[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 158 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14522-S14523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE MANUFACTURED HOUSING IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I am pleased to offer my support and 
cosponsorship to S. 1452, the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act. 
Rural America, and my state of South Dakota in particular, is in the 
midst of an affordable housing crunch. In South Dakota, approximately 
four of ten new single family homes are manufactured homes, and with an 
average cost of around $42,000, manufactured homes enable many 
individuals, young families, and retired South Dakotans to enjoy the 
benefits of homeownership. Nearly one-quarter of the new homes 
nationwide are manufactured homes, and an estimated 8% of the American 
population lives in manufactured homes.
  Despite the increasing number of manufactured homes, the Federal 
Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act has not been 
updated since its creation in 1974. Over the past twenty five years, 
manufactured homes have evolved from being predominately mobile 
trailers to permanent structures that contain the same amenities found 
in site-built homes. The inability of regulations to keep pace with 
changing technology and the nature of manufactured housing frustrates 
manufactured housing builders and consumers alike.
  S. 1452 establishes a consensus committee that would submit 
recommendations to the Secretary of HUD for revising the manufactured 
housing construction and safety standards. In addition, the bill 
authorizes the Secretary of HUD to use industry label fees to 
administer the consensus committee and update the regulations. I 
applaud this unique provision that costs taxpayers nothing.
  There is no question that construction codes for manufactured homes 
are woefully outdated and in need of revision. For example, the 
manufactured housing industry is running six years behind the most 
current electrical codes. Changes in the height of ceilings in 
manufactured homes since 1974 have also outpaced codes regulating the 
location of smoke detectors in the home. As a result, some smoke 
detectors in manufactured homes are several feet from the top of 
vaulted ceilings. Another trend in the industry is for more 
manufactured homes to be placed on private lots with basements. 
Unfortunately, out-of-date HUD regulations require water heaters to be 
placed on the main floor of a manufactured home, thereby prohibiting 
the more logical placement of water heaters in the basement and near a 
floor drain.
  By updating construction safety regulations, this bill will benefit 
many South Dakotans and others who own manufactured homes. The AARP has 
raised valid concerns with portions of this legislation that I am 
hopeful can be addressed. I am confident that the concerns AARP has 
with the composition of the consensus committee can be worked out to 
ensure proper representation from consumers, industry experts, 
manufacturers, public officials, and other interested parties. I also 
commend AARP for raising the issue of warranties, and as a cosponsor of 
this legislation, I look forward to working with my colleagues, the 
manufactured housing industry, and AARP to ensure consumer access to 
warranties.

[[Page S14523]]

  Another important issue that needs to be addressed in this discussion 
concerns installation standards that 33 states, including South Dakota, 
currently have. Differences in geography, soil composition, and climate 
make a uniform set of installation standards difficult to implement. 
However, I would like to see consumers in those states that currently 
do not have installation standards for manufactured homes receive the 
same level of assurance South Dakotans have that their homes will be 
installed correctly.
  I would like to thank Senator Shelby for introducing S. 1452 as well 
as Senators Allard and Kerry for holding hearings on the legislation in 
October. I am hopeful that with the help of the interested parties, we 
can make this important bill even better. I look forward to a continued 
dialogue on this issue and for the Senate to take up this issue early 
in the new year.

                          ____________________