IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1618 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

AN ACT 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 

4 2019’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

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

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

8 produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to un9 healthy levels of carbon monoxide can lead to carbon 

10 monoxide poisoning, a serious health condition that 

11 could result in death. 

12 (2) Unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning 

13 from motor vehicles and the abnormal operation of 

14 fuel-burning appliances, such as furnaces, water 

15 heaters, portable generators, and stoves, kills more 

16 than 400 people each year and sends more than 

17 15,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. 

18 (3) Research shows that purchasing and install19 ing carbon monoxide alarms close to the sleeping 

20 areas in residential homes and other dwelling units 

21 can help avoid fatalities. 

22 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con23 gress that Congress should promote the purchase and in24 stallation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential homes 

25 and dwelling units nationwide in order to promote the 


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1 health and public safety of citizens throughout the United 

2 States. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.—The term 

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

7 that— 

8 (A) detects carbon monoxide; and 

9 (B) is intended to alarm at carbon mon10 oxide concentrations below those that could 

11 cause a loss of ability to react to the dangers 

12 of carbon monoxide exposure. 

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

14 means the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

15 (3) COMPLIANT CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.— 

16 The term ‘‘compliant carbon monoxide alarm’’ 

17 means a carbon monoxide alarm that complies with 

18 the most current version of— 

19 (A) the American National Standard for 

20 Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide 

21 Alarms (ANSI/UL 2034); or 

22 (B) the American National Standard for 

23 Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors (ANSI/ 

24 UL 2075). 


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

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

3 human habitation, and includes a single family resi4 dence as well as each living unit of a multiple family 

5 residence (including apartment buildings) and each 

6 living unit in a mixed use building. 

7 (5) FIRE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.— 

8 The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ means of9 ficials of the fire safety code enforcement agency of 

10 a State or local government. 

11 (6) INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE.—The term 

12 ‘‘IFC’’ means— 

13 (A) the 2015 or 2018 edition of the Inter14 national Fire Code published by the Inter15 national Code Council; or 

16 (B) any amended or similar successor code 

17 pertaining to the proper installation of carbon 

18 monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

19 (7) INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE.—The 

20 term ‘‘IRC’’ means— 

21 (A) the 2015 or 2018 edition of the Inter22 national Residential Code published by the 

23 International Code Council; or 


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1 (B) any amended or similar successor code 

2 pertaining to the proper installation of carbon 

3 monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

4 (8) NFPA 72.—The term ‘‘NFPA 72’’ 

5 means— 

6 (A) the National Fire Alarm and Signaling 

7 Code issued in 2019 by the National Fire Pro8 tection Association; or 

9 (B) any amended or similar successor 

10 standard pertaining to the proper installation of 

11 carbon monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 

12 (9) 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 72, the IFC, or the IRC; 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 72, the IFC, 

22 or the IRC; 

23 (C) for the development and dissemination 

24 of training materials, instructors, and any other 


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1 costs related to the training sessions authorized 

2 by this subsection; and 

3 (D) to educate the public about the risk 

4 associated with carbon monoxide as a poison 

5 and the importance of proper carbon monoxide 

6 alarm use. 

7 (2) LIMITATIONS.— 

8 (A) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more 

9 than 10 percent of any grant amount received 

10 under this section may be used to cover admin11 istrative costs not directly related to training 

12 described in paragraph (1)(B). 

13 (B) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—Not more than 

14 25 percent of any grant amount received under 

15 this section may be used to cover costs of activi16 ties described in paragraph (1)(D). 

17 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

19 there is authorized to be appropriated to the Com20 mission, for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 

21 2024, $2,000,000, which shall remain available until 

22 expended to carry out this Act. 

23 (2) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EX24 PENSES.—Not more than 10 percent of the amounts 

25 appropriated or otherwise made available to carry 


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1 out this section may be used for administrative ex2 penses. 

3 (3) RETENTION OF AMOUNTS.—Any amounts 

4 appropriated pursuant to this subsection that re5 main unexpended and unobligated on September 30, 

6 2024, shall be retained by the Commission and cred7 ited to the appropriations account that funds the en8 forcement of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 

9 U.S.C. 2051). 

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

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

12 this section, the Commission shall submit to Congress a 

13 report that evaluates the implementation of the grant pro14 gram required by this section. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 17, 

2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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