[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 148 (Friday, July 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46153-46154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16656]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6229-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 the Manufactured 
Housing Consensus Committee.

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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 
make appointments from nominations submitted in response to this 
Notice. However, individuals that applied last year do not need to re-
apply; pursuant to this notice those applications are on file and may 
be considered for future appointments. Current MHCC members whose first 
term ends on December 31, 2020 and are eligible for reappointment need 
to resubmit their nomination application.

DATES: The Department will accept nominations until August 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Nominations must be submitted through the following website: 
http://mhcc.homeinnovation.com/Application.aspx. The submitted 
nominations are addressed to Teresa B. Payne, 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, Administrator, Office 
of Manufactured Housing Programs, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 9166, Washington, DC 20410-8000; 
telephone number 202-708-5365 (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

[[Page 46154]]

manufactured housing regulations. 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 to advise 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 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 make appointments from nominations submitted in 
response to this Notice. However, individuals that applied last year do 
not need to re-apply; pursuant to this notice those applications are on 
file and may be considered for future appointments.
    To be considered for appointment to a position of an MHCC member 
whose term expires in December of 2019, the nomination should be 
submitted by August 31, 2020.
    Appointments will be made at the discretion of the Secretary.

Len Wolfson,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2020-16656 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P