§ 4822. Requirements for housing receiving Federal assistance

(a) General requirements

(1) Elimination of hazards

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall establish procedures to eliminate as far as practicable the hazards of lead based paint poisoning with respect to any existing housing which may present such hazards and which is covered by an application for mortgage insurance or housing assistance payments under a program administered by the Secretary or otherwise receives more than $5,000 in project-based assistance under a Federal housing program. Beginning on January 1, 1995, such procedures shall apply to all such housing that constitutes target housing, as defined in section 4851b of this title, and shall provide for appropriate measures to conduct risk assessments, inspections, interim controls, and abatement of lead-based paint hazards. At a minimum, such procedures shall require—

(A) the provision of lead hazard information pamphlets, developed pursuant to section 2686 of title 15, to purchasers and tenants;

(B) periodic risk assessments and interim controls in accordance with a schedule determined by the Secretary, the initial risk assessment of each unit constructed prior to 1960 to be conducted not later than January 1, 1996, and, for units constructed between 1960 and 1978—

(i) not less than 25 percent shall be performed by January 1, 1998;

(ii) not less than 50 percent shall be performed by January 1, 2000; and

(iii) the remainder shall be performed by January 1, 2002;

(C) inspection for the presence of lead-based paint prior to federally-funded renovation or rehabilitation that is likely to disturb painted surfaces;

(D) reduction of lead-based paint hazards in the course of rehabilitation projects receiving less than $25,000 per unit in Federal funds;

(E) abatement of lead-based paint hazards in the course of substantial rehabilitation projects receiving more than $25,000 per unit in Federal funds;

(F) where risk assessment, inspection, or reduction activities have been undertaken, the provision of notice to occupants describing the nature and scope of such activities and the actual risk assessment or inspection reports (including available information on the location of any remaining lead-based paint on a surface-by-surface basis); and

(G) such other measures as the Secretary deems appropriate.

(2) Additional measures

The Secretary may establish such other procedures as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section.

(3) Disposition of federally owned housing

(A) Pre-1960 target housing

Beginning on January 1, 1995, procedures established under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall require the inspection and abatement of lead-based paint hazards in all federally owned target housing constructed prior to 1960.

(B) Target housing constructed between 1960 and 1978

Beginning on January 1, 1995, procedures established under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall require an inspection for lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in all federally owned target housing constructed between 1960 and 1978. The results of such inspections shall be made available to prospective purchasers, identifying the presence of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards on a surface-by-surface basis. The Secretary shall have the discretion to waive the requirement of this subparagraph for housing in which a federally funded risk assessment, performed by a certified contractor, has determined no lead-based paint hazards are present.

To the extent that subparagraphs (A) and (B) increase the cost to the Government of outstanding direct loan obligations or loan guarantee commitments, such activities shall be treated as modifications under section 661c (e) of title 2 and shall be subject to the availability of appropriations. To the extent that paragraphs (A) and (B) impose additional costs to the Resolution Trust Corporation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, its requirements shall be carried out only if appropriations are provided in advance in an appropriations Act. In the absence of appropriations sufficient to cover the costs of subparagraphs (A) and (B), these requirements shall not apply to the affected agency or agencies.

(D) Definitions

For the purposes of this subsection, the terms “inspection”, “abatement”, “lead-based paint hazard”, “federally owned housing”, “target housing”, “risk assessment”, and “certified contractor” have the same meaning given such terms in section 4851b of this title.

(4) Definitions

For purposes of this subsection, the terms “risk assessment”, “inspection”, “interim control”, “abatement”, “reduction”, and “lead-based paint hazard” have the same meaning given such terms in section 4851b of this title.

(b) Measurement criteria

The procedures established by the Secretary under this section for the risk assessment, interim control, inspection, and abatement of lead-based paint hazards in housing covered by this section shall be based upon guidelines developed pursuant to section 4852c of this title.

The Secretary shall require the inspection of all intact and nonintact interior and exterior painted surfaces of housing subject to this section for lead-based paint using an approved x-ray fluorescence analyzer, atomic absorption spectroscopy, or comparable approved sampling or testing technique. A certified inspector or laboratory shall certify in writing the precise results of the inspection. If the results equal or exceed a level of 1.0 milligrams per centimeter squared or 0.5 percent by weight, the results shall be provided to any potential purchaser or tenant of the housing. The Secretary shall periodically review and reduce the level below 1.0 milligram per centimeter squared or 0.5 percent by weight to the extent that reliable technology makes feasible the detection of a lower level and medical evidence supports the imposition of a lower level. The requirements of this subsection shall apply as provided in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) Abatement required

(1) Transitional testing and abatement in public housing receiving modernization assistance

In the case of public housing assisted with capital assistance provided under section 1437g of this title, the Secretary shall require the inspection described in subsection (c) of this section for—

(A) a random sample of dwellings and common areas in all public housing projects assisted under such section; and

(B) each dwelling in any public housing project in which there is a dwelling determined under subparagraph (A) to have lead-based paint hazards, except that the Secretary shall not require the inspection of each dwelling if the Secretary requires the abatement of the lead-based paint hazards for the surfaces of each dwelling in the public housing project that correspond to the surfaces in the sample determined to have such hazards under subparagraph (A).

The Secretary shall require the inspection of all housing subject to this paragraph in accordance with the modernization schedule. A public housing agency may elect to test for lead-based paint using atomic absorption spectroscopy and may elect to abate lead-based paint and dust containing lead under standards more stringent than that in subsection (c) of this section, including the abatement of lead-based paint and dust which exceeds the standard of lead permitted in paints by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under this chapter, and such abatement shall qualify for capital assistance provided under section 1437g of this title. The Secretary shall require abatement of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in housing in which the test results equal or exceed the standard established by or under subsection (c) of this section. Final inspection and certification after abatement shall be made by a qualified inspector, industrial hygienist, or local public health official.

(2) Abatement demonstration program

(A) Abatement demonstration program

In carrying out the requirements of this subsection with respect to single-family and multifamily properties owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and public housing, the Secretary shall utilize a sufficient variety of abatement methods in a sufficient number of areas and circumstances to demonstrate their relative cost-effectiveness and their applicability to various types of housing. For purposes of the demonstration, a public housing agency may elect to test for lead-based paint using atomic absorption spectroscopy and may elect to abate lead-based paint and dust containing lead under standards more stringent than that in subsection (c) of this section, including the abatement of lead-based paint and dust which exceeds the standard of lead permitted in paints by the Consumer Product Safety Commission under this chapter, and such abatement shall qualify for assistance under section 1437l ^[1] of this title.

(B) Report

Not later than 18 months after the effective date of the regulations issued to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress the findings and recommendations of the Secretary as a result of the demonstration program, including any recommendations of the Secretary for legislation to revise the requirements of this subsection. Based on the demonstration, the Secretary shall prepare and include in the report a comprehensive and workable plan for the cost-effective inspection and abatement of public housing in accordance with paragraph (3), including an estimate of the total cost of abatement in accordance with paragraph (3)(B). In preparing such report, the Secretary shall examine—

(i) the most reliable technology available for detecting lead-based paint, including X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectroscopy;

(ii) the most efficient and cost-effective methods for abatement, including removal, containment, or encapsulation of the contaminated components, procedures which minimize the generation of dust (including the high efficiency vacuum removal of leaded dust), and procedures that provide for offsite disposal of the removed components, in compliance with all applicable regulatory standards and procedures;

(iii) safety considerations in testing, abatement, and worker protection;

(iv) the overall accuracy and reliability of laboratory testing of physical samples, x-ray fluorescence machines, and other available testing procedures;

(v) availability of qualified samplers and testers;

(vi) an estimate of the amount, characteristics, and regional distribution of housing in the United States that contains lead-based paint hazards at differing levels of contamination; and

(vii) the merits of an interim containment protocol for public housing dwellings that are determined to have lead-based paint hazards but for which comprehensive improvement assistance under section 1437l ^[1] of this title is not available.

(3) Testing and abatement of other public housing

(A) Required inspection

The Secretary shall require the inspection described in subsection (c) of this section for—

(i) a random sample of dwellings and common areas in all public housing that is not subject to paragraph (1); and

(ii) each dwelling in any public housing project in which there is a dwelling determined under clause (i) to have lead-based paint hazards, except that the Secretary shall not require the inspection of each dwelling if the Secretary requires the abatement of the lead-based paint hazards for the surfaces of each dwelling in the public housing project that correspond to the surfaces in the sample determined to have such hazards under clause (i).

(B) Schedule

The Secretary shall require the inspection of all housing subject to this paragraph prior to the expiration of 5 years after the report is required to be transmitted under paragraph (2)(B). The Secretary may prioritize, within such 5-year period, inspections on the basis of vacancy, age of housing, or projected modernization or rehabilitation. The Secretary shall require abatement and final inspection and certification of such housing in accordance with the last two sentences of paragraph (1).

(4) Report required

Not later than 9 months after completion of the demonstration required by paragraph (2), the Secretary shall, based on the demonstration, prepare and transmit to the Congress, a comprehensive and workable plan, including any recommendations for changes in legislation, for the prompt and cost effective inspection and abatement of privately owned single family and multifamily housing, including housing assisted under section 1437f of this title. After the expiration of the 9-month period referred to in the preceding sentence, the Secretary may not obligate or expend any funds or otherwise carry out activities related to any other policy development and research project until the report is transmitted.

(e) Exceptions

The provisions of this section shall not apply to—

(1) housing for the elderly or handicapped, except for any dwelling in such housing in which any child who is less than 7 years of age resides or is expected to reside;

(2) any project for which an application for insurance is submitted under section 1715v, 1715w, 1715z–6, or 1715z–7 of title 12; or

(3) any 0-bedroom dwelling.

(f) Funding

The Secretary shall carry out the provisions of this section utilizing available Federal funding sources. The Secretary shall use funds available under the Capital Fund under section 1437g of this title to carry out this section in public housing. The Secretary shall submit annually to the Congress an estimate of the funds required to carry out the provisions of this section with the reports required by paragraphs (2)(B) and (4).

(g) Interpretation of section

This section may not be construed to affect the responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency with respect to the protection of the public health from hazards posed by lead-based paint.

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 4822. Requirements for housing receiving Federal assistance