I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 43 
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide 
financial assistance for the development and reuse of brownfields. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2007 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act 
of 1974 to provide financial assistance for the develop-
ment and reuse of brownfields. 
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 ‘‘Brownfields Housing 
and Community Renewal Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.—The Congress finds 
the following: 
(1) Addressing the problem of contaminated 
abandoned industrial or commercial properties by 
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funding programs that encourage the reuse of such 
properties must continue to be a priority of this 
country. 
(2) Brownfields grant programs funded through 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are uti-
lized for environmental assessment, planning, job 
training, and cleanup. 
(3) EPA brownfields programs are not ade-
quate to rehabilitate, demolish, or redevelop struc-
tures. 
(4) The Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment is an appropriate agency to provide 
grants to redevelop contaminated, abandoned or un-
derutilized buildings, which pose not only a possible 
health risk but also impact a community’s quality of 
life. 
(5) Local communities need additional redevel-
opment programs that provide new flexibility to or-
ganizations to be part of community development ef-
forts. 
(6) The Congress should fund appropriate Fed-
eral programs that allow communities to redevelop 
their neighborhoods and improve the quality of life 
in the surrounding areas. 
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(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to em-
power local communities and their partners to clean and 
redevelop brownfields in their communities by providing— 
(1) flexibility for the development of local plans 
to address brownfields problems; and 
(2) access to economic development grant 
funds. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY RE-
NEWAL THROUGH BROWNFIELD REDEVELOP-
MENT. 
Section 108 of the Housing and Community Develop-
ment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5308) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (r) as sub-
section (s); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (q) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(r) GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY RE-
NEWAL THROUGH BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary shall establish a program under this sub-
section to make grants to assist in carrying out re-
development activities for brownfield sites and aban-
doned, idled, and underused industrial, commercial 
or housing structures located in brownfield sites. 
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‘‘(2) GRANTEES AND GRANT CONDITIONS.—A 
grant may be made under this subsection to a unit 
of general local government, including an agency of 
such a unit, an entity affiliated with such a unit, a 
nonprofit organization, or a community development 
corporation, but only pursuant to a grant proposal 
for redevelopment of a brownfield site or sites, which 
is submitted to and approved by the Secretary and 
ensures that the grant will be used for at least one 
of the following purposes: 
‘‘(A) To benefit low and moderate income 
communities. 
‘‘(B) To increase affordable housing oppor-
tunities. 
‘‘(C) To address imminent threats or ur-
gent community needs. 
‘‘(D) To provide open spaces or parks. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to grant 
proposals that ensure that the grant will be used for 
two or more of the objectives specified in subpara-
graphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2). 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—The Sec-
retary shall not require, for eligibility to a grant 
under this section, that such grant amounts be used 
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only in connection or conjunction with projects and 
activities assisted with a loan guaranteed under this 
section. 
‘‘(5) GRANT
AMOUNT.—Each grant award 
made under this subsection shall be of sufficient size 
to carry out the goals of this subsection, but shall 
not exceed $1,000,000. 
‘‘(6) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—A recipient of a 
grant under this subsection may use not more than 
10 percent of the amount of the grant for reasonable 
administrative costs necessary in carrying out the 
brownfields project for which the grant is made. 
‘‘(7) AUDITS.—The Secretary shall establish 
and carry out procedures for auditing or reviewing 
grants made under this subsection. 
‘‘(8) VIOLATIONS.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish and implement appropriate measures to sanction 
grantees who are found to have violated the require-
ments under this subsection or any grant conditions. 
‘‘(9) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘brownfield site’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 101 of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabil-
ity Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601). 
‘‘(10) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to 
be appropriated for grants under this sub-
section $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, 
$50,000,000 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2009, 
and 
$75,000,000 for fiscal year 2010. 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY.—Any amounts appro-
priated pursuant to this paragraph shall remain 
available until expended. 
‘‘(11) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall submit a report to the Congress, not later than 
30 months after the date of the enactment of the 
Brownfields Housing and Community Renewal De-
velopment Act, on the use and impact of the grant 
program under this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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