Title: CO ALERTS Act of 2019
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every Resident To Safety Act of 2019 or the CO ALERTS Act of 2019
This bill requires the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each unit of specified federally assisted housing, in accordance with certain standards. Specifically, the requirement applies to (1) supportive housing for the elderly and for persons with disabilities, (2) public housing, (3) rental housing for which the owner receives low-income voucher assistance, and (4) certain rural housing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must provide guidance to public housing agencies on how to educate tenants on health hazards in the home.
HUD must also report on the inclusion of carbon monoxide detectors in federally assisted housing not covered by the bill.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2160 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2160

    To require carbon monoxide alarms in certain federally assisted 
                    housing, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2019

 Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Menendez) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                 on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require carbon monoxide alarms in certain federally assisted 
                    housing, 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 ``Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every 
Resident To Safety Act of 2019'' or the ``CO ALERTS Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) carbon monoxide alarms are not required by federally 
        assisted housing programs, when not required by State or local 
        codes;
            (2) numerous federally assisted housing residents have lost 
        their lives due to carbon monoxide poisoning;
            (3) the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning occur 
        immediately and can result in death in a matter of minutes;
            (4) carbon monoxide exposure can cause permanent brain 
        damage, life-threatening cardiac complications, fetal death or 
        miscarriage, and death, among other harmful health conditions;
            (5) carbon monoxide poisoning is especially dangerous for 
        unborn babies, children, elderly individuals, and individuals 
        with cardiovascular disease, among others with chronic health 
        conditions;
            (6) the majority of the 4,600,000 families receiving 
        Federal housing assistance are families with young children, 
        elderly individuals, or individuals with disabilities, making 
        them especially vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning;
            (7) more than 400 people die and 50,000 additional people 
        visit the emergency room annually as a result of carbon 
        monoxide poisoning;
            (8) carbon monoxide poisoning is entirely preventable and 
        early detection is possible with the use of carbon monoxide 
        alarms;
            (9) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns 
        that carbon monoxide poisoning is entirely preventable and 
        recommends the installation of carbon monoxide alarms;
            (10) the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes of 
        the Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends the 
        installation of carbon monoxide alarms as a best practice to 
        keep families and individuals safe and to protect health; and
            (11) in order to safeguard the health and well-being of 
        tenants in federally assisted housing, the Federal Government 
        should consider best practices for primary prevention of carbon 
        monoxide-related incidents.

SEC. 3. CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS IN FEDERALLY ASSISTED HOUSING.

    (a) Public Housing, Tenant-Based Assistance, and Project-Based 
Assistance.--The United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 3(a) (42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)), by adding at the 
        end the following:
            ``(8) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each public housing agency 
        shall ensure that carbon monoxide alarms are installed in each 
        dwelling unit in public housing owned or operated by the public 
        housing agency in a manner that meets or exceeds--
                    ``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 
                of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code, 
                as published by the International Code Council; or
                    ``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
                Secretary, including any relevant updates to the 
                International Fire Code, through a notice published in 
                the Federal Register.''; and
            (2) in section 8 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)--
                    (A) by inserting after subsection (i) the 
                following:
    ``(j) Carbon Monoxide Alarms.--Each owner of a dwelling unit 
receiving project-based assistance under this section shall ensure that 
carbon monoxide alarms are installed in the dwelling unit in a manner 
that meets or exceeds--
            ``(1) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the 
        2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published 
        by the International Code Council; or
            ``(2) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
        Secretary, including any relevant updates to the International 
        Fire Code, through a notice published in the Federal 
        Register.''; and
                    (B) in subsection (o), by adding at the end the 
                following:
            ``(21) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each dwelling unit 
        receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance 
        under this subsection shall have carbon monoxide alarms 
        installed in the dwelling unit in a manner that meets or 
        exceeds--
                    ``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 
                of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code, 
                as published by the International Code Council; or
                    ``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
                Secretary, including any relevant updates to the 
                International Fire Code, through a notice published in 
                the Federal Register.''.
    (b) Supportive Housing for the Elderly.--Section 202(j) of the 
Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q(j)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(9) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each owner of a dwelling 
        unit assisted under this section shall ensure that carbon 
        monoxide alarms are installed in the dwelling unit in a manner 
        that meets or exceeds--
                    ``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 
                of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code, 
                as published by the International Code Council; or
                    ``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
                Secretary, including any relevant updates to the 
                International Fire Code, through a notice published in 
                the Federal Register.''.
    (c) Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities.--Section 
811(j) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 
U.S.C. 8013(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Carbon monoxide alarms.--Each dwelling unit assisted 
        under this section shall contain installed carbon monoxide 
        alarms that meet or exceed--
                    ``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 
                of the 2018 publication of the International Fire Code, 
                as published by the International Code Council; or
                    ``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
                Secretary, including any relevant updates to the 
                International Fire Code, through a notice published in 
                the Federal Register.''.
    (d) Rural Housing.--Title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 
1471 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 514 (42 U.S.C. 1484), by adding at the end 
        the following:
    ``(j) Housing and related facilities constructed with loans under 
this section shall contain installed carbon monoxide alarms that meet 
or exceed--
            ``(1) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the 
        2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published 
        by the International Code Council; or
            ``(2) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
        Secretary, including any relevant updates to the International 
        Fire Code, through a notice published in the Federal 
        Register.''; and
            (2) in section 515 (42 U.S.C. 1485)--
                    (A) in subsection (m), by inserting ``(1)'' before 
                ``The Secretary shall establish''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) Housing and related facilities rehabilitated or repaired with 
amounts received under a loan made or insured under this section shall 
contain installed carbon monoxide alarms that meet or exceed--
            ``(A) the standards described in chapters 9 and 11 of the 
        2018 publication of the International Fire Code, as published 
        by the International Code Council; or
            ``(B) any other standards as may be adopted by the 
        Secretary, including any relevant updates to the International 
        Fire Code, through a notice published in the Federal 
        Register.''.
    (e) Guidance.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall 
provide guidance to public housing agencies (as defined in section 
3(b)(6) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437a(b)(6)) on how to educate tenants on health hazards in the home, 
including to carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning, asthma induced 
by housing-related allergens, and other housing-related preventable 
outcomes, to help advance primary prevention and prevent future deaths 
and other harms.
    (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) through 
(d) shall take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to implement the provisions of this section such sums as 
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.
    (h) No Preemption.--Nothing in the amendments made by this section 
shall be construed to preempt or limit the applicability of any State 
or local law relating to the installation and maintenance of carbon 
monoxide alarms in housing that requires standards that are more 
stringent than the standards described in the amendments made by this 
section.

SEC. 4. STUDY ON INCLUSION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS IN OTHER UNITS.

    The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation 
with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, shall conduct a study and 
issue a publicly available report on requiring carbon monoxide alarms 
in federally assisted housing that is not covered in the amendments 
made by section 3.
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