HR 4359
Public Housing Fire Safety Act
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
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Bill overview
This bill creates a grant program to help public housing agencies install automatic sprinkler systems in public housing projects. The program will focus on ‘exempted’ public housing projects, which are not newly constructed or subject to certain fire safety regulations. The bill also requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to report on the prevalence of sprinkler systems in public housing and offer recommendations for improvement.
Key provisions
- Establishes a grant program for public housing agencies to install automatic sprinkler systems.
- Focuses grant funding on ‘exempted’ public housing projects.
- Requires the Secretary of HUD to report on sprinkler system presence in public housing.
- Authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 per year from the Capital Fund from 2025-2034.
- Excludes rebuilt multifamily properties from sprinkler system installation under the grant program.
- Defines key terms related to public housing and fire safety regulations.
Who is affected
- Public Housing Agencies
- Public Housing Residents
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Federal Government
- Multifamily Property Owners
Notable changes
- The bill specifically targets ‘exempted’ public housing projects, potentially leaving some older or less regulated properties without immediate upgrades.
- It establishes a dedicated funding stream through the Capital Fund for sprinkler system installations.
Sponsors
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 4359
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To establish a grant program to provide amounts to public housing agencies to install automatic sprinkler systems in public housing, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Public Housing Fire Safety Act
.
In this Act—
the term automatic sprinkler system has the meaning given the term in section 31(a) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(a));
the term Capital Fund means the Capital Fund established under section 9(d) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d));
the term exempted public housing project means a public housing project that—
is not a newly constructed multifamily property, as defined in section 31(c)(2)(A)(ii) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(c)(2)(A)(ii)); and
is not subject to the requirements under section 31(c) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(c));
the terms public housing and public housing agency have the meanings given those terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)); and
the term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
With respect to inspections of public housing conducted by the Secretary, including through the Real Estate Assessment Center, the Secretary shall report on the presence or absence of automatic sprinkler systems in public housing.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, based on inspections of public housing conducted during the 3-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, submit to Congress a report on the presence or absence of automatic sprinkler systems in public housing, in particular in exempted public housing projects, which shall include recommendations to improve fire safety in exempted public housing projects.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a public housing agency to install an automatic sprinkler system in an exempted public housing project.
The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary shall award grants to public housing agencies to install automatic sprinkler systems in exempted public housing projects.
A public housing agency may not use amounts received under this section to install automatic sprinkler systems in a rebuilt multifamily property, as defined in section 31(c)(2)(B)(iii) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2227(c)(2)(B)(iii)).
In addition to amounts appropriated to the Capital Fund under any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Capital Fund $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2034 to carry out this section.