II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 265 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2021 

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

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

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— 

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

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


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 265 IS

1 Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 

2 (15 U.S.C. 2227(a)); 

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

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

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

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

7 means a public housing project that— 

8 (A) is not a newly constructed multifamily 

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

10 the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 

11 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(c)(2)(A)(ii)); and 

12 (B) is not subject to the requirements 

13 under section 31(c) of the Federal Fire Preven14 tion and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 

15 2227(c)); 

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

17 housing agency’’ have the meanings given those 

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

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

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

21 of Housing and Urban Development. 

22 SEC. 3. INSPECTIONS OF PUBLIC HOUSING. 

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

24 public housing conducted by the Secretary, including 

25 through the Real Estate Assessment Center, the Secretary 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 265 IS

1 shall report on the presence or absence of automatic sprin2 kler systems in the public housing. 

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

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

5 inspections of public housing conducted during the 3-year 

6 period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, sub7 mit to Congress a report on the presence or absence of 

8 automatic sprinkler systems in public housing, in par9 ticular in exempted public housing projects, which shall 

10 include recommendations to improve fire safety in exempt11 ed public housing projects. 

12 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec13 tion shall be construed to require a public housing agency 

14 to install an automatic sprinkler system in an exempted 

15 public housing project. 

16 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM TO RETROFIT PUBLIC HOUSING 

17 WITH AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. 

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

19 a competitive grant program under which the Secretary 

20 shall award grants to public housing agencies to install 

21 automatic sprinkler systems in exempted public housing 

22 projects. 

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

24 use amounts received under this section to install auto25 matic sprinkler systems in a rebuilt multifamily property, 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 265 IS

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

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

3 2227(c)(2)(B)(iii)). 

4 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addi5 tion to amounts appropriated to the Capital Fund under 

6 any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appro7 priated to the Capital Fund $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 

8 years 2022 through 2031 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS