II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 481 

To encourage States to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide 

detectors in homes, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 13, 2019 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. HOEVEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention 

6 Act of 2019’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

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

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

10 produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to unhealVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Feb 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S481.IS S481

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1 thy levels of carbon monoxide can lead to carbon 

2 monoxide poisoning, a serious health condition that 

3 could result in death. 

4 (2) Unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning 

5 from motor vehicles and improper operation of fuel6 burning appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, 

7 portable generators, and stoves, annually kills more 

8 than 400 individuals and sends approximately 

9 15,000 individuals to hospital emergency rooms for 

10 treatment. 

11 (3) Research shows that installing carbon mon12 oxide alarms close to the sleeping areas in residen13 tial homes and other dwelling units can help avoid 

14 fatalities. 

15 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con16 gress that Congress should promote the installation of car17 bon monoxide alarms in residential homes and dwelling 

18 units across the United States in order to promote the 

19 health and public safety of citizens throughout the United 

20 States. 

21 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

22 In this Act: 

23 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.—The term 

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

25 that— 


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1 (A) detects carbon monoxide; and 

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

3 carbon monoxide concentration below a con4 centration that could cause a loss of the ability 

5 to react to the dangers of carbon monoxide ex6 posure. 

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

8 means the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

9 (3) COMPLIANT CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.— 

10 The term ‘‘compliant carbon monoxide alarm’’ 

11 means a carbon monoxide alarm that complies with 

12 the most current version of— 

13 (A) the Standard for Single and Multiple 

14 Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms of the Amer15 ican National Standards Institute and UL 

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

17 and 

18 (B) the Standard for Gas and Vapor De19 tectors and Sensors of the American National 

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

21 or any successor standard. 

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

23 unit’’— 

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

25 for human habitation; and 


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1 (B) includes— 

2 (i) a single family residence; 

3 (ii) each living unit of a multiple fam4 ily residence, including an apartment build5 ing; and 

6 (iii) each living unit in a mixed use 

7 building. 

8 (5) FIRE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.— 

9 The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ means of10 ficials of the fire safety code enforcement agency of 

11 a State or local government or a tribal organization. 

12 (6) 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 (7) 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 (8) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal 

6 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 trib19 al organization that— 

20 (1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 

21 Commission that the State or tribal organization has 

22 adopted a statute or a rule, regulation, or similar 

23 measure that— 

24 (A) has the force and effect of law; and 


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1 (B) requires compliant carbon monoxide 

2 alarms to be installed in dwelling units in ac3 cordance with NFPA 720; and 

4 (2) submits an application— 

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

6 such form, and containing such additional in7 formation as the Commission may require; and 

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

9 State or tribal organization by the fire safety 

10 code enforcement agency of that State or tribal 

11 organization. 

12 (c) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Commission shall deter13 mine the amount of each grant awarded under this sec14 tion. 

15 (d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—In select16 ing eligible States and tribal organizations for the award 

17 of grants under this section, the Commission shall give 

18 favorable consideration to an eligible State or tribal orga19 nization that— 

20 (1) requires the installation of a compliant car21 bon monoxide alarm in a new or existing educational 

22 facility, childcare facility, health care facility, adult 

23 dependent care facility, government building, res24 taurant, theater, lodging establishment, or dwelling 

25 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), or student dwelling units 

20 owned by public universities; 

21 (B) to train State, tribal organization, or 

22 local fire code enforcement officials in the prop23 er enforcement of State, tribal, or local laws re24 garding compliant carbon monoxide alarms and 


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1 the installation of those alarms in accordance 

2 with NFPA 720; 

3 (C) for the development and dissemination 

4 of training materials, instructors, and any other 

5 costs relating to the training sessions author6 ized under this subsection; or 

7 (D) to educate the public about— 

8 (i) the risk associated with carbon 

9 monoxide as a poison; and 

10 (ii) the importance of proper carbon 

11 monoxide alarm use. 

12 (2) LIMITATIONS.— 

13 (A) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible 

14 State or tribal organization to which a grant is 

15 awarded under this section may use not more 

16 than 5 percent of the grant amount to cover ad17 ministrative costs that are not directly related 

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

19 (B) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—An eligible State 

20 or tribal organization to which a grant is 

21 awarded under this section may use not more 

22 than 25 percent of the grant amount to cover 

23 the costs of activities described in paragraph 

24 (1)(D). 

25 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 


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

2 there is authorized to be appropriated to the Com3 mission, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, 

4 $2,000,000 to carry out this Act, which shall remain 

5 available until expended. 

6 (2) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EX7 PENSES.—In a fiscal year, not more than 10 percent 

8 of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made 

9 available to carry out this Act may be used for ad10 ministrative expenses. 

11 (3) RETENTION OF AMOUNTS.—Any amounts 

12 appropriated under this subsection that remain un13 expended and unobligated on September 30, 2023, 

14 shall be retained by the Commission and credited to 

15 the appropriations account that funds the enforce16 ment of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 

17 U.S.C. 2051 et seq.). 

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

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

20 this section, the Commission shall submit to Congress a 

21 report that evaluates the implementation of the grant pro22 gram required under this section. 

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