I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 170
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish
energy conservation standards for public housing projects and to carry
out a program to demonstrate the effectiveness of energy conservation
measures in public housing projects.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Banking and Financial Services
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
to establish energy conservation standards for public
housing projects and to carry out a program to dem-
onstrate the effectiveness of energy conservation meas-
ures in public housing projects.
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 ‘‘Public Housing Energy
Conservation Act’’.
SEC. 2. ENERGY CONSERVATION PERFORMANCE STAND-
ARDS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any public housing project, for
which development or rehabilitation is assisted under the
United States Housing Act of 1937 and commences after
the 1-year period following the date of the enactment of
this Act, shall be developed or rehabilitated in accordance
with life-cycle cost-effective energy conservation perform-
ance standards that are established by the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development and are designed to en-
sure (through the use of energy conservation measures
and otherwise) the lowest total construction, rehabilita-
tion, and operating costs over the estimated life of the
project.
(b) CONSTRUCTION COST LIMITS.—The Secretary
shall revise the cost limits applicable to the development
or rehabilitation of public housing projects assisted under
the United States Housing Act of 1937 for purposes of
taking into consideration the life-cycle costs of the struc-
ture and major energy consuming heating and cooling sys-
tems.
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall, not later
than the expiration of the 1-year period following the date
of the enactment of this Act, issue regulations establishing
the standards referred to in subsection (a) and revising
the cost limits referred to in subsection (b).
SEC. 3. PUBLIC HOUSING ENERGY CONSERVATION DEM-
ONSTRATION.
(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to
demonstrate the extent to which the use of energy con-
servation measures in public housing projects will reduce
the operating costs of the projects and the utility pay-
ments made by the tenants of the projects.
(b) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall, to the extent
approved in appropriation Acts, provide financial assist-
ance to the Chicago Housing Authority in the State of
Illinois for the purpose of permitting the Authority—
(1) to implement energy conservation measures
in public housing projects operated by the Authority
and assisted under the United States Housing Act
of 1937; and
(2) to use the services of expert consultants in
designing and installing such energy conservation
measures.
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit
annually to the Congress a comprehensive report setting
forth the activities carried out under this section. The re-
port shall include any recommendations of the Secretary
for legislation or other actions to encouraging the use of
energy conservation measures in public housing projects.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
such sums as may be necessary.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘energy conservation measure’’
means—
(A) caulking and weatherstripping of doors
and windows;
(B) furnace efficiency modifications, in-
cluding—
(i) replacement burners, furnaces, or
boilers (or any combination) that, as deter-
mined by the Secretary, substantially in-
crease the energy efficiency of the heating
system;
(ii) devices for modifying flue open-
ings that will increase the energy efficiency
of the heating system; and
(iii) electrical or mechanical furnace
ignition systems that replace standing gas
pilot lights;
(C) clock thermostats;
(D) ceiling, attic, wall, and floor insulation;
(E) water heater insulation;
(F) storm windows and doors, multiglazed
windows and doors, heat-absorbing or heat-re-
flective glazed window and door materials;
(G) devices associated with load manage-
ment techniques;
(H) devices to utilize solar energy or wind-
power for any energy conservation purpose,
including heating of water, space heating, or
cooling;
(I) replacement of incandescent lighting
with higher efficiency lighting;
(J) district heating;
(K) cogeneration; and
(L) such other measures as the Secretary
may identify for purposes of this section.
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
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