[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1120-1121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00180]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-6435-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 (HUD or the
Department) 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. HUD will make appointments from nominations submitted in response
to this Notice but prior nominations on file will not be considered for
appointments. Individuals that applied under the previous Notice are
strongly encouraged to re-apply under this Notice. Current MHCC members
whose first term ends on December 31, 2023, are eligible for
reappointment, but will need to submit their nomination to be
considered.
DATES: The Department will accept nominations until March 11, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Nominations must be submitted through the following website:
https://mhcc.homeinnovation.com/Application.aspx. Submitted nominations
must be 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;
telephone 202-402-2698 (this is not a toll-free number), email
[email protected]. HUD welcomes and is prepared to receive calls from
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as individuals
with speech or communication disabilities. To learn more about how to
make an accessible telephone call, please visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs.
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)
(the Act) to require the establishment of the Manufactured Housing
Consensus Committee (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) provide periodic recommendations to the Secretary to adopt,
revise, and interpret the procedural and enforcement 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 encourages nominations from highly qualified and motivated
individuals of diverse backgrounds, interests, and experience, 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 each. The MHCC expects to meet
at least one to two times annually. Meetings may take place by
conference call, virtually, or in person. Members of the MHCC undertake
additional work commitments on subcommittees and task forces regarding
issues under deliberation.
[[Page 1121]]
Nominee Selection and Appointment
Members of the MHCC 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 individuals from producers or retailers of
manufactured housing.
2. Users--Seven individuals 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. The Secretary may reject the appointment of any
one or more individuals 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 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. Ch. 10), 41 CFR part 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, 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 (79
FR 47482).
Term of Office
MHCC members serve at the discretion of the Secretary or for a
three-year term, 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. In furtherance of Executive Order 14035, Executive
Order on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Accessibility in the
Federal Workforce (86 FR 34593), HUD seeks for the MHCC to reflect the
diversity of stakeholders in the housing market. The nomination website
listed above, therefore, contains questions to elicit demographic
information. Nominees may briefly summarize why they want to be a
member of the MHCC and include unique skills, knowledge, and
experiences that they would bring to inform the work of the committee.
Individuals may nominate themselves. HUD recommends that the
application for nomination be accompanied by a resume.
Additional Information
The Department will make appointments and reappointments from
nominations submitted in response to this Notice. To be considered for
appointment to a position of an MHCC member whose term will expire in
December of 2023 or to fill any MHCC vacancy that currently exists, the
application must be submitted by March 11, 2024. Appointments will be
made at the discretion of the Secretary.
Julia R. Gordon,
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2024-00180 Filed 1-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P