I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2638 

To establish a grant program to provide amounts to public housing agencies 

to install automatic sprinkler systems in public housing, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 16, 2021 

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Ms. OMAR, Mr. 

SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. BUSH, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS, and Mr. CARSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program to provide amounts to public 

housing agencies to install automatic sprinkler systems 

in public housing, 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 ‘‘Public Housing Fire 

5 Safety Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2638 IH

1 (1) the term ‘‘automatic sprinkler system’’ has 

2 the meaning given the term in section 31(a) of the 

3 Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 

4 (15 U.S.C. 2227(a)); 

5 (2) the term ‘‘Capital Fund’’ means the Capital 

6 Fund established under section 9(d) of the United 

7 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d)); 

8 (3) the term ‘‘exempted public housing project’’ 

9 means a public housing project that— 

10 (A) is not a newly constructed multifamily 

11 property, as defined in section 31(c)(2)(A)(ii) of 

12 the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 

13 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(c)(2)(A)(ii)); and 

14 (B) is not subject to the requirements 

15 under section 31(c) of the Federal Fire Preven16 tion and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 

17 2227(c)); 

18 (4) the terms ‘‘public housing’’ and ‘‘public 

19 housing agency’’ have the meanings given those 

20 terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing 

21 Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)); and 

22 (5) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

23 of Housing and Urban Development. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2638 IH

1 SEC. 3. INSPECTIONS OF PUBLIC HOUSING. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—With respect to inspections of 

3 public housing conducted by the Secretary, including 

4 through the Real Estate Assessment Center, the Secretary 

5 shall report on the presence or absence of automatic sprin6 kler systems in the public housing. 

7 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, based on 

9 inspections of public housing conducted during the 3-year 

10 period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, sub11 mit to Congress a report on the presence or absence of 

12 automatic sprinkler systems in public housing, in par13 ticular in exempted public housing projects, which shall 

14 include recommendations to improve fire safety in exempt15 ed public housing projects. 

16 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec17 tion shall be construed to require a public housing agency 

18 to install an automatic sprinkler system in an exempted 

19 public housing project. 

20 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM TO RETROFIT PUBLIC HOUSING 

21 WITH AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. 

22 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

23 a competitive grant program under which the Secretary 

24 shall award grants to public housing agencies to install 

25 automatic sprinkler systems in exempted public housing 

26 projects. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2638 IH

1 (b) LIMITATION.—A public housing agency may not 

2 use amounts received under this section to install auto3 matic sprinkler systems in a rebuilt multifamily property, 

4 as defined in section 31(c)(2)(B)(iii) of the Federal Fire 

5 Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 

6 2227(c)(2)(B)(iii)). 

7 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi8 tion to amounts appropriated to the Capital Fund under 

9 any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appro10 priated to the Capital Fund $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 

11 years 2022 through 2031 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS