Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009: New Bill Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives
*Update (05/07/09): Text of the legislation is now available via The Library of Congress; the link to the Act below has been modified accordingly.
Breaking news, folks. According to National Pest Management Association, Rep. G.K. Butterfield introduced the brand new Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009 (or H.R.2248) in the United States House of Representatives today. Text of the legislation is not yet available through The Library of Congress, but according to NPMA
Introduced today by Congressman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, the multi-faceted legislation provides critical resources to state and local officials to combat bed bug outbreaks in lodging facilities, residential housing and other settings. Specifically, the bill:
- Establishes a state bed bug inspection grant program within the Department of Commerce for states to use to help fund inspections of lodging facilities;
- Expands an existing grant program managed by the Department of Health and Human Services that already provides funds to states for cockroach and rodent control to be used for bed bug prevention and control;
- Requires public housing agencies to include in annual plans, required by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, measures necessary for the management of bed bugs, similar to their current responsibility to manage cockroaches; and
- Directs the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the public health implications of bed bugs.
Impressive. I’m so happy to see that this act includes a new federal grant program to fund inspection in lodging facilities as well as expansion of an existing grant program to allow funding for prevention and control methods in the public sector through the Department of Health and Human Services. And I really like to see that the act accounts for our public housing agencies, which have, in my opinion anyway, been neglected and overlooked and underfunded when it comes to bed bug infestations for entirely too long.
I’m excited to see the full text of the legislation. For now, we extend our wholehearted thanks to Representative Butterfield and to the eight cosponsors of the act (including Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois– thank you!!) for addressing the spread of bed bug infestations in our country. And we commend National Pest Management Alliance for so readily supporting the act:
“NPMA strongly commends Congressman Butterfield for his leadership on this very important issue,” said Bob Rosenberg, NPMA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. “His legislation will grant state and local governments, in concert with the professional pest management industry, the necessary resources to more effectively and aggressively manage bed bug infestations.”
Maybe we really are all in this together after all. I was starting to wonder!
And thanks again, Renee, for the tip!
Do you know if this Act addresses the problem of “furniture disposal”? I think that
many buildings, no matter how much the landlord tries to fight bedbug infestations, become reinfested by people who take infested items off the curbsides or alleyways.
We really need to see a strict policy about how to properly dispose of infested sofas, chairs etc..and not allow these ragpicking mattress recyclers to go around collecting infested mattresses to repackage for resale. Our large cities need to have special “bedbug pickup” days. In large public housing units or any multi family dwelling, bedbugs are going to be an ongoing problem if the disposal issue is not addressed..imo…people who live in multi family dwellings are going to be in constant jeopardy of getting bedbugs unless such issues are addressed….imo
Bugalina!
Good to see you here. Yes, I completely agree that we need policy to regulate the disposal and potential resale of used furniture. And no, I do not believe that the text of this act (at least in its current form) specifically addresses the disposal of infested furniture. However, Section 5 of the act does allow for “Bed bug prevention and control under the Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant Program.” I haven’t researched this grant program or the related Public Health Service Act yet, but I intend to do so and write a much more detailed post shortly.
Stay tuned, yes?
And, as usual, I love your “bed bug pickup days” idea. You’re right that people who live in multi-unit dwellings are going to constantly be at risk of contracting bed bug infestations, for many, many reasons. It would be nice if there was some sort of pickup-and-decontamination procedure, so that infested furniture could be resold safely, wouldn’t it? Or, better yet, if there was some sort of furniture decontamination procedure, period. I hate to see so much waste– so many people losing so many things (money included)– because of bed bugs. Don’t you?
Jessica
Jess…Being that I was born and raised in Chicago I hope it gives me some claim to comment on your site. Keep up the good work…