I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 638 
To require owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units to install 
temperature sensors in such units, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2025 
Mr. TORRES of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To require owners of covered federally assisted rental dwell-
ing units to install temperature sensors in such units, 
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 ‘‘Housing Temperature 
Safety Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. TEMPERATURE SENSOR PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
temperature sensor 3-year pilot program to provide grants 
to public housing agencies and owners of covered federally 
assisted rental dwelling units to install and test the effi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
cacy of temperature sensors in residential dwelling units 
to ensure such units remain in compliance with tempera-
ture requirements. 
(b) APPLICATION.—The Secretary shall, not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
establish eligibility criteria for participation in the pilot 
program established pursuant to subsection (a) and such 
criteria shall be designed to ensure— 
(1) the pilot program includes a diverse range 
of participants that represent different geographic 
regions, climate regions, unit sizes and types of 
housing; and 
(2) the functionality of the temperature sensors 
that will be tested, including internet connectivity re-
quirements. 
(c) INSTALLATION.—Each public housing agency or 
owner of a covered federally assisted rental dwelling unit 
that receives one or more temperature sensors under this 
Act shall, after receiving written permission from the resi-
dent of a dwelling unit, install such temperature sensor 
and monitor the data from such temperature sensor. 
(d) COLLECTION OF COMPLAINT RECORDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each public housing agency 
or owner of a covered federally assisted rental dwell-
ing unit that receives one or more temperature sen-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
sors under this Act shall collect and retain informa-
tion about temperature-related complaints and viola-
tions. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—The Secretary shall, not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, define the terms temperature-related 
complaints and temperature-related violations for 
the purposes of this Act. 
(e) DATA COLLECTION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Data collected from tem-
perature sensors provided to public housing agencies 
and owners of covered federally assisted rental dwell-
ing units under this Act shall be retained until the 
Secretary notifies the public housing agency or 
owner that the pilot program and the evaluation of 
the pilot program are complete. 
(2) 
PERSONALLY
IDENTIFIABLE
INFORMA-
TION.—The Secretary shall, not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish 
standards for the protection of personally identifi-
ably information collected during the pilot program 
by public housing agencies, owners of federally as-
sisted rental dwelling units, and the Secretary. 
(f) PILOT PROGRAM EVALUATION.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) INTERIM EVALUATION.—Not later than 12 
months after the establishment of the pilot program 
under this Act, the Secretary shall publicly publish 
and submit to the Congress a report that— 
(A) examines the number of temperature- 
related complaints and violations in federally 
assisted rental dwelling units with temperature 
sensors, disaggregated by temperature sensor 
technology and climate region— 
(i) that occurred before the installa-
tion of such sensor, if known; and 
(ii) that occurred after the installation 
of such sensor; and 
(B) identifies any barriers to full utility of 
temperature 
sensor 
capabilities, 
including 
broadband internet access and tenant participa-
tion. 
(2) FINAL
EVALUATION.—Not later than 36 
months after the conclusion of the pilot program es-
tablished by the Secretary under this Act, the Sec-
retary shall publicly publish and submit to the Con-
gress a report that— 
(A) examines the number of temperature- 
related complaints and violations in federally 
assisted rental dwelling units with temperature 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
sensors, disaggregated by temperature sensor 
technology and climate region— 
(i) that occurred before the installa-
tion of such sensor; and 
(ii) that occurred after the installation 
of such sensor; 
(B) identifies any barriers to full utility of 
temperature 
sensor 
capabilities, 
including 
broadband internet access and tenant participa-
tion; and 
(C) compare the utility of various tempera-
ture sensor technologies based on— 
(i) climate zones; 
(ii) cost; 
(iii) features; and 
(iv) any other factors identified by the 
Secretary. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) TEMPERATURE SENSOR.—The term ‘‘tem-
perature sensor’’ means an internet capable tem-
perature reporting device able to measure ambient 
air temperature to the tenth degree Fahrenheit and 
Celsius. 
(2) COVERED
FEDERALLY
ASSISTED
HOUS-
ING.—The term ‘‘covered federally assisted rental 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
dwelling unit’’ means a residential dwelling unit that 
is made available for rental and for which assistance 
is provided, or that is part of a housing project for 
which assistance is provided, under— 
(A) the program for project-based rental 
assistance under section 8 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f); 
(B) the public housing program under the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437 et seq.); 
(C) the program for supportive housing for 
the elderly under section 202 of the Housing 
Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q); or 
(D) the program for supportive housing for 
persons with disabilities under section 811 of 
the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013). 
(3) OWNER.—The term ‘‘owner’’ means— 
(A) with respect to the program for 
project-based rental assistance under section 8 
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f), any private person or entity, in-
cluding a cooperative, an agency of the Federal 
Government, or a public housing agency, having 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
the legal right to lease or sublease dwelling 
units; 
(B) with respect to public housing program 
under the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), a public housing 
agency or an owner entity of public housing 
units as defined in section 905.108 of title 24, 
Code of Federal Regulations; 
(C) with respect to the program for sup-
portive housing for the elderly under section 
202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 
1701q), a private nonprofit organization as de-
fined under section 202(k)(4) of the Housing 
Act of 1959; and 
(D) with respect to the program for sup-
portive housing for persons with disabilities 
under section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez 
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
8013), a private nonprofit organization as de-
fined under section 811(k)(5) of section 811 of 
the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 
Housing Act. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:55 Feb 19, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H638.IH
H638
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB