[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3896 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3896

To temporarily suspend, for communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, 
   certain requirements under the community development block grant 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2005

Mr. Baker (for himself, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Boustany, and 
 Mr. Jindal) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To temporarily suspend, for communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, 
   certain requirements under the community development block grant 
                                program.

    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 ``Hurricane Katrina Emergency Relief 
CDBG Flexibility Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC SERVICES CAP.

    (a) Units of General Local Government.--
            (1) Directly affected communities.--The percentage 
        limitations under paragraph (8) of section 105(a) of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5305(a)(8)) on the amount of assistance under title I of such 
        Act that may be used for the provision of public services by a 
        unit of general local government that is, or is within, a 
        directly affected community (as such term is defined in section 
        4 of this Act) shall not apply with respect to any of fiscal 
        years 2005 through 2008 for such unit of general local 
        government.
            (2) Indirectly affected communities.--For each indirectly 
        affected community (as such term is defined in section 4 of 
        this Act), the Secretary shall waive the applicability, for 
        such period during the fiscal years referred to in paragraph 
        (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate, the percentage 
        limitations under paragraph (8) of section 105(a) of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5305(a)(8)) on the amount of assistance under title I of such 
        Act that may be used for the provision of public services by a 
        unit of general local government that is, or is within, such 
        indirectly affected community. In determining the period for 
        which to waive such limitations, the Secretary shall take into 
        consideration the specific economic circumstances of each such 
        indirectly affected community.
    (b) Nonentitlement Communities.--Assistance provided under title I 
of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 may be used for 
the provision of public services in any directly affected community (as 
such term is defined in section 4 of this Act) without regard to the 
percentage limitations under paragraph (8) of section 105(a) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)(8)) on the amount of assistance that may be used 
statewide in nonentitlement communities for such activities and any 
such amounts so used in any directly affected community shall not be 
considered for purposes of such statewide limitations.

SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, with respect to a grant under 
section 106 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
U.S.C. 5306) for fiscal year 2006 for any unit of general local 
government that is, or is located in, a directly affected community, 
waive or specify alternative requirements for the public hearing 
requirements specified under subsection (b).
    (b) Public Hearing Requirements.--The public hearing requirements 
specified under this subsection are--
            (1) the requirement under section 104(a)(2)(C) of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5304(a)(2)(C)) to hold public hearings;
            (2) the requirements under subparagraphs (D) and (F) of 
        section 104(a)(3) of such Act to make certifications in the 
        detailed citizenship participation plan regarding public 
        hearings; and
            (3) any requirement pursuant to section 106(d)(7)(C) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 5306(d)(7)(C)) to hold public hearings.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
            (1) Directly affected community.--The term ``directly 
        affected community'' means a unit of general local government 
        or area that is located in an area for which the President has 
        declared a major disaster as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
            (2) Indirectly affected community.--The term ``indirectly 
        affected community'' means a unit of general local government 
        or area that--
                    (A) is a metropolitan city or urban county (as such 
                terms are defined in section 102(a) of the Housing and 
                Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(a));
                    (B) is not a directly affected community; and
                    (C) is determined by the Secretary of Housing and 
                Urban Development to have been significantly affected 
                economically by the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina 
                (including economic effects from the presence of 
                persons evacuated from an area for which the President 
                has declared a major disaster as a result of Hurricane 
                Katrina).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
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