IB 
Union Calendar No. 330 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1796 
[Report No. 111–573] 
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require residential carbon 
monoxide detectors to meet the applicable ANSI/UL standard by treating 
that standard as a consumer product safety rule, to encourage States 
to require the installation of such detectors in homes, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 30, 2009 
Mr. MATHESON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
JULY 27, 2010 
Additional sponsors: Mr. SHULER, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. NYE, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. HIGGINS, Ms. 
SUTTON, and Ms. CASTOR of Florida 
JULY 27, 2010 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 30, 2009] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require resi-
dential carbon monoxide detectors to meet the applicable 
ANSI/UL standard by treating that standard as a con-
sumer product safety rule, to encourage States to require 
the installation of such detectors in homes, and for other 
purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Carbon Monoxide Poi-
soning Prevention Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas 
produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to unhealthy 
levels of carbon monoxide can lead to carbon mon-
oxide poisoning, a serious health condition that could 
result in death. 
(2) Unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning 
from motor vehicles and the abnormal operation of 
fuel-burning appliances, such as furnaces, water heat-
ers, portable generators, and stoves, in residential 
homes and other dwelling units kills more than 400 
people each year and sends more than 20,000 to hos-
pital emergency rooms for treatment. 
(3) Research shows that purchasing and install-
ing carbon monoxide alarms close to the sleeping 
areas in residential homes and other dwelling units 
can help avoid fatalities. 
(4) Congress should promote the purchase and 
installation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential 
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homes and dwelling units nationwide in order to pro-
mote the health and public safety of citizens through-
out the Nation. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions 
apply: 
(1) The term ‘‘approved carbon monoxide 
alarm’’ means a carbon monoxide alarm that com-
plies with the standards published, incorporated, or 
amended by the Commission with respect to such 
alarms pursuant to this Act. 
(2) The term ‘‘carbon monoxide alarm’’ means a 
device that detects carbon monoxide and sounds a dis-
tinctive audible alert before concentrations of carbon 
monoxide reach levels that would cause symptoms of 
carbon monoxide poisoning. 
(3) The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Consumer 
Product Safety Commission. 
(4) The term ‘‘dwelling unit’’ means a room or 
suite of rooms used for human habitation, and in-
cludes a single family residence as well as each living 
unit of a multiple family residence (including apart-
ment buildings) and each living unit in a mixed use 
building. 
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(5) The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ 
means officials of the fire safety code enforcement 
agency of a State or local government. 
(6) The term ‘‘NFPA 720’’ means the Standard 
for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide Warning 
Equipment in Dwelling Units issued by the National 
Fire Protection Association in 2008, and any amend-
ed or similar successor standard pertaining to the 
proper installation of carbon monoxide alarms in 
dwelling units. 
SEC. 4. ADOPTION OF CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY RULES. 
(a) MANDATORY STANDARDS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish in 
the Federal Register as mandatory consumer product safety 
standards the American National Standard for Single and 
Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms (ANSI/UL 
2034) and the American National Standard for Gas and 
Vapor Detectors and Sensors (ANSI/UL 2075). Such man-
datory consumer product safety standards shall take effect 
180 days after they are published. 
(b) REVISION OF STANDARDS.—Beginning 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, if either standard de-
scribed in subsection (a) is revised through the applicable 
consensus standards development process, Underwriters 
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