[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3895 Referred in Senate (RFS)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3895


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 6, 2005

                                Received

                            October 25, 2005

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To amend title V of the Housing Act of 1949 to provide rural housing 
assistance to families affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Housing Hurricane Relief Act 
of 2005''.

SEC. 2. DISASTER AUTHORITY.

    Section 541 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490q) is amended 
to read as follows:

``SEC. 541. DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
title, the Secretary may exercise any authority described in subsection 
(b) with respect to the counties designated as disaster areas pursuant 
to the declaration by the President of a major disaster or emergency 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) in connection with Hurricane Katrina or 
Hurricane Rita, and the counties contiguous to such counties, and for 
any individuals who resided in such counties at the time of the 
disaster.
    ``(b) Special Authorities.--The authorities described in this 
subsection are as follows:
            ``(1) Conversion of rental assistance.--The Secretary may 
        convert rental assistance under section 521 allocated for a 
        property that is not inhabitable because of the disaster into
                    ``(A) housing voucher assistance authorized under 
                section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
                (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); or
                    ``(B) rural housing vouchers authorized under this 
                title.
        Any conversion and use of rental assistance pursuant to this 
        paragraph shall apply only for the period described in 
        subsection (c) or a portion thereof, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(2) Waiver of rural area requirements.--The Secretary 
        may, for the period described in subsection (c) or any portion 
        thereof, waive the application of the provisions of section 520 
        with respect to assistance provided under this section, as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(c) Duration of Authority.--The period described in this 
subsection is the 6-month period that begins upon the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds 
otherwise available to carry out this section, there are authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out, during the 
period described in subsection (c), this section or any other activity 
authorized under this title.''.

SEC. 3. RURAL HOUSING VOUCHER AUTHORITY.

    During the 6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may exercise the authority under 
section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490r), except that 
in carrying out this section--
            (1) notwithstanding the first sentence of subsection (a) of 
        such section 542, the Secretary may assist low-income families 
        and persons, but only if--
                    (A) such family or person
                            (i) resides or resided, on August 25, 2005, 
                        in any area that is subject to a declaration by 
                        the President of a major disaster or emergency 
                        under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
                        and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et 
                        seq.) in connection with Hurricane Katrina; or
                            (ii) resides or resided, on September 24, 
                        2005, in any area that is subject to a 
                        declaration by the President of a major 
                        disaster or emergency under the Robert T. 
                        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) in 
                        connection with Hurricane Rita; and
                    (B) the residence of such family or person became 
                uninhabitable or inaccessible as result of a major 
                disaster or emergency referred to in subparagraph (A) 
                of this paragraph; and
            (2) subsection (b) of such section 542 shall not apply.

SEC. 4. GUARANTEED LOANS FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.

    Section 502(h) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``or construct'' and 
        inserting ``, construct, repair, or rehabilitate''; and
            (2) in paragraph (14)(A), by striking ``made under this 
        section or guaranteed under this subsection'' and inserting 
        ``used to acquire or construct a single-family residence that 
        meets the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of 
        paragraph (4)''.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 6, 2005.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.