II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1793 

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 

DECEMBER 10, 2013 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. SCHUMER) 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 2013’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 

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

10 produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to unVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:21 Dec 13, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1793.IS S1793

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1 healthy 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 the abnormal operation of 

6 fuel-burning appliances, such as furnaces, water 

7 heaters, portable generators, and stoves, in residen8 tial homes and other dwelling units kills more than 

9 400 people each year and sends more than 20,000 

10 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. 

11 (3) Research shows that purchasing and install12 ing carbon monoxide alarms close to the sleeping 

13 areas in residential homes and other dwelling units 

14 can help avoid fatalities. 

15 (4) Congress should promote the purchase and 

16 installation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential 

17 homes and dwelling units nationwide in order to pro18 mote the health and public safety of citizens 

19 throughout the Nation. 

20 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.—The term 

23 ‘‘carbon monoxide alarm’’ means a device that— 

24 (A) detects carbon monoxide; and 


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1 (B) is intended to alarm at carbon mon2 oxide concentrations below those that could 

3 cause a loss of ability to react to the dangers 

4 of carbon monoxide exposure. 

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

6 means the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

7 (3) COMPLIANT CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.— 

8 The term ‘‘compliant carbon monoxide alarm’’ 

9 means a carbon monoxide alarm that complies with 

10 the most current version of— 

11 (A) the American National Standard for 

12 Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide 

13 Alarms (ANSI/UL 2034); and 

14 (B) the American National Standard for 

15 Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors (ANSI/ 

16 UL 2075). 

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

18 unit’’ means a room or suite of rooms used for 

19 human habitation, and includes a single family resi20 dence as well as each living unit of a multiple family 

21 residence (including apartment buildings) and each 

22 living unit in a mixed use building. 

23 (5) FIRE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.— 

24 The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ means ofVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:21 Dec 13, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1793.IS S1793

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1 ficials of the fire safety code enforcement agency of 

2 a State or local government. 

3 (6) NFPA 720.—The term ‘‘NFPA 720’’ 

4 means— 

5 (A) the Standard for the Installation of 

6 Carbon Monoxide Detection and Warning 

7 Equipment issued by the National Fire Protec8 tion Association in 2012; and 

9 (B) any amended or similar successor 

10 standard pertaining to the proper installation of 

11 carbon monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

12 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POI13 SONING PREVENTION. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap15 propriations authorized under subsection (f), the Commis16 sion shall establish a grant program to provide assistance 

17 to eligible States and local governments to carry out the 

18 carbon monoxide poisoning prevention activities described 

19 in subsection (d). 

20 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under 

21 the program, a State or local government shall— 

22 (1) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Com23 mission that the State or local government has 

24 adopted a statute, or the State or local government 

25 agency has adopted a rule, regulation, or similar 


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1 measure with the force and effect of law, requiring 

2 compliant carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in 

3 dwelling units in accordance with NFPA 720; and 

4 (2) submit an application to the Commission at 

5 such time, in such form, and containing such addi6 tional information as the Commission may require, 

7 which application may be filed on behalf of the State 

8 or local government by the fire code enforcement of9 ficials for such State or local government. 

10 (c) GRANT AMOUNT; PRIORITY.—The Commission 

11 shall determine the amount of the grants awarded under 

12 this section, and shall give priority to applications from 

13 States or local governments that— 

14 (1) prioritize the installation of compliant car15 bon monoxide alarms in existing dwelling units— 

16 (A) within which a fuel-burning appliance 

17 is installed, including a furnace, boiler, water 

18 heater, fireplace, or any other apparatus, appli19 ance, or device that burns fuel; or 

20 (B) which has an attached garage; 

21 (2) have developed a strategy to protect vulner22 able populations such as children, the elderly, or 

23 low-income households; and 

24 (3) demonstrate greater than average losses of 

25 life from carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. 


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1 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—A State receiving a grant under 

2 this section may use grant funds— 

3 (1) to purchase and install compliant carbon 

4 monoxide alarms in the dwelling units of low-income 

5 families or elderly persons, facilities that commonly 

6 serve children or the elderly, including childcare fa7 cilities, public schools, and senior centers, or student 

8 dwelling units owned by public universities; 

9 (2) to train State or local fire code enforcement 

10 officials in the proper enforcement of State or local 

11 laws concerning compliant carbon monoxide alarms 

12 and the installation of such alarms in accordance 

13 with NFPA 720; 

14 (3) for the development and dissemination of 

15 training materials, instructors, and any other costs 

16 related to the training sessions authorized by this 

17 subsection; and 

18 (4) to educate the public about the risk associ19 ated with carbon monoxide as a poison and the im20 portance of proper carbon monoxide alarm use. 

21 (e) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.— 

22 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 

23 10 percent of any grant funds received under this 

24 section may be used to cover administrative costs 


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1 not directly related to training described in sub2 section (d)(2). 

3 (2) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—Not more than 25 

4 percent of any grant funds received under this sec5 tion may be used to cover costs of activities de6 scribed in subsection (d)(4). 

7 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

9 appropriated to the Commission, for each of the fis10 cal years 2013 through 2017, $2,000,000, which 

11 shall remain available until expended to carry out 

12 this Act. 

13 (2) RETENTION OF AMOUNTS.—Any amounts 

14 appropriated pursuant to this subsection that re15 main unexpended and unobligated on September 30, 

16 2016, shall be retained by the Commission and cred17 ited to the appropriations account that funds the en18 forcement of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 

19 U.S.C. 2051). 

20 (g) COMMISSION REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 

21 after the last day of each fiscal year for which grants are 

22 awarded under this section, the Commission shall submit 

23 to Congress a report that evaluates the implementation 

24 of the grant program required by this section. 

Æ 


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