[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12200-12201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05596]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6083-N-01]


Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC): Notice Inviting 
Nominations of Individuals To Serve on the Committee

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing 
Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of request for nominations to serve on MHCC.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development invites the 
public to nominate individuals for appointment, with the approval of 
the Secretary, to the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC), 
a federal advisory committee established by the National Manufactured 
Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as amended by 
the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. The Department will 
only make appointments from nominations submitted in response to this 
Notice. Individuals that may have applied in response to prior requests 
for nominations and who are still interested in being appointed must 
re-apply pursuant to this notice.

DATES: The Department will accept nominations until April 19, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Nominations must submitted through the following website: 
http://mhcc.homeinnovation.com/Application.aspx. The submitted 
nominations are addressed to: Teresa B. Payne, Acting Administrator, 
Office of Manufactured Housing Programs, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, c/o Home Innovation Research Labs; Attention: Kevin 
Kauffman, 400 Prince Georges Blvd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa B. Payne, Acting Deputy 
Administrator, Office of Manufactured Housing Programs, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 9164, 
Washington, DC 20410-8000; telephone number 202-708-6423 (this is not a 
toll-free number). For hearing and speech-impaired persons, this number 
may be accessed via TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-
877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 604 of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 
(Pub. L. 106-569) amended the National Manufactured Housing 
Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5401-5426) 
(Act) to require the establishment of the MHCC, a federal advisory 
committee, to: (1) Provide periodic recommendations to the Secretary to 
adopt, revise, and interpret the manufactured housing construction and 
safety standards; and (2) to provide periodic recommendations to the 
Secretary to adopt, revise, and interpret the procedural and 
enforcement manufactured housing regulations, including regulations 
specifying the permissible scope and conduct of monitoring. The Act 
authorizes the Secretary to appoint a total of twenty-two members to 
the MHCC. Twenty-one members have voting rights; the twenty-second 
member represents the Secretary and is a non-voting position. Service 
on the MHCC is voluntary. Travel and per diem for meetings is provided 
in accordance with federal travel policy pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5703.
    HUD seeks highly qualified and motivated individuals who meet the 
requirements set forth in the Act to serve as voting members of the 
MHCC for up to two terms of three years. The MHCC expects to meet at 
least one to two times annually. Meetings may take place by conference 
call or in person. Members of the MHCC undertake additional work 
commitments on subcommittees and task forces regarding issues under 
deliberation.

Nominee Selection and Appointment

    Members of the Consensus Committee are appointed to serve in one of 
three member categories. Nominees will be appointed to fill voting 
member vacancies in the following categories:
    1. Producers--Seven producers or retailers of manufactured housing.
    2. Users--Seven persons representing consumer interests, such as 
consumer organizations, recognized consumer leaders, and owners who are 
residents of manufactured homes.
    3. General Interest and Public Officials--Seven general interest 
and public official members.
    The Act provides that the Secretary shall ensure that all interests 
directly and materially affected by the work of the MHCC have the 
opportunity for fair and equitable participation without dominance by 
any single interest; and may reject the appointment of any one or more 
individuals in order to ensure that there is not dominance by any 
single interest. For purposes of this determination, dominance is 
defined as a position or exercise of dominant authority, leadership, or 
influence by reason of superior leverage, strength, or representation.
    Additional requirements governing appointment and member service 
include:
    (1) Nominees appointed to the User category, and three of the 
individuals appointed to the General Interest and Public Official 
category shall not have a significant financial interest in any segment 
of the manufactured housing industry; or a significant relationship to 
any person engaged in the manufactured housing industry.
    (2) Each member serving in the User category shall be subject to a 
ban disallowing compensation from the manufactured housing industry 
during the period of, and during the one year following, his or her 
membership on the MHCC.
    (3) Nominees selected for appointment to the MHCC shall be required 
to provide disclosures and certifications regarding conflict-of-
interest and eligibility for membership prior to finalizing an 
appointment.
    All selected nominees will be required to submit certifications of 
eligibility under the foregoing criteria as a prerequisite to final 
appointment.

Consensus Committee--Advisory Role

    The MHCC's role is solely advisory to the Secretary on the subject 
matter described above.

Federal Advisory Committee Act

    The MHCC is subject to the requirements of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix), 41 CFR parts 101-6 and 102-3 (the 
FACA Final Rule), and to the Presidential Memorandum, dated June 18, 
2010, directing all heads of executive departments and agencies not to 
make any new appointments or reappointments of federally registered 
lobbyists to advisory committees and other boards and commissions. The 
June 18, 2010, Presidential Memorandum authorized the Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance to implement 
this policy. On August 13, 2014 (79 FR 47482), OMB issued guidance 
regarding the prohibition against appointing or re-appointing federally 
registered lobbyists to clarify that the ban applies to persons serving 
on advisory committees, boards, and commissions in their individual 
capacity and does not apply if they are specifically appointed to 
represent the

[[Page 12201]]

interests of a nongovernmental entity, a recognizable group of persons 
or nongovernmental entities (an industry sector, labor unions, 
environmental groups, etc.), or state or local governments.

Term of Office

    Consensus Committee members serve at the discretion of the 
Secretary or for a three-year term and for up to two terms.

Nominee Information

    Individuals seeking nomination to the MHCC should submit detailed 
information documenting their qualifications as addressed in the Act 
and this Notice. Individuals may nominate themselves. HUD recommends 
that the application form be accompanied by a resume.

Additional Information

    The Department will only make appointments from nominations 
submitted in response to this Notice. Individuals that may have applied 
replied in response to prior requests for nominations and who are still 
interested in being appointed must re-apply pursuant to this notice. To 
be considered for appointment to a position of an MHCC member whose 
term expired in December of 2017, the nomination should be submitted by 
April 19, 2018.
    Appointments will be made at the discretion of the Secretary.

    Dated: March 14, 2018.
Dana T. Wade,
General Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Housing.
[FR Doc. 2018-05596 Filed 3-19-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P