,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bia ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjac ,mr4 ,reed 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,johanns1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1 and ,mr4 ,franken7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to establish the ,council on ,healthy ,housing and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,healthy ,housing ,council ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in the ,united ,states-- 7,a7 #e1geg1jjj households live in homes with moderate or severe physical hazards2 7,b7 #bc1jjj1jjj homes have significant lead-based paint hazards2 7,c7 #f1jjj1jjj homes have had signs of mice in the last #c months2 and 7,d7 #a in #ae homes have dangerous levels of radon4 7#b7 ,residents of housing that is poorly designed1 constructed1 or maintained are at risk for cancer1 carbon monoxide poisoning1 burns1 falls1 rodent bites1 childhood lead poisoning1 asthma1 and other illnesses and injuries4 ,vulnerable subpopulations1 such as children and the elderly1 are at elevated risk for housing-related illnesses and injuries4 7#c7 ,because substandard housing typically poses the greatest risks1 the disparities in the distribution of housing-related health hazards are striking4 ,one million two hundred thousand housing units with significant lead-based paint hazards house low-income families with children under #f years of age4 7#d7 ,housing-related illnesses1 including asthma and lead poisoning1 disproportionately affect children from lower-income families and from specific racial and ethnic groups4 ,the prevalence of being diagnosed with asthma in a lifetime is #bd percent among ,puerto ,rican children1 #aj4a percent for ,mexican-,american children1 #ab4d percent for non-,hispanic ,white children1 and #ba4h percent for non-,hispanic ,black children4 ,black children are twice as likely to die from residential injuries as ,white children1 and #c percent of ,black children and #b percent of ,mexican-,american children have elevated blood lead levels1 as compared to only #a4c percent of ,white children4 7#e7 ,the annual costs for environmentally attributable childhood diseases in the ,united ,states1 including lead poisoning1 asthma1 and cancer1 total #gf1jjj1jjj1jjj in #bjjh dollars4 ,this amount is approximately #c4e percent of total health care costs4 7#f7 ,appropriate housing design1 construction1 and maintenance1 timely correction of deficiencies1 planning efforts1 and low-cost preventive measures can reduce the incidence of serious injury or death1 improve the ability of residents to survive in the event of a major catastrophe1 and contribute to overall well-being and mental health4 ,lead hazard control in homes with lead-based paint hazards can reduce children's blood lead levels by as much as #cd percent4 ,properly installed and maintained smoke alarms reduce the risk of fire deaths by #ej percent4 7#g7 ,providing healthy housing to families and individuals in the ,united ,states will help prevent an estimated #bej1jjj children from having elevated blood lead levels1 #ah1jjj injury deaths1 #ab1jjj1jjj nonfatal injuries1 #c1jjj deaths in house fires1 #i1fjj emergency department visits for carbon monoxide exposure1 and #ba1jjj radon-associated lung cancer deaths that occur in ,united ,states housing each year1 as well as #ab1cjj1jjj asthma attacks1 and #ad1jjj1jjj missed school days4 7#h7 ,while there are many programs in place to address housing-related health hazards1 these programs are fragmented and spread across many agencies1 making it difficult for at-risk families and individuals to access assistance or to receive comprehensive information4 7#i7 ,better coordination among ,federal agencies is needed1 as is better coordination at ,state and local levels1 to ensure that families and individuals can access government programs and services in an effective and efficient manner4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act1 the following definitions shall apply3 7#a7 ,council ,the term ,council means the ,interagency ,council on ,healthy ,housing established under section #d4 7#b7 ,healthy housing ,the term healthy housing means housing that is designed1 constructed1 rehabilitated1 and maintained in a manner that supports the health of the occupants of such housing4 7#c7 ,housing ,the term housing means any form of residence1 including rental housing1 homeownership1 group home1 or supportive housing arrangement4 7#d7 ,housing-related health hazard ,the term housing-related health hazard means any biological1 physical1 or chemical source of exposure or condition either in1 or immediately adjacent to1 housing1 that can adversely affect human health4 7#e7 ,low-income families and individuals ,the term low-income families and individuals means any household or individual with an income at or below #bjj percent of the ,federal poverty line4 7#f7 ,poverty line ,the term poverty line means the official poverty line defined by the ,office of ,management and ,budget based on the most recent data available from the ,bureau of the ,census4 7#g7 ,program ,the term program includes any ,federal1 ,state1 or local program providing housing or financial assistance1 health care1 mortgages1 bond and tax financing1 homebuyer support courses1 financial education1 mortgage insurance or loan guarantees1 housing counseling1 supportive services1 energy assistance1 or other assistance related to healthy housing4 7#h7 ,service ,the term service includes public and environmental health services1 housing services1 energy efficiency services1 human services1 and any other services needed to ensure that families and individuals in the ,united ,states have access to healthy housing4 #d4 ,interagency council on healthy housing 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established in the executive branch an independent council to be known as the ,interagency ,council on ,healthy ,housing4 7b7 ,objectives ,the objectives of the ,council are as follows3 7#a7 ,to promote the supply of and demand for healthy housing in the ,united ,states through capacity building1 technical assistance1 education1 and public policy4 7#b7 ,to promote coordination and collaboration among the ,federal departments and agencies involved with housing1 public health1 energy efficiency1 emergency preparedness and response1 and the environment to improve services for families and individuals residing in inadequate or unsafe housing and to make recommendations about needed changes in programs and services with an emphasis on-- 7,a7 maximizing the impact of existing programs and services by transitioning the focus of such programs and services from categorical approaches to comprehensive approaches that consider and address multiple housing-related health hazards2 7,b7 reducing or eliminating areas of overlap and duplication in the provision and accessibility of such programs and services2 7,c7 ensuring that resources1 including assistance with capacity building1 are targeted to and sufficient to meet the needs of high-risk communities1 families1 and individuals2 and 7,d7 facilitating access by families and individuals to programs and services that help reduce health hazards in housing4 7#c7 ,to identify knowledge gaps1 research needs1 and policy and program deficiencies associated with inadequate housing conditions and housing-related illnesses and injuries4 7#d7 ,to help identify best practices for achieving and sustaining healthy housing4 7#e7 ,to help improve the quality of existing and newly constructed housing and related programs and services1 including those programs and services which serve low-income families and individuals4 7#f7 ,to establish an ongoing system of coordination among and within such agencies or organizations so that the healthy housing needs of families and individuals are met in a more effective and efficient manner4 7c7 ,membership ,the ,council shall be composed of the following members3 7#a7 ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7#b7 ,the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7#c7 ,the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#d7 ,the ,secretary of ,energy4 7#e7 ,the ,secretary of ,labor4 7#f7 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4 7#g7 ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury4 7#h7 ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 7#i7 ,the ,secretary of ,education4 7#aj7 ,the head of any other ,federal agency as the ,council considers appropriate4 7#aa7 ,six additional non-,federal employee members1 as appointed by the ,president to serve terms not to exceed #b years1 of whom-- 7,a7 #a shall be a ,state or local ,government ,director of ,health or the ,environment2 7,b7 #a shall be a ,state or local ,government ,director of ,housing or ,community ,development2 7,c7 #b shall represent nonprofit organizations involved in housing or health issues2 and 7,d7 #b shall represent for-profit entities involved in the housing1 banking1 or health insurance industries4 7d7 ,co-,chairpersons ,the co-,chairpersons of the ,council shall be the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7e7 ,vice chair ,every #b years1 the ,council shall elect a ,vice ,chair from among its members4 7f7 ,meetings ,the ,council shall meet at the call of either co-,chairperson or a majority of its members at any time1 and no less often than annually4 #e4 ,functions of the council 7a7 ,relevant activities ,in carrying out the objectives described in section #d7;b71 the ,council shall-- 7#a7 review ,federal programs and services that provide housing1 health1 energy1 or environmental services to families and individuals2 7#b7 monitor1 evaluate1 and recommend improvements in programs and services administered1 funded1 or financed by ,federal1 ,state1 and local agencies to assist families and individuals in accessing healthy housing and make recommendations about how such agencies can better work to meet the healthy housing and related needs of low-income families and individuals2 and 7#c7 recommend ways to-- 7,a7 reduce duplication among programs and services by ,federal agencies that assist families and individuals in meeting their healthy housing and related service needs2 7,b7 ensure collaboration among and within agencies in the provision and availability of programs and services so that families and individuals are able to easily access needed programs and services2 7,c7 work with ,states and local governments to better meet the needs of families and individuals for healthy housing by-- 7i7 holding meetings with ,state and local representatives2 and 7ii7 providing ongoing technical assistance and training to ,states and localities in better meeting the housing-related needs of such families and individuals2 7,d7 identify best practices for programs and services that assist families and individuals in accessing healthy housing1 including model-- 7i7 programs linking housing1 health1 environmental1 human1 and energy services2 7ii7 housing and remodeling financing products offered by government1 quasi-government1 and private sector entities2 7iii7 housing and building codes and regulatory practices2 7iv7 existing and new consensus specifications and work practices documents2 7v7 capacity building and training programs that help increase and diversify the supply of practitioners who perform assessments of housing-related health hazards and interventions to address housing-related health hazards2 and 7vi7 programs that increase community awareness of1 and education on1 housing-related health hazards and available assessments and interventions2 7,e7 develop a comprehensive healthy housing research agenda that considers health1 safety1 environmental1 and energy factors1 to-- 7i7 identify cost-effective assessments and treatment protocols for housing-related health hazards in existing housing2 7ii7 establish links between housing hazards and health outcomes2 7iii7 track housing-related health problems including injuries1 illnesses1 and death2 7iv7 track housing conditions that may be associated with health problems2 7v7 identify cost-effective protocols for construction of new healthy housing2 and 7vi7 identify replicable and effective programs or strategies for addressing housing-related health hazards2 7#d7 hold biannual meetings with stakeholders and other interested parties in a location convenient for such stakeholders1 or hold open ,council meetings1 to receive input and ideas about how to best meet the healthy housing needs of families and individuals2 7#e7 maintain an updated website of policies1 meetings1 best practices1 programs and services1 making use of existing websites as appropriate1 to keep people informed of the activities of the ,council2 and 7#f7 work with member agencies to collect and maintain data on housing-related health hazards1 illnesses1 and injuries so that all data can be accessed in #a place and to identify and address unmet data needs4 7b7 ,reports 7#a7 ,by members ,each year the head of each agency who is a member of the ,council shall prepare and transmit to the ,council a report that briefly summarizes-- 7,a7 each healthy housing-related program and service administered by the agency and the number of families and individuals served by each program or service1 the resources available in each program or service1 and a breakdown of where each program and service can be accessed2 7,b7 the barriers and impediments1 including statutory or regulatory1 to the access and use of such programs and services by families and individuals1 with particular attention to the barriers and impediments experienced by low-income families and individuals2 7,c7 the efforts made by the agency to increase opportunities for families and individuals1 including low-income families and individuals1 to reside in healthy housing1 including how the agency is working with other agencies to better coordinate programs and services2 and 7,d7 any new data collected by the agency relating to the healthy housing needs of families and individuals4 7#b7 ,by the council ,each year1 the ,council shall prepare and transmit to the ,president and the ,congress1 a report that-- 7,a7 summarizes the reports required in paragraph 7#a72 7,b7 utilizes recent data to assess the nature of housing-related health hazards1 and associated illnesses and injuries1 in the ,united ,states2 7,c7 provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the programs and services of the ,federal ,government in meeting the needs and problems described in subparagraph 7,b72 7,d7 describes the activities and accomplishments of the ,council in working with ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments1 nonprofit organizations and for-profit entities in coordinating programs and services to meet the needs described in subparagraph 7,b7 and the resources available to meet those needs2 7,e7 assesses the level of ,federal assistance required to meet the needs described in subparagraph 7,b72 and 7,f7 makes recommendations for appropriate legislative and administrative actions to meet the needs described in subparagraph 7,b7 and for coordinating programs and services designed to meet those needs4 #f4 ,powers of the council 7a7 ,hearings ,the ,council may hold such hearings1 sit and act at such times and places1 take such testimony1 and receive such evidence as the ,council considers advisable to carry out the purposes of this ,act4 7b7 ,information from agencies ,agencies which are represented on the ,council shall provide all requested information and data to the ,council as requested4 7c7 ,postal services ,the ,council may use the ,united ,states mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the ,federal ,government4 7d7 ,contracts and interagency agreements ,the ,council may enter into contracts with ,state1 ,tribal1 and local governments1 public agencies and private-sector entities1 and into interagency agreements with ,federal agencies4 ,such contracts and interagency agreements may be single-year or multi-year in duration4 #g4 ,council personnel matters 7a7 ,staff 7#a7 ,executive ,director ,the ,council shall appoint an ,executive ,director at its initial meeting4 ,the ,executive ,director shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,compensation ,with the approval of the ,council1 the ,executive ,director may appoint and fix the compensation of such additional personnel as the ,executive ,director considers necessary to carry out the duties of the ,council1 except that the rate of pay for any such additional personnel may not exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of such title4 7b7 ,temporary and intermittent services ,in carrying out its objectives1 the ,executive ,director with the approval of the ,council1 may procure temporary and intermittent services of consultants and experts under section #caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay payable for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of such title4 7c7 ,detail of ,government employees ,upon request of the ,council1 any ,federal ,government employee may be detailed to the ,council with reimbursement1 and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege4 7d7 ,administrative support ,the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development shall provide the ,council with such administrative 7including office space7 and support services as are necessary to ensure that the ,council can carry out its functions in an efficient and expeditious manner4 #h4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,in general ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act1 #gej1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjac through #bjag4 7b7 ,availability ,amounts authorized to be appropriated by subsection 7a7 shall remain available for the #b fiscal years following such appropriation4