109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2707
To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exempt qualified
public housing agencies from the requirement of preparing an annual public
housing agency plan.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 3, 2006
Mr. SUNUNU (for himself and Mrs. DOLE) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs
A BILL
To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exempt qualified
public housing agencies from the requirement of preparing an annual public
housing agency plan.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Small Public Housing Authorities Paperwork
Reduction Act'.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY PLANS FOR CERTAIN QUALIFIED PUBLIC HOUSING
AGENCIES.
(a) In General- Section 5A(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437c-1(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(3) EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN PHAS FROM FILING REQUIREMENT-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding paragraph (1) or any other provision
of this Act--
`(i) the requirement under paragraph (1) shall not apply to any qualified
public housing agency; and
`(ii) except as provided in subsection (e)(4)(B), any reference in
this section or any other provision of law to a `public housing agency'
shall not be considered to refer to any qualified public housing agency,
to the extent such reference applies to the requirement to submit
an annual public housing agency plan under this subsection.
`(B) CIVIL RIGHTS CERTIFICATION- Notwithstanding that qualified public
housing agencies are exempt under subparagraph (A) from the requirement
under this section to prepare and submit an annual public housing plan,
each qualified public housing agency shall, on an annual basis, make
the certification described in paragraph (16) of subsection (d), except
that for purposes of such qualified public housing agencies, such paragraph
shall be applied by substituting `the public housing program of the
agency' for `the public housing agency plan'.
`(C) DEFINITION- For purposes of this section, the term `qualified public
housing agency' means a public housing agency that--
`(I) 500 or fewer public housing dwelling units; or
`(II) any number of vouchers under section 8(o) of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); and
`(ii) is not designated under section 6(j)(2) as a troubled public
housing agency.'.
(b) Resident Participation- Section 5A of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (e), by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
`(4) QUALIFIED PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), nothing in
this section may be construed to exempt a qualified public housing agency
from the requirement under paragraph (1) to establish 1 or more resident
advisory boards. Notwithstanding that qualified public housing agencies
are exempt under subsection (b)(3)(A) from the requirement under this
section to prepare and submit an annual public housing plan, each qualified
public housing agency shall consult with, and consider the recommendations
of the resident advisory boards for the agency, at the annual public
hearing required under subsection (f)(5), regarding any changes to the
goals, objectives, and policies of that agency.
`(B) APPLICABILITY OF WAIVER AUTHORITY- Paragraph (3) shall apply to
qualified public housing agencies, except that for purposes of such
qualified public housing agencies, subparagraph (B) of such paragraph
shall be applied by substituting `the functions described in the second
sentence of paragraph (4)(A)' for `the functions described in paragraph
(2)'.
`(f) Public Hearings- '; and
(2) in subsection (f) (as so designated by the amendment made by paragraph
(1)), by adding at the end the following:
`(5) QUALIFIED PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES-
`(A) REQUIREMENT- Notwithstanding that qualified public housing agencies
are exempt under subsection (b)(3)(A) from the requirement under this
section to conduct a public hearing regarding the annual public housing
plan of the agency, each qualified public housing agency shall annually
conduct a public hearing--
`(i) to discuss any changes to the goals, objectives, and policies
of the agency; and
`(ii) to invite public comment regarding such changes.
`(B) AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION AND NOTICE- Not later than 45 days
before the date of any hearing described in subparagraph (A), a qualified
public housing agency shall--
`(i) make all information relevant to the hearing and any determinations
of the agency regarding changes to the goals, objectives, and policies
of the agency to be considered at the hearing available for inspection
by the public at the principal office of the public housing agency
during normal business hours; and
`(ii) publish a notice informing the public that--
`(I) the information is available as required under clause (i);
and
`(II) a public hearing under subparagraph (A) will be conducted.'
END
