I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1618 
To encourage States to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide 
detectors in homes, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2019 
Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire (for herself and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on House Admin-
istration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To encourage States to require the installation of residential 
carbon monoxide detectors in homes, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Nicholas and Zachary 
Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 
2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas 
produced by burning any fuel. Exposure to un-
healthy levels of carbon monoxide can lead to carbon 
monoxide 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 
heaters, portable generators, and stoves, kills more 
than 400 people each year and sends more than 
15,000 to hospital 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. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that Congress should promote the purchase and in-
stallation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential homes 
and dwelling units nationwide in order to promote the 
health and public safety of citizens throughout the United 
States. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) CARBON
MONOXIDE
ALARM.—The term 
‘‘carbon monoxide alarm’’ means a device or system 
that— 
(A) detects carbon monoxide; and 
(B) is intended to alarm at carbon mon-
oxide concentrations below those that could 
cause a loss of ability to react to the dangers 
of carbon monoxide exposure. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 
(3) COMPLIANT CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM.— 
The term ‘‘compliant carbon monoxide alarm’’ 
means a carbon monoxide alarm that complies with 
the most current version of— 
(A) the American National Standard for 
Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide 
Alarms (ANSI/UL 2034); or 
(B) the American National Standard for 
Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors (ANSI/ 
UL 2075). 
(4) DWELLING
UNIT.—The term ‘‘dwelling 
unit’’ means a room or suite of rooms used for 
human habitation, and includes a single family resi-
dence as well as each living unit of a multiple family 
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residence (including apartment buildings) and each 
living unit in a mixed use building. 
(5) FIRE
CODE
ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS.— 
The term ‘‘fire code enforcement officials’’ means of-
ficials of the fire safety code enforcement agency of 
a State or local government. 
(6) 
NFPA 
72.—The 
term 
‘‘NFPA 
72’’ 
means— 
(A) the National Fire Alarm and Signaling 
Code issued in 2019 by the National Fire Pro-
tection Association; and 
(B) any amended or similar successor 
standard pertaining to the proper installation of 
carbon monoxide alarms in dwelling units. 
(7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 3 of the Consumer 
Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052) and includes 
the Northern Mariana Islands and any political sub-
division of a State. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POI-
SONING PREVENTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations authorized under subsection (f), the Commis-
sion shall establish a grant program to provide assistance 
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to eligible States to carry out the carbon monoxide poi-
soning prevention activities described in subsection (e). 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this section, an 
eligible State is any State that— 
(1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the 
Commission that the State has adopted a statute or 
a rule, regulation, or similar measure with the force 
and effect of law, requiring compliant carbon mon-
oxide alarms to be installed in dwelling units in ac-
cordance with NFPA 72; and 
(2) submits an application to the Commission 
at such time, in such form, and containing such ad-
ditional information as the Commission may require, 
which application may be filed on behalf of the State 
by the fire code enforcement officials for such State. 
(c) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Commission shall deter-
mine the amount of the grants awarded under this section. 
(d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—In select-
ing eligible States for the award of grants under this sec-
tion, the Commission shall give favorable consideration to 
an eligible State that— 
(1) requires the installation of compliant carbon 
monoxide alarms in new or existing educational fa-
cilities, childcare facilities, health care facilities, 
adult dependent care facilities, government build-
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ings, restaurants, theaters, lodging establishments, 
or dwelling units— 
(A) within which a fuel-burning appliance 
is installed, including a furnace, boiler, water 
heater, fireplace, or any other apparatus, appli-
ance, or device that burns fuel; or 
(B) which has an attached garage; and 
(2) has developed a strategy to protect vulner-
able populations such as children, the elderly, or 
low-income households. 
(e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible State receiving a 
grant under this section may use such grant— 
(A) to purchase and install compliant car-
bon monoxide alarms in the dwelling units of 
low-income families or elderly persons, facilities 
that commonly serve children or the elderly, in-
cluding childcare facilities, public schools, and 
senior centers, or student dwelling units owned 
by public universities; 
(B) to train State or local fire code en-
forcement officials in the proper enforcement of 
State or local laws concerning compliant carbon 
monoxide alarms and the installation of such 
alarms in accordance with NFPA 72; 
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