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 car-
bon 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, in residen-
tial homes and other dwelling units kills more than 
400 people each year and sends more than 20,000 
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. 
(4) Congress should promote the purchase and 
installation of carbon monoxide alarms in residential
homes and dwelling units nationwide in order to pro-
mote the health and public safety of citizens 
throughout 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 
distinctive audible alert before concentrations of car-
bon monoxide reach levels that would cause symp-
toms of carbon monoxide poisoning. 
(3) The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Con-
sumer 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.
(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 Stand-
ard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide Warn-
ing Equipment in Dwelling Units issued by the Na-
tional Fire Protection Association in 2008, and any 
amended 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 pub-
lish in the Federal Register as mandatory consumer prod-
uct 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 mandatory 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 
described in subsection (a) is revised through the applica-
ble consensus standards development process, Under-
writers Laboratories shall notify the Commission of the 
revision and the revision shall be incorporated in the con-
sumer product safety rule unless, within 60 days of such 
notice, the Commission determines that such revision does 
not carry out the purposes of this Act and publishes the 
basis for such a determination in the Federal Register. 
(c) RULEMAKING.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of this Act, the Commission may, at any time subse-
quent to publication of the consumer product safety stand-
ards required by subsection (a), initiate a rulemaking in 
accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code, 
to amend either standard to include any provision that the 
Commission determines is reasonably necessary to ensure 
the safe and effective operation of carbon monoxide 
alarms. 
(d) TREATMENT OF STANDARDS FOR PURPOSES OF 
ENFORCEMENT.—For purposes of enforcement under the 
Consumer Product Safety Act, the standards published by 
the Commission pursuant to subsection (a), including any 
revision to such standards pursuant to subsection (b) or 
(c), shall be consumer product safety rules as defined in 
section 3(a)(6) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(6)).
SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall complete a study to 
evaluate whether requiring a language or languages in ad-
dition to English would improve the effectiveness of the 
label required of manufacturers of portable generators by 
the Commission under part 1407 of title 16, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, to warn consumers of carbon monoxide 
hazards. 
SEC. 6. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POI-
SONING PREVENTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations authorized by subsection (f), the Commission 
shall establish a grant program to provide assistance to 
eligible States and local governments to carry out the car-
bon monoxide poisoning prevention activities in subsection 
(d). 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant under 
the program, a State or local government shall— 
(1) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Com-
mission that a State or local government has adopt-
ed a statute, or a State or local government agency 
has adopted a rule, regulation, or similar measure 
with the force and effect of law, requiring approved 
carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in accord-
ance with NFPA 720 in dwelling units; and
(2) submit an application to the Commission at 
such time, in such form, and containing such addi-
tional information as the Commission may require, 
which application may be filed on behalf of any 
qualified State or local government by the fire code 
enforcement officials for such State or local govern-
ment. 
(c) GRANT AMOUNT; PRIORITY.—The Commission 
shall determine the amount of the grants awarded under 
this section, and shall give priority to applications from 
States or local governments that— 
(1) require approved carbon monoxide alarms to 
be installed in each existing dwelling unit— 
(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; 
(2) propose to serve vulnerable populations such 
as children, the elderly, or low-income households; 
and 
(3) demonstrate greater than average losses of 
life from carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A State receiving a grant under 
this section may use grant funds—
(1) to purchase and install approved carbon 
monoxide alarms in the dwelling units of low-income 
families or elderly persons, facilities that commonly 
serve children or the elderly, including childcare fa-
cilities, public schools, and senior centers, or student 
dwelling units owned by public universities; 
(2) to train State or local fire code enforcement 
officials in the proper enforcement of State or local 
laws concerning approved carbon monoxide alarms 
and the installation of such alarms in accordance 
with NFPA 720; 
(3) for the development and dissemination of 
training materials, instructors, and any other costs 
related to the training sessions authorized by this 
subsection; and 
(4) to educate the public about the risk associ-
ated with carbon monoxide as a poison and the im-
portance of proper carbon monoxide alarm use. 
(e) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—No more than 10 
percent of any grant funds may be used to cover ad-
ministrative costs not directly related to training de-
scribed in paragraph (2) of subsection (d).
(2) PUBLIC OUTREACH.—No more than 25 per-
cent of any grant may be used to cover costs of ac-
tivities described in paragraph (4) of subsection (d). 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 
to carry out this Act, such sums to remain available until 
expended. Any amounts appropriated pursuant to this 
paragraph that remain unexpended and unobligated at the 
end of fiscal year 2015 shall be retained by the Commis-
sion and credited to the appropriations account that funds 
enforcement of the Consumer Product Safety Act. 
(g) COMMISSION REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the last day of each fiscal year for which grants are 
made under this section, the Commission shall submit to 
Congress a report evaluating the implementation of the 
grant program authorized by this section. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 2010. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1796 
AN ACT 
To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to re-
quire residential carbon monoxide detectors to 
meet the applicable ANSI/UL standard by treat-
ing that standard as a consumer product safety 
rule, to encourage States to require the installa-
tion of such detectors in homes, and for other 
purposes.