High Performance Buildings Act of 2005 - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 to require that state and local housing strategies include a description of the jurisdiction's strategies to encourage sustainable development for affordable housing.
Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to nonprofit organizations to use for specified purposes to improve or carry out energy efficiency, resource conservation and reuse, and effective use of existing infrastructure in affordable housing and economic development activities in low-income communities.
Establishes within the National Science Foundation a Sustainable Building Institute to undertake or support through providing grants, loans, or other assistance: (1) research regarding the relationships among indoor environmental quality, human health, and human productivity; and (2) research, development, and commercial application of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for buildings.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4609 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4609
To increase the use and research of sustainable building design
technology, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2005
Mr. Smith of Washington (for himself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr.
Blumenauer, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Markey, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Pallone, Mr. Israel, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. McDermott,
Mr. Payne, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Holt, Mr. Inslee, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Baird, Mr. George Miller of California, and
Mrs. Capps) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on
Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the use and research of sustainable building design
technology, 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 ``High-Performance Buildings Act of
2005''.
SEC. 2. INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSING STRATEGY.
Section 105(b) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12705(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (19);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (20) and
inserting ``; and'';
(3) and by inserting after paragraph (20) the following:
``(21) describe the jurisdiction's strategies to encourage
sustainable development for affordable housing, as measured
by--
``(A) greater energy efficiency;
``(B) increased conservation and reuse of
resources;
``(C) more effective use of existing
infrastructure; and
``(D) such other criteria as the Secretary
determines are in accordance with the purposes of this
paragraph.''.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE SUSTAINABLE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may
make grants to nonprofit organizations to use for any of the following
purposes:
(1) Training, educating, supporting, or advising an
eligible community development organization in improving energy
efficiency, resource conservation and reuse, and effective use
of existing infrastructure in affordable housing and economic
development activities in low-income communities.
(2) Providing loans, grants, or predevelopment assistance
to eligible community development organizations to carry out
energy efficiency improvements, resource conservation and
reuse, and effective use of existing infrastructure in
affordable housing and economic development activities in low-
income communities.
(3) Such other purposes as the Secretary determines are in
accordance with the purposes of this subsection.
(b) Application Requirement.--To be eligible for a grant under this
section, a nonprofit organization shall prepare and submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Secretary may require.
(c) Matching Requirement.--A grant made under this section may not
exceed the amount that the nonprofit organization receiving the grant
certifies, to the Secretary, will be provided (in cash or in kind) from
non-governmental sources to carry out the purposes for which the grant
is made.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``nonprofit organization'' has the meaning
given such term in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704).
(2) The term ``eligible community development
organization'' means--
(A) a unit of general local government (as defined
in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National
Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704);
(B) a community housing development organization
(as defined in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704); or
(C) a tribal government (as defined in section 421
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 658).
(3) The term ``low-income community'' means a census tract
in which 50 percent or more of the households have an income
which is less than 80 percent of the greater of--
(A) the area median gross income for such year for
the area in which such census tract is located; or
(B) the median gross income for such year for the
State in which such census tract is located.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $10,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
SEC. 4. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING INSTITUTE.
The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 17. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING INSTITUTE.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Foundation a
Sustainable Building Institute (hereinafter in this section referred to
as the `Institute').
``(b) Duties and Functions.--
``(1) Undertaking and supporting research and other
activities.--The Institute shall undertake, or support through
providing grants, loans, or other forms of assistance--
``(A) research regarding the relationships among
indoor environmental quality, human health, and human
productivity; and
``(B) research, development, and commercial
application of energy efficiency and renewable energy
technologies for buildings, including--
``(i) water heating systems and lighting
systems;
``(ii) building insulation technology;
``(iii) technology and methods for
improving the cost effectiveness of fuel cells;
and
``(iv) technology and methods for reducing
the installation costs of solar photovoltaic
energy systems.
``(2) Consultation to avoid duplication.--The Institute
shall consult with other Federal agencies to avoid duplication
of activities authorized under this subsection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Research.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line