[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 43 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 43
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide
financial assistance for the development and reuse of brownfields.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide
financial assistance for the development and reuse of brownfields.
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 ``Brownfields Housing and Community
Renewal Development Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) Addressing the problem of contaminated abandoned
industrial or commercial properties by funding programs that
encourage the reuse of such properties must continue to be a
priority of this country.
(2) Brownfields grant programs funded through the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are utilized for
environmental assessment, planning, job training, and cleanup.
(3) EPA brownfields programs are not adequate to
rehabilitate, demolish, or redevelop structures.
(4) The Department of Housing and Urban Development is an
appropriate agency to provide grants to redevelop contaminated,
abandoned or underutilized buildings, which pose not only a
possible health risk but also impact a community's quality of
life.
(5) Local communities need additional redevelopment
programs that provide new flexibility to organizations to be
part of community development efforts.
(6) The Congress should fund appropriate Federal programs
that allow communities to redevelop their neighborhoods and
improve the quality of life in the surrounding areas.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to empower local
communities and their partners to clean and redevelop brownfields in
their communities by providing--
(1) flexibility for the development of local plans to
address brownfields problems; and
(2) access to economic development grant funds.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY RENEWAL THROUGH BROWNFIELD
REDEVELOPMENT.
Section 108 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5308) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (r) as subsection (s); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (q) the following new
subsection:
``(r) Grant Program to Promote Community Renewal Through Brownfield
Redevelopment.--
``(1) Establishment of program.--The Secretary shall
establish a program under this subsection to make grants to
assist in carrying out redevelopment activities for brownfield
sites and abandoned, idled, and underused industrial,
commercial or housing structures located in brownfield sites.
``(2) Grantees and grant conditions.--A grant may be made
under this subsection to a unit of general local government,
including an agency of such a unit, an entity affiliated with
such a unit, a nonprofit organization, or a community
development corporation, but only pursuant to a grant proposal
for redevelopment of a brownfield site or sites, which is
submitted to and approved by the Secretary and ensures that the
grant will be used for at least one of the following purposes:
``(A) To benefit low and moderate income
communities.
``(B) To increase affordable housing opportunities.
``(C) To address imminent threats or urgent
community needs.
``(D) To provide open spaces or parks.
``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection,
the Secretary shall give priority to grant proposals that
ensure that the grant will be used for two or more of the
objectives specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of
paragraph (2).
``(4) Availability of assistance.--The Secretary shall not
require, for eligibility to a grant under this section, that
such grant amounts be used only in connection or conjunction
with projects and activities assisted with a loan guaranteed
under this section.
``(5) Grant amount.--Each grant award made under this
subsection shall be of sufficient size to carry out the goals
of this subsection, but shall not exceed $1,000,000.
``(6) Administrative costs.--A recipient of a grant under
this subsection may use not more than 10 percent of the amount
of the grant for reasonable administrative costs necessary in
carrying out the brownfields project for which the grant is
made.
``(7) Audits.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out
procedures for auditing or reviewing grants made under this
subsection.
``(8) Violations.--The Secretary shall establish and
implement appropriate measures to sanction grantees who are
found to have violated the requirements under this subsection
or any grant conditions.
``(9) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the
term `brownfield site' has the meaning given such term in
section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601).
``(10) Authorization of appropriations.--
``(A) In general.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for grants under this subsection
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $50,000,000 for
fiscal year 2009, and $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
``(B) Availability.--Any amounts appropriated
pursuant to this paragraph shall remain available until
expended.
``(11) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall submit a
report to the Congress, not later than 30 months after the date
of the enactment of the Brownfields Housing and Community
Renewal Development Act, on the use and impact of the grant
program under this subsection.''.
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