,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cbie ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ad1 #bjai,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,katko1 ,mr4 ,heck1 and ,ms4 ,scanlon7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services ,a ,,bill ,to study and facilitate the abatement and removal of environmental hazards in homes rehabilitated with community participation1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,removing ,environmental ,hazards ,and ,building ,safely ,act of #bjai or the ,,rehabs ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,study and removal of environmental hazards in homes being rehabilitated 7a7 ,study ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development shall conduct a study on-- 7#a7 the best methods to assess the amount of mold in a single family home prior to such home being rehabilitated2 7#b7 the danger posed by mold in a single family home prior to such home being rehabilitated2 and 7#c7 best practices for safely removing mold when rehabilitating a single family home4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #cj days after the completion of the study pursuant to subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall submit a report to ,congress containing the results of such study1 and make such report available on a public website of the ,department4 #c4 ,grant program for the abatement and removal of environmental hazards from homes 7a7 ,grant authority ,the ,secretary may1 to the extent amounts are available to carry out this section and the requirements of this section are met1 make grants to provide for or facilitate the abatement and removal of environmental hazards in homes being rehabilitated to national and regional organizations and consortia that have experience in providing for or facilitating the abatement and removal of environmental hazards from homes4 7b7 ,goals and accountability ,in making grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that-- 7#a7 assistance provided under this section is used to provide for or facilitate the abatement and removal of environmental hazards in homes being rehabilitated through the provision of self-help housing1 under which the homeowner contributes a significant amount of sweat equity toward the rehabilitation of the dwelling2 7#b7 the dwellings for which abatement or removal is performed in connection with assistance provided under this section are quality dwellings that comply with local building and safety codes and standards and are available at prices below the prevailing market prices2 7#c7 the provision of assistance under this section establishes and fosters a partnership between the ,federal ,government and organizations and consortia1 resulting in efficient rehabilitation of affordable housing with minimal governmental intervention1 limited governmental regulation1 and significant involvement by private entities2 7#d7 activities to rehabilitate housing assisted pursuant to this section involve community participation in which volunteers assist in the rehabilitation of dwellings2 and 7#e7 assistance under this section for the abatement or removal of environmental hazards is provided for dwellings on a geographically diverse basis1 which shall include areas having high housing costs1 rural areas1 and areas underserved by other homeownership opportunities that are populated by low-income families unable to otherwise afford housing4 ,if1 at any time1 the ,secretary determines that the goals under this subsection cannot be met by providing assistance in accordance with the terms of this section1 the ,secretary shall immediately notify the applicable ,committees in writing of such determination and any proposed changes for such goals or this section4 7c7 ,national competition ,the ,secretary shall select organizations and consortia referred to in subsection 7a7 to receive grants through a national competitive process1 which the ,secretary shall establish4 7d7 ,use ,amounts from grants made under this section1 including any recaptured amounts1 shall be used only for the abatement and removal of environmental hazards in connection with rehabilitating existing homes to make them decent1 safe1 and sanitary nonluxury dwellings in the ,united ,states for families and persons who otherwise would be unable to afford to purchase a dwelling4 7e7 ,establishment of grant fund 7#a7 ,in general ,any amounts from a grant made under this section shall be deposited by the grantee organization or consortium in a fund that is established by such organization or consortium for such amounts1 administered by such organization or consortium1 and available only for the uses described in subsection 7d74 ,any interest1 fees1 or other earnings of the fund shall be deposited in the fund and shall be considered grant amounts for purposes of this section4 7#b7 ,assistance to affiliates ,any organization or consortia that receives a grant under this section may use amounts in the fund established for such organizations or consortia pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 for the uses described in subsection 7d71 by providing assistance from the fund to local affiliates of such organizations and consortia4 7f7 ,requirements for assistance ,the ,secretary may make a grant to an organization or consortium under subsection 7a7 only pursuant to-- 7#a7 an expression of interest by such organization or consortia to the ,secretary for a grant for such purposes2 and 7#b7 a grant agreement entered into under subsection 7g74 7g7 ,grant agreement ,a grant under this section shall be made only pursuant to a grant agreement entered into by the ,secretary and the organization or consortia receiving the grant1 which shall-- 7#a7 require such organization or consortia to use grant amounts only as provided in this section2 7#b7 require the organization or consortia to use the grant amounts in a manner that leverages other sources of funding other than grants under this section1 including private or public funds1 in rehabilitating dwellings2 7#c7 provide that the ,secretary shall recapture any grant amounts provided to the organization or consortia that are not used within #bd months after such amounts are first disbursed to the organization or consortia2 and 7#d7 contain such other terms as the ,secretary may require to provide for compliance with subsection 7b7 and the requirements of this section4 7h7 ,fulfillment of grant agreement ,if the ,secretary determines that an organization or consortia awarded a grant under this section has not1 within #bd months after grant amounts are first made available to the organization or consortia1 substantially fulfilled the obligations under the grant agreement1 the ,secretary shall use any such undisbursed amounts remaining from such grants for other grants in accordance with this section4 7i7 ,records and audits ,during the period beginning upon the making of a grant under this section and ending upon close-out of the grant under subsection 7j7-- 7#a7 the organization awarded the grant shall keep such records and adopt such administrative practices as the ,secretary may require to ensure compliance with the provisions of this section and the grant agreement2 and 7#b7 the ,secretary and the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states1 and any of their duly appointed representatives1 shall have access for the purpose of audit and examination to any books1 documents1 papers1 and records of the grantee organization or consortia and its affiliates that are pertinent to the grant made under this section4 7j7 ,close-,out ,the ,secretary shall close out a grant made under this section upon determining that the aggregate amount of any assistance provided from the fund established under subsection 7e77#a7 by the grantee organization or consortium exceeds the amount of the grant4 ,for purposes of this subsection1 any interest1 fees1 and other earnings of the fund shall be excluded from the amount of the grant4 7k7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #ij days after close-out of all grants under this section is completed1 the ,secretary shall submit a report to the applicable ,committees describing-- 7#a7 the grants made under this section2 7#b7 the grantees2 7#c7 the housing for which abatement or removal of environmental hazards was performed in connection with the grant amounts2 and 7#d7 the purposes for which the grant amounts were used4 #d4 ,definitions ,for purposes of this ,act1 the following definitions shall apply3 7#a7 ,applicable ,committees ,the term applicable ,committees means the ,house ,committee on ,financial ,services and the ,senate ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs4 7#b7 ,environmental hazard ,the term environmental hazard means any condition that causes exposure to lead1 asbestos1 mold1 and other hazards as determined by the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7#d7 ,united ,states ,the term ,united ,states includes the ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,guam1 the ,virgin ,islands1 ,american ,samoa1 and any other territory or possession of the ,united ,states4 #e4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this ,act4 #f4 ,sunset ,the ,secretary shall not enter into any grant agreement1 contract1 or obligation under this ,act after the conclusion of fiscal year #bjbb4