ means of18 ficials of the fire safety code enforcement agency of 

19 a State or local government or a Tribal organization. 

20 (6) INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE.—The term 

21 ‘‘IFC’’ means— 

22 (A) the 2015 or 2018 edition of the Inter23 national Fire Code published by the Inter24 national Code Council; or 
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1 (B) any amended or similar successor code 

2 pertaining to the proper installation of carbon 

3 monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

4 (7) INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE.—The 

5 term ‘‘IRC’’ means— 

6 (A) the 2015 or 2018 edition of the Inter7 national Residential Code published by the 

8 International Code Council; or 

9 (B) any amended or similar successor code 

10 pertaining to the proper installation of carbon 

11 monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

12 (8) NFPA 720.—The term ‘‘NFPA 720’’ 

13 means— 

14 (A) the Standard for the Installation of 

15 Carbon Monoxide Detection and Warning 

16 Equipment issued by the National Fire Protec17 tion Association in 2012; and 

18 (B) any amended or similar successor 

19 standard relating to the proper installation of 

20 carbon monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

21 (9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’— 

22 (A) has the meaning given the term in sec23 tion 3(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act 

24 (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)); and 

25 (B) includes— 
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1 (i) the Commonwealth of the North2 ern Mariana Islands; and 

3 (ii) any political subdivision of a 

4 State. 

5 (10) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘Trib6 al organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 

7 section 4(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and 

8 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(l)). 

9 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POI10 SONING PREVENTION. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap12 propriations authorized under subsection (f), the Commis13 sion shall establish a grant program to provide assistance 

14 to States and Tribal organizations that are eligible under 

15 subsection (b) to carry out the carbon monoxide poisoning 

16 prevention activities described in subsection (e). 

17 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—For the purposes of this section, 

18 an eligible State or Tribal organization is any State or 

19 Tribal organization that— 

20 (1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 

21 Commission that the State or Tribal organization 

22 has adopted a statute or a rule, regulation, or simi23 lar measure with the force and effect of law, requir24 ing compliant carbon monoxide alarms to be in-
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1 stalled in dwelling units in accordance with NFPA 

2 72, the IFC, or the IRC; and 

3 (2) submits an application— 

4 (A) to the Commission at such time, in 

5 such form, and containing such additional in6 formation as the Commission may require; and 

7 (B) that may be filed on behalf of the 

8 State or Tribal organization by the fire safety 

9 code enforcement agency of that State or Tribal 

10 organization. 

11 (c) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Commission shall deter12 mine the amount of each grant awarded under this sec13 tion. 

14 (d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—In select15 ing eligible States and Tribal organizations for the award 

16 of grants under this section, the Commission shall give 

17 favorable consideration to an eligible State or Tribal orga18 nization that demonstrates a reasonable need for funding 

19 under this section and that— 

20 (1) requires the installation of a one or more 

21 compliant carbon monoxide alarms in a new or exist22 ing educational facility, childcare facility, health care 

23 facility, adult dependent care facility, government 

24 building, restaurant, theater, lodging establishment, 

25 or dwelling unit— 
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1 (A) within which a fuel-burning appliance, 

2 including a furnace, boiler, water heater, fire3 place, or any other apparatus, appliance, or de4 vice that burns fuel, is installed; or 

5 (B) that has an attached garage; and 

6 (2) has developed a strategy to protect vulner7 able populations, such as children, the elderly, or 

8 low-income households, from exposure to unhealthy 

9 levels of carbon monoxide. 

10 (e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), an 

12 eligible State or Tribal organization to which a grant 

13 is awarded under this section may use the grant— 

14 (A) to purchase and install compliant car15 bon monoxide alarms in the dwelling units of 

16 low-income families or elderly individuals, facili17 ties that commonly serve children or the elderly 

18 (including childcare facilities, public schools, 

19 and senior centers); 

20 (B) for the development and dissemination 

21 of training materials, instructors, and any other 

22 costs relating to the training sessions author23 ized under this subsection; or 

24 (C) to educate the public about— 
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1 (i) the risk associated with carbon 

2 monoxide as a poison; and 

3 (ii) the importance of proper carbon 

4 monoxide alarm use. 

5 (2) LIMITATIONS.— 

6 (A) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible 

7 State or Tribal organization to which a grant is 

8 awarded under this section may use not more 

9 than 5 percent of the grant amount to cover ad10 ministrative costs that are not directly related 

11 to training described in paragraph (1)(B). 

12 (B) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—An eligible State 

13 or Tribal organization to which a grant is 

14 awarded under this section may use not more 

15 than 25 percent of the grant amount to cover 

16 the costs of activities described in paragraph 

17 (1)(D). 

18 (C) STATE CONTRIBUTIONS.—An eligible 

19 State to which a grant is awarded under this 

20 section shall, with respect to the costs incurred 

21 by the State in carrying out activities under the 

22 grant, provide non-Federal contributions in an 

23 amount equal to not less than 25 percent of 

24 amount of Federal funds provided under the 
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1 grant to administer the program. This subpara2 graph shall not apply to Tribal organizations. 

3 (f) FUNDING.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall carry 

5 out this Act using amounts appropriated to the 

6 Commission for each of fiscal years 2020 through 

7 2024, to extent such funds are available. 

8 (2) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EX9 PENSES.—In a fiscal year, not more than 10 percent 

10 of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made 

11 available to carry out this Act may be used for ad12 ministrative expenses. 

13 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the last 

14 day of each fiscal year in which grants are awarded under 

15 this section, the Commission shall submit to Congress a 

16 report that evaluates the implementation of the grant pro17 gram required under this section. 

Passed the Senate December 17, 2020. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 481 

AN ACT 

To encourage States to require the installation of 

and for other purposes. residential carbon monoxide detectors in homes,