I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5077 
To study and facilitate the abatement and removal of environmental hazards 
in homes rehabilitated with community participation, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 23, 2021 
Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York (for himself and Mr. SUOZZI) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services 
A BILL 
To study and facilitate the abatement and removal of envi-
ronmental hazards in homes rehabilitated with commu-
nity participation, 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 ‘‘Removing Environ-
mental Hazards And Building Safely Act of 2021’’ or the 
‘‘REHABS Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. STUDY AND REMOVAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZ-
ARDS IN HOMES BEING REHABILITATED. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall conduct a study on— 
(1) the best methods to assess the amount of 
mold in a single family home prior to such home 
being rehabilitated; 
(2) the danger posed by mold in a single family 
home prior to such home being rehabilitated; and 
(3) best practices for safely removing mold 
when rehabilitating a single family home. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the com-
pletion of the study pursuant to subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall submit a report to Congress containing the 
results of such study, and make such report available on 
a public website of the Department. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE ABATEMENT AND RE-
MOVAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS FROM 
HOMES. 
(a) GRANT AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may, to the 
extent amounts are available to carry out this section and 
the requirements of this section are met, make grants to 
provide for or facilitate the abatement and removal of en-
vironmental hazards in homes being rehabilitated to na-
tional and regional organizations and consortia that have 
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experience in providing for or facilitating the abatement 
and removal of environmental hazards from homes. 
(b) GOALS
AND
ACCOUNTABILITY.—In making 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall take such 
actions as may be necessary to ensure that— 
(1) assistance provided under this section is 
used to provide for or facilitate the abatement and 
removal of environmental hazards in homes being re-
habilitated through the provision of self-help hous-
ing, under which the homeowner contributes a sig-
nificant amount of sweat equity toward the rehabili-
tation of the dwelling; 
(2) the dwellings for which abatement or re-
moval is performed in connection with assistance 
provided under this section are quality dwellings 
that comply with local building and safety codes and 
standards and are available at prices below the pre-
vailing market prices; 
(3) the provision of assistance under this sec-
tion establishes and fosters a partnership between 
the Federal Government and organizations and con-
sortia, resulting in efficient rehabilitation of afford-
able housing with minimal governmental interven-
tion, limited governmental regulation, and signifi-
cant involvement by private entities; 
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(4) activities to rehabilitate housing assisted 
pursuant to this section involve community partici-
pation in which volunteers assist in the rehabilita-
tion of dwellings; and 
(5) assistance under this section for the abate-
ment or removal of environmental hazards is pro-
vided for dwellings on a geographically diverse basis, 
which shall include areas having high housing costs, 
rural areas, and areas underserved by other home-
ownership opportunities that are populated by low- 
income families unable to otherwise afford housing. 
If, at any time, the Secretary determines that the goals 
under this subsection cannot be met by providing assist-
ance in accordance with the terms of this section, the Sec-
retary shall immediately notify the applicable Committees 
in writing of such determination and any proposed 
changes for such goals or this section. 
(c) NATIONAL COMPETITION.—The Secretary shall 
select organizations and consortia referred to in subsection 
(a) to receive grants through a national competitive proc-
ess, which the Secretary shall establish. 
(d) USE.—Amounts from grants made under this 
section, including any recaptured amounts, shall be used 
only for the abatement and removal of environmental haz-
ards in connection with rehabilitating existing homes to 
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make them decent, safe, and sanitary nonluxury dwellings 
in the United States for families and persons who other-
wise would be unable to afford to purchase a dwelling. 
(e) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT FUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any amounts from a grant 
made under this section shall be deposited by the 
grantee organization or consortium in a fund that is 
established by such organization or consortium for 
such amounts, administered by such organization or 
consortium, and available only for the uses described 
in subsection (d). Any interest, fees, or other earn-
ings of the fund shall be deposited in the fund and 
shall be considered grant amounts for purposes of 
this section. 
(2) ASSISTANCE TO AFFILIATES.—Any organi-
zation or consortia that receives a grant under this 
section may use amounts in the fund established for 
such organizations or consortia pursuant to para-
graph (1), for the uses described in subsection (d), 
by providing assistance from the fund to local affili-
ates of such organizations and consortia. 
(f) REQUIREMENTS
FOR ASSISTANCE.—The Sec-
retary may make a grant to an organization or consortium 
under subsection (a) only pursuant to— 
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(1) an expression of interest by such organiza-
tion or consortia to the Secretary for a grant for 
such purposes; and 
(2) a grant agreement entered into under sub-
section (g). 
(g) GRANT AGREEMENT.—A grant under this section 
shall be made only pursuant to a grant agreement entered 
into by the Secretary and the organization or consortia 
receiving the grant, which shall— 
(1) require such organization or consortia to 
use grant amounts only as provided in this section; 
(2) require the organization or consortia to use 
the grant amounts in a manner that leverages other 
sources of funding other than grants under this sec-
tion, including private or public funds, in rehabili-
tating dwellings; 
(3) provide that the Secretary shall recapture 
any grant amounts provided to the organization or 
consortia that are not used within 24 months after 
such amounts are first disbursed to the organization 
or consortia; and 
(4) contain such other terms as the Secretary 
may require to provide for compliance with sub-
section (b) and the requirements of this section. 
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(h) FULFILLMENT OF GRANT AGREEMENT.—If the 
Secretary determines that an organization or consortia 
awarded a grant under this section has not, within 24 
months after grant amounts are first made available to 
the organization or consortia, substantially fulfilled the ob-
ligations under the grant agreement, the Secretary shall 
use any such undisbursed amounts remaining from such 
grants for other grants in accordance with this section. 
(i) RECORDS AND AUDITS.—During the period begin-
ning upon the making of a grant under this section and 
ending upon close-out of the grant under subsection (j)— 
(1) the organization awarded the grant shall 
keep such records and adopt such administrative 
practices as the Secretary may require to ensure 
compliance with the provisions of this section and 
the grant agreement; and 
(2) the Secretary and the Comptroller General 
of the United States, and any of their duly ap-
pointed representatives, shall have access for the 
purpose of audit and examination to any books, doc-
uments, papers, and records of the grantee organiza-
tion or consortia and its affiliates that are pertinent 
to the grant made under this section. 
(j) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall admin-
ister the program under this section through the same of-
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fice or official under the Assistant Secretary for Commu-
nity Planning and Development that administers the Self- 
Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program, 
as authorized under section 11 of the Housing Oppor-
tunity Program Extension Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 12805 
note) 
(k) CLOSE-OUT.—The Secretary shall close out a 
grant made under this section upon determining that the 
aggregate amount of any assistance provided from the 
fund established under subsection (e)(1) by the grantee 
organization or consortium exceeds the amount of the 
grant. For purposes of this subsection, any interest, fees, 
and other earnings of the fund shall be excluded from the 
amount of the grant. 
(l) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days 
after close-out of all grants under this section is com-
pleted, the Secretary shall submit a report to the applica-
ble Committees describing— 
(1) the grants made under this section; 
(2) the grantees; 
(3) the housing for which abatement or removal 
of environmental hazards was performed in connec-
tion with the grant amounts; and 
(4) the purposes for which the grant amounts 
were used. 
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SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions 
shall apply: 
(1) APPLICABLE COMMITTEES.—The term ‘‘ap-
plicable Committees’’ means the House Committee 
on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 
(2) ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD.—The term ‘‘en-
vironmental hazard’’ means any condition that 
causes exposure to lead, asbestos, mold, and other 
hazards as determined by the Secretary. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
(4) 
UNITED
STATES.—The 
term 
‘‘United 
States’’ includes the States of the United States, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, 
and any other territory or possession of the United 
States. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
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