“To update the definition of manufactured home, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the definition of "manufactured home" under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 to include structures built with or without a permanent chassis (from requiring a permanent chassis). (As background, the act establishes uniform federal construction and safety standards for manufactured homes—factory-built dwellings typically transported to sites—to preempt inconsistent state rules and protect public safety.) The section further directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue revised standards for manufactured homes built without a permanent chassis, developed in consultation with the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee, that require (1) a distinct HUD label, (2) a distinguishing data plate, and (3) a unique invoice notation compared to homes with a permanent chassis. Finally, the section requires states to submit an initial certification to HUD within one year of enactment (two years for states with biennially meeting legislatures) attesting that they treat manufactured homes without a permanent chassis the same as those with one for financing, title, insurance, manufacture, sale, taxes, transportation, installation, and other areas; to submit annual recertifications thereafter; and directs HUD to publish a list of compliant states. Noncompliant states must prohibit the manufacture, installation, or sale of "covered manufactured homes" (federally qualifying homes without a permanent chassis that a state does not recognize as such and built after enactment). (Thus, the changes aim to facilitate production and state acceptance of chassis-optional manufactured homes while maintaining safety distinctions.)