What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to check rental properties that receive government assistance for lead hazards every year. The bill focuses on protecting children under 6 years old from lead exposure, including lead-based paint and lead service lines (pipes that carry water). HUD must create a plan to fix lead hazards and report findings to Congress.
Who It Affects
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Owners of rental properties receiving tenant-based or project-based rental assistance
- Families and children under 6 years old living in these rental properties
- Congress (receives reports)
Key Provisions
- HUD must conduct yearly risk assessments of rental properties receiving government housing assistance to identify which ones have the greatest risk of exposing young children to lead hazards (Sec. 2(b)(1))
- HUD must develop an action plan to fix, control and prevent lead hazards, giving priority to properties where children under 6 live (Sec. 2(b)(2))
- HUD must submit a report to Congress listing properties with lead hazards and how many children under 6 live there (Sec. 2(b)(3))
- Lead-based paint and lead service lines must be included as serious health and safety problems in property inspections so owners are held responsible for fixing them (Sec. 2(c))
What Changes
If passed, HUD will be required to systematically track and assess lead hazards in rental properties that receive government housing assistance each year, beginning within one year of the law taking effect.
Important Definitions
- "Covered housing" means rental units that receive money from the government to help pay rent (called project-based or tenant-based rental assistance)
- "Department" means the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Effective Date
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1366
To require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct
an annual risk assessment of properties receiving tenant-based or project-
based rental assistance for lead-based hazards, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 3, 2023
Mr. RUTHERFORD (for himself and Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To require the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment to conduct an annual risk assessment of properties
receiving tenant-based or project-based rental assistance
for lead-based hazards, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Keep Children and
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Families Safe from Lead Hazards Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. LEAD-BASED PAINT.
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(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—
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(1) the term ‘‘covered housing’’ means a dwell-
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ing unit receiving project-based rental assistance or
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tenant-based rental assistance under section 8 of the
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United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
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1437f); and
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(2) the term ‘‘Department’’ means the Depart-
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ment of Housing and Urban Development.
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(b) ANNUAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND REPORT.—Not
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later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act,
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and every year thereafter, the Deputy Assistant Secretary
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for the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs of the De-
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partment, in collaboration with the Office of Lead Hazard
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Control and Healthy Homes of the Department, shall—
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(1) conduct a risk assessment of covered hous-
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ing to identify properties with the greatest risk of
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exposing children under the age of 6 years old to
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lead hazards, including lead-based paint and lead
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service lines;
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(2) develop an action plan relating to remedi-
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ation, control, and safeguards to address lead haz-
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ards, including lead-based paint and lead-service
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lines, in covered housing identified in the risk as-
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sessment conducted under paragraph (1), with pri-
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ority given to those properties with children under
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the age of 6 years old; and
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•HR 1366 IH
(3) submit to Congress a report on properties
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with covered housing that have lead-based paint or
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lead service lines, including the number of children
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under the age of 6 years old living at these prop-
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erties.
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(c) UNIFORM PHYSICAL CONDITION STANDARD IN-
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SPECTIONS.—In conducting uniform physical condition in-
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spections in accordance with part 5 of title 24, Code of
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Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, the Sec-
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retary shall include lead-based paint and lead service lines
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in the graded scoring as an exigent health and safety defi-
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ciency to ensure that—
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(1) lead-based paint and lead service lines are
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tracked at each applicable property; and
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(2) the owners of those properties are held ac-
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countable for remediating deficiencies.
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Æ
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