[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5173 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5173

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to carry out 
      a grant program to provide assistance for the acquisition, 
   construction, retrofitting, or renovation of residences that are 
                       visitable for individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 2016

  Mr. Takai introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to carry out 
      a grant program to provide assistance for the acquisition, 
   construction, retrofitting, or renovation of residences that are 
                       visitable for individuals.

    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 ``Homeowners Access to Visitability 
Enhancements (HAVE) Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. VISITABLE HOMES GRANTS.

    (a) Authority.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
may make grants to low-income families to provide assistance with 
obtaining residences that are visitable for individuals.
    (b) Eligible Activities.--Amounts from a grant made under this 
section may be used only for the following activities:
            (1) Acquiring a visitable residence that has never 
        previously been occupied.
            (2) Constructing a visitable residence.
            (3) Retrofitting an existing residence to make such 
        residence visitable.
            (4) Renovating an existing residence to make such residence 
        visitable.
    (c) Limitations.--
            (1) Amount.--A grant under this section may not exceed 
        $5,000.
            (2) Renewal.--Not more than one grant may be made under 
        this section with respect to any single residence.
            (3) Primary residence.--A grant under this section may be 
        used only for a residence that serves as the primary residence 
        of the grantee, and the Secretary shall require a grantee to 
        provide such assurances as may be necessary to ensure 
        compliance with this paragraph.
            (4) Recapture of unused amounts.--If a grantee fails to use 
        any amount of the grant awarded under this section before the 
        expiration of the 1-year period beginning on the first 
        disbursement of any such amounts to the grantee, the Secretary 
        shall--
                    (A) recapture the unused amounts; and
                    (B) make such amounts available for grants under 
                this section.
    (d) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, a 
low-income family shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require, including--
            (1) a description of the manner in which grant funds will 
        be used to accomplish an eligible activity under subsection 
        (b); and
            (2) an explanation of how such use will cause the residence 
        of such family to meet the visitability standards identified in 
        subsection (f)(4).
    (e) Reporting.--
            (1) Secretary.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        biennial report regarding the progress and effectiveness of the 
        grant program.
            (2) Grantees.--The Secretary shall require each grantee to 
        submit such information as the Secretary considers necessary to 
        ensure compliance with this Act and to enable the Secretary to 
        comply with the requirement under paragraph (1).
    (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Low-income family.--The term ``low income family'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 3(b)(2) of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2)).
            (2) Residence.--The term ``residence'' means any dwelling 
        unit, including a dwelling unit that is a single-family 
        residence or a dwelling unit in a multiple-family residence, 
        that--
                    (A) is owned by the grantee or a member of the 
                grantee's household; or
                    (B) will be owned by the grantee, or a member of 
                the grantee's household, during the residency of the 
                grantee in accordance with subsection (c)(3).
        Such term includes a dwelling unit in a condominium or 
        cooperative development owned by the grantee or a member of the 
        grantee's household. Such term does not include any dwelling 
        unit that is subject to a lease.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
            (4) Visitable.--The term ``visitable'' means, with respect 
        to a residence, that the residence complies with the most 
        current version of the visitability standards set forth in 
        Standard A117.1-2009 of the International Code Council/American 
        National Standards Institute, entitled ``Accessible and Usable 
        Buildings and Facilities'' (or any successor standard).
    (g) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue any regulations 
necessary to carry out this section.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this Act $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 to 
        2022.
            (2) Allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) for each fiscal year--
                    (A) 50 percent shall be used for grants for the 
                eligible activities under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
                subsection (b); and
                    (B) 50 percent shall be used for grants for the 
                eligible activities under paragraphs (3) and (4) of 
                subsection (b).
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