[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1749 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1749

To provide assistance to owners of manufactured homes constructed prior 
     to 1976 to purchase Energy Star qualified manufactured homes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 26, 2009

   Mr. Hill introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide assistance to owners of manufactured homes constructed prior 
     to 1976 to purchase Energy Star qualified manufactured homes.

    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 ``Energy Efficient Manufactured 
Housing Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) There are more than 2,000,000,000 manufactured homes 
        constructed prior to 1976 still occupied as permanent 
        residences throughout the United States.
            (2) Manufactured homes constructed prior to 1976 generally 
        have very poor energy efficiency, as such homes pre-date any 
        Federal energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes.
            (3) Replacing manufactured homes constructed prior to 1976 
        with new Energy Star qualified manufactured homes will 
        dramatically lower energy consumption and costs for residents 
        of such homes, most of whom are in low-income households.

SEC. 3. ENERGY EFFICIENT MANUFACTURED HOMES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Manufactured home.--The term ``manufactured home'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 603 of the National 
        Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 
        1974 (42 U.S.C. 5402).
            (2) Energy star qualified manufactured home.--The term 
        ``Energy Star qualified manufactured home'' means a 
        manufactured home that has been designed, produced, and 
        installed in accordance with Energy Star's guidelines by an 
        Energy Star certified plant.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to assist low-income 
households residing in manufactured homes constructed prior to 1976 to 
save energy and energy expenditures by providing support toward the 
purchase of new Energy Star qualified manufactured homes.
    (c) Grants to State Agencies.--
            (1) Grants.--The Secretary of Energy may make grants to 
        State agencies responsible for developing State energy 
        conservation plans under section 362 of the Energy Policy and 
        Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322) (or such other existing State 
        agency that exercises similar functions as the Governor of a 
        State may designate), to provide owners of manufactured homes 
        constructed prior to 1976 rebates to use toward purchases of 
        new Energy Star qualified manufactured homes.
            (2) Allocation of grants.--Grants under paragraph (1) shall 
        be distributed to State agencies in States on the basis of 
        their proportionate share of all manufactured homes constructed 
        prior to 1976 that are occupied as primary residences in the 
        United States, based on the most recent and accurate data 
        available.
            (3) Rebates.--
                    (A) Primary residence requirement.--A rebate 
                described under paragraph (1) may only be made to an 
                owner of a manufactured home constructed prior to 1976 
                that is used on a year-round basis as a primary 
                residence.
                    (B) Destruction and replacement.--A rebate 
                described under paragraph (1) may be made only if the 
                manufactured home constructed prior to 1976 will be--
                            (i) destroyed (including appropriate 
                        recycling); and
                            (ii) replaced, in the same general 
                        location, as determined by the applicable State 
                        agency, with an Energy Star qualified 
                        manufactured home.
                    (C) Single rebate.--A rebate described under 
                paragraph (1) may not be provided to any owner of a 
                manufactured home constructed prior to 1976 that was or 
                is a member of a household for which any member of the 
                household was provided a rebate pursuant to this 
                section.
                    (D) Eligible households.--To be eligible to receive 
                a rebate described under paragraph (1), an owner of a 
                manufactured home constructed prior to 1976 shall 
                demonstrate to the applicable State agency that the 
                total income of all members the owner's household does 
                not exceed 200 percent of the Federal poverty level for 
                income in the applicable area.
            (4) Rebate limitation.--Rebates provided by State agencies 
        under this section shall not exceed $7,500 per manufactured 
        home from any funds appropriated pursuant to this section.
            (5) Use of state funds.--A State agency providing rebates 
        under this section may supplement the amount of such rebates 
        under paragraph (4) by any amount such agency approves if such 
        additional amount is from State funds and other sources, 
        including private donations or grants from charitable 
        foundations.
            (6) Similar programs.--
                    (A) State programs.--A State agency conducting a 
                program that has the purpose of replacing manufactured 
                homes constructed prior to 1976 with Energy Star 
                qualified manufactured homes, may use funding provided 
                under this section to support such a program, provided 
                such funding does not exceed the rebate limitation 
                amount under paragraph (4).
                    (B) Federal programs.--The Secretary of Energy 
                shall seek to achieve the purpose of this section 
                through similar Federal programs including--
                            (i) the Weatherization Assistance Program 
                        under part A of title IV of the Energy 
                        Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 
                        et seq.); and
                            (ii) the program under part D of title III 
                        of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 6321 et seq.).
            (7) Administration.--
                    (A) Controls and procedures.--Each State agency 
                receiving funding under this section shall establish 
                fiscal controls and accounting procedures sufficient, 
                as determined by the Secretary of Energy, to ensure 
                proper accounting for disbursements made from such 
                funds and fund balances. Such procedures shall conform 
                to generally accepted Government accounting principles.
                    (B) Coordination with other state agencies.--A 
                State agency receiving funding under this section may 
                coordinate its efforts, and share funds for 
                administration, with other State agencies involved in 
                low-income housing programs.
                    (C) Administrative expenses.--A State agency 
                receiving funding under this section may expend not 
                more than 10 percent of such funds for administrative 
                expenses.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Secretary of Energy, $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2010 through 2012 to carry out this section.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts available each 
        fiscal year to carry out this section, the Secretary of Energy 
        may expend not more than 5 percent to pay administrative 
        expenses.
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