Bill Summary
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 by establishing a centralized authority within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for setting federal standards related to the construction and safety of manufactured homes. Specifically, it designates the Secretary of HUD as the primary authority to develop and approve these standards.
Under the new provisions, any federal agency intending to create or modify manufactured home construction and safety standards must first submit a proposal to the Secretary of HUD and cannot proceed without the Secretary's approval. The Secretary has the discretion to reject proposals if they would significantly increase production costs, conflict with existing standards, or for other justifiable reasons. This legislation aims to streamline the process of setting standards while ensuring that they are cost-effective and consistent with current regulations.
Possible Impacts
The proposed legislation regarding manufactured home construction and safety standards could affect people in several significant ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Cost of Housing**: By requiring approval from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for any new federal manufactured home construction and safety standards, the legislation aims to prevent standards that would significantly increase the cost of producing manufactured homes. This could help keep housing affordable for low-income families and individuals who rely on manufactured homes as a viable housing option. If standards are rejected because they raise costs, it may ensure that more people can access affordable housing.
2. **Safety and Quality Assurance**: The legislation centralizes the authority to establish safety standards with the Secretary, which could lead to more consistent and potentially higher safety standards across manufactured homes. This could positively impact residents by ensuring that the homes they live in meet certain safety criteria, reducing the risk of accidents or hazards associated with poor construction or unsafe materials. If the Secretary enforces rigorous standards, it could enhance overall living conditions for manufactured home residents.
3. **Regulatory Oversight**: By streamlining the process through which safety standards are developed and approved, the legislation may lead to more effective regulatory oversight in the manufactured housing industry. This could help ensure that emerging issues—such as environmental concerns like energy efficiency—are addressed more swiftly. Residents may benefit from improvements in energy efficiency standards, leading to lower utility bills and a more sustainable living environment. However, if the Secretary decides to reject proposed standards for any reason deemed appropriate, this could also lead to concerns about the lack of transparency or accountability in the decision-making process.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5263 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5263
To require approval from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
for any Federal manufactured home and safety standards, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2025
Mr. Flood (for himself and Mr. Cleaver) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require approval from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
for any Federal manufactured home and safety standards, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PRIMARY AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH MANUFACTURED HOME
CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5401
et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 603(7), by inserting ``energy efficiency,''
after ``design,''; and
(2) in section 604, by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(i) Primary Authority To Establish Standards.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall have the primary
authority to establish Federal manufactured home construction
and safety standards.
``(2) Approval from secretary.--
``(A) In general.--The head of any Federal agency
that seeks to establish a Federal manufactured home
construction and safety standard on or after the date
of the enactment of this subsection--
``(i) shall submit to the Secretary a
proposal describing such standard; and
``(ii) may not establish such standard
without approval from the Secretary.
``(B) Rejection of standards.--The Secretary shall
reject the standards described in subparagraph (A)--
``(i) if the standards would significantly
increase the cost of producing manufactured
homes, as determined by the Secretary;
``(ii) if the standards conflict with
existing manufactured home construction and
safety standards established by the Secretary;
or
``(iii) for any other reason as determined
appropriate by the Secretary.
``(C) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
subsection shall be construed to require the Secretary
to establish new or revised Federal manufactured home
construction and safety standards.''.
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