Green Retrofits Act
Bill: S.2361 | Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack (D-RI)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Green Retrofits Act
This bill reauthorizes a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) water and energy conservation demonstration program through FY2027. Prior to its FY2019 expiration, the program allowed HUD to execute agreements with specified entities to reduce utility costs through improvements at multifamily subsidized housing projects.
The reauthorization makes a number of changes to the original program, including increasing the cap on eligible residential units from 20,000 to 35,000 and extending the cap on agreement terms from 12 to 15 years.
The bill also creates a green retrofit program that allows HUD to provide grants or loans to owners of multifamily subsidized housing projects. The grants or loans must be used to perform in-home health and green retrofits to the property.

To reauthorize the budget-neutral demonstration program for energy and 
  water conservation at multifamily residential units, to establish a 
            green retrofit program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Green Retrofits Act''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF BUDGET-NEUTRAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    Section 81001 of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 12712 note; Public Law 
114-94) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``2016 through 2019'' and inserting 
                ``2022 through 2027'';
                    (B) by striking ``costs'' and inserting ``burdens 
                and greenhouse gas emissions''; and
                    (C) by striking ``20,000'' and inserting 
                ``35,000'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``an energy or water cost 
                        savings is'' and inserting ``energy or water 
                        costs savings are'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C)(iv), by striking 
                        ``determination of savings to the Secretary'' 
                        and inserting ``validation of subsidy amounts 
                        from the Department of Housing and Urban 
                        Development required to support actual utility 
                        costs''; and
                            (iii) by striking the undesignated matter 
                        following subparagraph (C); and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), 
                        (C), (D), and (E) as subparagraphs (C), (D), 
                        (E), and (G), respectively;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``effect and during'' and inserting ``effect;
                    ``(B) the period during'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (B), as so 
                        designated, by striking ``12 years'' and 
                        inserting ``15 years'';
                            (iv) in subparagraph (D), as so 
                        redesignated, by inserting ``property or'' 
                        before ``properties'';
                            (v) in subparagraph (E), as so 
                        redesignated, by striking ``and'' at the end; 
                        and
                            (vi) by inserting after subparagraph (E), 
                        as so redesignated, the following:
                    ``(F) a requirement that the costs associated with 
                third-party verification under paragraph (1)(C) shall 
                be covered by the entity; and'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(2), in the matter preceding 
        subparagraph (A), by striking ``annually thereafter'' and 
        inserting ``biennially thereafter until the date on which the 
        final performance-based agreement under this section ends''; 
        and
            (4) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
    ``(d) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--For each fiscal year during which an 
        agreement under this section is in effect, the Secretary may 
        make payments under this section from funds appropriated to the 
        Secretary for the renewal of contracts under the program 
        established under subsection (a).
            ``(2) Evaluation and reports.--The Secretary may use 
        amounts appropriated to carry out this section to contract for 
        services to perform the program evaluations and produce the 
        reports required under subsection (c).
            ``(3) Approval of utility savings.--Obligations of amounts 
        available for payments pursuant to this subsection shall not 
        arise until the Secretary has approved the documented utility 
        savings submitted by the entity and verified by the third party 
        for that annual increment and determined that actual savings 
        did occur and payments may be made.''.

SEC. 3. GREEN RETROFIT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered property.--The term ``covered property'' means 
        a multifamily residential property receiving project-based 
        assistance under--
                    (A) section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 
                U.S.C. 1701q);
                    (B) section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
                Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013); or
                    (C) section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 
                1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).
            (2) Eligible entity.--the term ``eligible entity'' means 
        the owner of a covered property.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program to 
provide grants or loans to eligible entities for the purpose of 
performing in-home health and green retrofits to covered properties.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the program established under 
subsection (b) shall be to, with respect to a covered property--
            (1) reduce the energy demand, water consumption, or 
        greenhouse gas emissions of the covered property;
            (2) increase the adoption of renewable energy technologies, 
        including energy storage and demand response capable 
        technology, and energy efficiency measures in the covered 
        property;
            (3) lower the operating costs of the covered property;
            (4) improve the quality of life of residents of the covered 
        property;
            (5) reduce risks to the health and safety of residents of 
        the covered property; and
            (6) reduce the overall impact on the environment of the 
        covered property.
    (d) Equitable Distribution.--In awarding grants or loans under this 
section, the Secretary shall ensure the equitable geographic 
distribution of awards.
    (e) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may promulgate regulations 
        to carry out the program established under subsection (b).
            (2) Consultation.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Energy, the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
        the maximum extent practicable.
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