To require approval from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for any Federal manufactured home and safety standards, and for other purposes.
This bill would shift the authority to set Federal manufactured home construction and safety standards to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It requires that any federal agency proposing a new standard for manufactured homes must submit the proposal to HUD and obtain HUD’s approval before the standard can be established. HUD would be able to reject proposed standards if they would significantly raise the cost of producing manufactured homes, conflict with HUD’s existing standards, or for other justified reasons. The bill also adds “energy efficiency” as a consideration in the design aspects of standards and clarifies that HUD is not compelled to establish new or revised standards. In short, HUD would become the gatekeeper for federal manufactured home standards, with the possibility to block or delay new standards based on cost and consistency with existing rules.
Key Points
- 1Primary authority to establish standards. HUD’s Secretary would have the lead role in creating Federal manufactured home construction and safety standards.
- 2Approval process for new standards. Any federal agency proposing a new standard after enactment must submit the proposal to HUD and may not implement the standard without HUD’s approval.
- 3Criteria for rejection. HUD could reject proposed standards if they significantly increase production costs, conflict with HUD’s existing standards, or for other appropriate reasons determined by the Secretary.
- 4No compulsion to create new standards. The bill states that nothing in the subsection requires HUD to establish new or revised standards.
- 5Energy efficiency added to design considerations. The bill amends the statute to insert “energy efficiency” after “design,” signaling energy efficiency must be considered as part of the standards-setting process.