I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1259 
To increase the use and research of sustainable building design technology, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2007 
Mr. SMITH
of Washington (for himself, Mr. LEWIS
of Georgia, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DICKS, Mr. 
SERRANO, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 
MARKEY, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. 
RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, and Mr. INSLEE) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology, 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 increase the use and research of sustainable building 
design technology, 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 ‘‘High-Performance 
Buildings Act of 2007’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN HOUS-
ING STRATEGY. 
Section 105(b) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
Affordable Housing Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12705(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(19); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (20) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(3) and by inserting after paragraph (20) the 
following: 
‘‘(21) describe the jurisdiction’s strategies to 
encourage sustainable development for affordable 
housing, as measured by— 
‘‘(A) greater energy efficiency; 
‘‘(B) increased conservation and reuse of 
resources; 
‘‘(C) more effective use of existing infra-
structure; 
‘‘(D) use of building materials and meth-
ods that are healthier for residents of the hous-
ing; and 
‘‘(E) such other criteria as the Secretary 
determines are in accordance with the purposes 
of this paragraph.’’. 
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SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE SUSTAINABLE LOW- 
INCOME COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CAPAC-
ITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development may make grants to nonprofit organi-
zations to use for any of the following purposes: 
(1) Training, educating, supporting, or advising 
an eligible community development organization in 
improving energy efficiency, resource conservation 
and reuse, and effective use of existing infrastruc-
ture in affordable housing and economic develop-
ment activities in low-income communities. 
(2) Providing loans, grants, or predevelopment 
assistance to eligible community development organi-
zations to carry out energy efficiency improvements, 
resource conservation and reuse, and effective use of 
existing infrastructure in affordable housing and 
economic development activities in low-income com-
munities. 
(3) Such other purposes as the Secretary deter-
mines are in accordance with the purposes of this 
subsection. 
(b) APPLICATION REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible for 
a grant under this section, a nonprofit organization shall 
prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at 
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such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary may require. 
(c) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—A grant made under 
this section may not exceed the amount that the nonprofit 
organization receiving the grant certifies, to the Secretary, 
will be provided (in cash or in kind) from non-govern-
mental sources to carry out the purposes for which the 
grant is made. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 104 of the Cran-
ston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
U.S.C. 12704). 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible community development 
organization’’ means— 
(A) a unit of general local government (as 
defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez 
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
12704)); 
(B) a community housing development or-
ganization (as defined in section 104 of the 
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Hous-
ing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704)); or 
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(C) a tribal government (as defined in sec-
tion 421 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 (2 U.S.C. 658)). 
(3) The term ‘‘low-income community’’ means a 
census tract in which 50 percent or more of the 
households have an income which is less than 80 
percent of the greater of— 
(A) the area median gross income for such 
year for the area in which such census tract is 
located; or 
(B) the median gross income for such year 
for the State in which such census tract is lo-
cated. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 
through 2012. 
SEC. 4. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING INSTITUTE. 
The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 
U.S.C. 1861 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 17. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING INSTITUTE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the Foundation a Sustainable Building Institute (herein-
after in this section referred to as the ‘Institute’). 
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‘‘(b) DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) UNDERTAKING
AND
SUPPORTING
RE-
SEARCH
AND
OTHER
ACTIVITIES.—The Institute 
shall undertake, or support through providing 
grants, loans, or other forms of assistance— 
‘‘(A) research regarding the relationships 
among indoor environmental quality, human 
health, and human productivity; and 
‘‘(B) research, development, and commer-
cial application of energy efficiency and renew-
able energy technologies for buildings, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) water heating systems and light-
ing systems; 
‘‘(ii) building insulation technology; 
‘‘(iii) technology and methods for im-
proving the cost effectiveness of fuel cells; 
and 
‘‘(iv) technology and methods for re-
ducing the installation costs of solar photo-
voltaic energy systems. 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION TO AVOID DUPLICATION.— 
The Institute shall consult with other Federal agen-
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cies to avoid duplication of activities authorized 
under this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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