Des Moines, Iowa — If you own or live in a rental property, you may want to take note. The state legislature is looking at a bill that would require carbon monoxide detectors in apartments and rental homes as well as any new structure that’s built in Iowa. The Iowa Senate has passed the bill. Senator Jeff Danielson, a Democrat from Cedar Falls, says stand-alone detectors cost between 20 and 50 dollars, plus many smoke detectors now contain a carbon monoxide sensor as well.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. Danielson — who is a professional fire fighter — says it’s toxic because carbon monoxide inhibits the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
Officials say about 300 Iowans wind up in an emergency room each year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.
If the bill becomes law, private home owners would be asked to voluntarily install a carbon monoxide detector when they apply for the homestead tax credit. The bill passed the Senate on a 37 to 11 vote late Monday afternoon. It now goes to the House, where a similar bill has been under consideration.
