II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1250 

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 

MAY 7, 2015 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. CASEY) 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 2015’’. 

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 unVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:11 May 13, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1250.IS S1250

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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, kills more 

8 than 400 people each year and sends more than 

9 15,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. 

10 (3) Research shows that purchasing and install11 ing carbon monoxide alarms close to the sleeping 

12 areas in residential homes and other dwelling units 

13 can help avoid fatalities. 

14 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con15 gress that Congress should promote the purchase and in16 stallation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential homes 

17 and dwelling units nationwide in order to promote the 

18 health and public safety of citizens throughout the United 

19 States. 

20 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.—The term 

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

24 that— 

25 (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.— 

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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 (7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean13 ing given such term in section 3 of the Consumer 

14 Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052) and includes 

15 the Northern Mariana Islands and any political sub16 division of a State. 

17 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POI18 SONING PREVENTION. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap20 propriations authorized under subsection (f), the Commis21 sion shall establish a grant program to provide assistance 

22 to eligible States to carry out the carbon monoxide poi23 soning prevention activities described in subsection (e). 

24 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this section, an 

25 eligible State is any State that— 


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1 (1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 

2 Commission that the State has adopted a statute or 

3 a rule, regulation, or similar measure with the force 

4 and effect of law, requiring compliant carbon mon5 oxide alarms to be installed in dwelling units in ac6 cordance with NFPA 720; and 

7 (2) submits an application to the Commission 

8 at such time, in such form, and containing such ad9 ditional information as the Commission may require, 

10 which application may be filed on behalf of the State 

11 by the fire code enforcement officials for such State. 

12 (c) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Commission shall deter13 mine the amount of the grants awarded under this section. 

14 (d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—In select15 ing eligible States for the award of grants under this sec16 tion, the Commission shall give favorable consideration to 

17 an eligible State that— 

18 (1) requires the installation of compliant carbon 

19 monoxide alarms in new or existing educational fa20 cilities, childcare facilities, health care facilities, 

21 adult dependent care facilities, government build22 ings, restaurants, theaters, lodging establishments, 

23 or dwelling units— 

24 (A) within which a fuel-burning appliance 

25 is installed, including a furnace, boiler, water 


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1 heater, fireplace, or any other apparatus, appli2 ance, or device that burns fuel; or 

3 (B) which has an attached garage; and 

4 (2) has developed a strategy to protect vulner5 able populations such as children, the elderly, or 

6 low-income households. 

7 (e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible State receiving a 

9 grant under this section may use such grant— 

10 (A) to purchase and install compliant car11 bon monoxide alarms in the dwelling units of 

12 low-income families or elderly persons, facilities 

13 that commonly serve children or the elderly, in14 cluding childcare facilities, public schools, and 

15 senior centers, or student dwelling units owned 

16 by public universities; 

17 (B) to train State or local fire code en18 forcement officials in the proper enforcement of 

19 State or local laws concerning compliant carbon 

20 monoxide alarms and the installation of such 

21 alarms in accordance with NFPA 720; 

22 (C) for the development and dissemination 

23 of training materials, instructors, and any other 

24 costs related to the training sessions authorized 

25 by this subsection; and 


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1 (D) to educate the public about the risk 

2 associated with carbon monoxide as a poison 

3 and the importance of proper carbon monoxide 

4 alarm use. 

5 (2) LIMITATIONS.— 

6 (A) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more 

7 than 10 percent of any grant amount received 

8 under this section may be used to cover admin9 istrative costs not directly related to training 

10 described in paragraph (1)(B). 

11 (B) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—Not more than 

12 25 percent of any grant amount received under 

13 this section may be used to cover costs of activi14 ties described in paragraph (1)(D). 

15 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

17 there is authorized to be appropriated to the Com18 mission, for each of the fiscal years 2015 through 

19 2019, $2,000,000, which shall remain available until 

20 expended to carry out this Act. 

21 (2) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EX22 PENSES.—Not more than 10 percent of the amounts 

23 appropriated or otherwise made available to carry 

24 out this section may be used for administrative ex25 penses. 


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1 (3) RETENTION OF AMOUNTS.—Any amounts 

2 appropriated pursuant to this subsection that re3 main unexpended and unobligated on September 30, 

4 2019, shall be retained by the Commission and cred5 ited to the appropriations account that funds the en6 forcement of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 

7 U.S.C. 2051). 

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

9 day of each fiscal year for which grants are awarded under 

10 this section, the Commission shall submit to Congress a 

11 report that evaluates the implementation of the grant pro12 gram required by this section. 

Æ 


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