[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1980 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1980

To provide habitable living quarters for teachers, administrators, and 
  other school staff, and their households, in rural areas of Alaska 
               located in or near Alaska Native villages.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 9, 2005

 Ms. Murkowski introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide habitable living quarters for teachers, administrators, and 
  other school staff, and their households, in rural areas of Alaska 
               located in or near Alaska Native villages.

    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 Teacher Housing Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) housing for teachers, administrators, other school 
        staff, and the households of such staff in remote and rural 
        areas of the State of Alaska is often substandard, if available 
        at all;
            (2) teachers, administrators, other school staff, and the 
        households of such staff are often forced to find alternate 
        shelter, sometimes even in school buildings; and
            (3) rural school districts in the State of Alaska face 
        increased challenges, including meeting the requirements of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
        et seq.), in recruiting employees due to the lack of 
        affordable, quality housing.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide habitable 
living quarters for teachers, administrators, other school staff, and 
the households of such staff in rural areas of the State of Alaska 
located in or near Alaska Native villages.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Alaska housing finance corporation.--The term ``Alaska 
        Housing Finance Corporation'' means the State housing authority 
        for the State of Alaska created under the laws of the State of 
        Alaska (or a successor authority).
            (2) Elementary school.--The term ``elementary school'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (3) Eligible school district.--The term ``eligible school 
        district'' means a public school district (as defined under the 
        laws of the State of Alaska) located in the State of Alaska 
        that operates 1 or more schools in a qualified community.
            (4) Native village.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``Native village'' has 
                the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Alaska 
                Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``Native village'' 
                includes the Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette 
                Islands Reserve.
            (5) Other school staff.--The term ``other school staff'' 
        means--
                    (A) pupil services personnel;
                    (B) librarians;
                    (C) career guidance and counseling personnel;
                    (D) education aides; and
                    (E) other instructional and administrative school 
                personnel.
            (6) Qualified community.--The term ``qualified community'' 
        means a home rule city or a general law city incorporated under 
        the laws of the State of Alaska, or an unincorporated community 
        (as defined under the laws of the State of Alaska) in the State 
        of Alaska located outside the boundaries of such a city, that, 
        as determined by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation--
                    (A) has a population of not greater than 6,500 
                individuals;
                    (B) is located in or near a Native village; and
                    (C) is not connected by road or railroad to the 
                municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, excluding any 
                connection--
                            (i) by the Alaska Marine Highway System 
                        created under the laws of the State of Alaska; 
                        or
                            (ii) that requires travel by road through 
                        Canada.
            (7) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
            (9) Teacher.--The term ``teacher'' means an individual 
        who--
                    (A) is employed as a teacher in a public elementary 
                school or secondary school; and
                    (B) meets the teaching certification or licensure 
                requirements of the State of Alaska.
            (10) Tribally designated housing entity.--The term 
        ``tribally designated housing entity'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance 
        and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
            (11) Village corporation.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``Village Corporation'' 
                has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
                Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``Village Corporation'' 
                includes, as defined in section 3 of that Act (43 
                U.S.C. 1602)--
                            (i) Urban Corporations; and
                            (ii) Group Corporations.

SEC. 4. RURAL TEACHER HOUSING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide funds to the Alaska 
Housing Finance Corporation in accordance with regulations promulgated 
under section 5 for use in accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation 
        shall use funds provided under subsection (a) to provide grants 
        and loans to eligible school districts for use in accordance 
        with paragraph (2).
            (2) Use of funds by eligible school districts.--An eligible 
        school district shall use a grant or loan under paragraph (1) 
        for--
                    (A) the construction of new housing units in a 
                qualified community;
                    (B) the purchase and rehabilitation of existing 
                structures to be used as housing units in a qualified 
                community;
                    (C) the rehabilitation of housing units in a 
                qualified community;
                    (D) the leasing of housing units in a qualified 
                community;
                    (E) purchasing or leasing real property on which 
                housing units will be constructed, purchased, or 
                rehabilitated in a qualified community;
                    (F) the repayment of a loan to--
                            (i) construct, purchase, or rehabilitate 
                        housing units;
                            (ii) purchase real property on which 
                        housing units will be constructed, purchased, 
                        or rehabilitated in a qualified community; or
                            (iii) carry out an activity described in 
                        subparagraph (G); and
                    (G) any other activity normally associated with the 
                construction, purchase, or rehabilitation of housing 
                units, or the purchase or lease of real property on 
                which housing units will be constructed, purchased, or 
                rehabilitated, in a qualified community, including--
                            (i) connecting housing units to a utility;
                            (ii) preparing construction sites;
                            (iii) transporting any equipment or 
                        material necessary for the construction or 
                        rehabilitation of housing units to and from the 
                        site on which the housing units are or will be 
                        constructed; and
                            (iv) carrying out an environmental 
                        assessment and remediation of a construction 
                        site or a site on which housing units are 
                        located.
    (c) Ownership of Housing and Land.--
            (1) In general.--Any housing unit constructed, purchased, 
        or rehabilitated, and any real property purchased, using a 
        grant or loan provided under this section shall be considered 
        to be owned, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 
        by--
                    (A) the affected eligible school district;
                    (B) the affected municipality, as defined under the 
                laws of the State of Alaska;
                    (C) the affected Village Corporation;
                    (D) the Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette 
                Islands Reserve; or
                    (E) a tribally designated housing entity.
            (2) Transfer of ownership.--Ownership of a housing unit or 
        real property under paragraph (1) may be transferred between 
        the entities described in that paragraph.
    (d) Occupancy of Housing Units.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
        (3), each housing unit constructed, purchased, rehabilitated, 
        or leased using a grant or loan under this section shall be 
        occupied by--
                    (A)(i) a teacher;
                    (ii) an administrator; or
                    (iii) other school staff; and
                    (B) the household of an individual described in 
                subparagraph (A), if any.
            (2) Nonsession months.--A housing unit constructed, 
        purchased, rehabilitated, or leased using a grant or loan under 
        this section may be occupied by an individual other an 
        individual described in paragraph (1) only during a period in 
        which school is not in session.
            (3) Temporary occupants.--A vacant housing unit 
        constructed, purchased, rehabilitated, or leased using a grant 
        or loan under this section may be occupied by a contractor or 
        guest of an eligible school district for a period to be 
        determined by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, by 
        regulation.
    (e) Compliance With Law.--An eligible school district that receives 
a grant or loan under this section shall ensure that each housing unit 
constructed, purchased, rehabilitated, or leased using the grant or 
loan complies with applicable laws (including regulations and 
ordinances).
    (f) Program Policies.--
            (1) In general.--The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, in 
        consultation with any appropriate eligible school district, 
        shall establish policies governing the administration of grants 
        and loans under this section, including a method of ensuring 
        that funds are made available on an equitable basis to eligible 
        school districts.
            (2) Revisions.--Not less frequently than once every 3 
        years, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, in consultation 
        with any appropriate eligible school district, shall take into 
        consideration revisions to the policies established under 
        paragraph (1).

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry 
out this Act.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act for each of 
fiscal years 2007 through 2016.
    (b) Administrative Expenses.--Each of the Secretary and the Alaska 
Housing Finance Corporation shall use not more than 5 percent of funds 
appropriated during a fiscal year to pay administrative expenses 
incurred in carrying out this Act.
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