[108th Congress Public Law 146]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[DOCID: f:publ146.108]
[[Page 117 STAT. 1883]]
Public Law 108-146
108th Congress
An Act
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize
communities to use community development block grant funds for construction
of tornado-safe shelters in manufactured home parks.
<<NOTE: Dec. 3, 2003 - [H.R. 23]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the <<NOTE: Tornado Shelters Act.>> United States of America in Congress
assembled,
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 42 USC 5301 note.>> SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Tornado Shelters Act''.
SEC. 2. CDBG ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5305(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (22), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (23), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (23) the following new
paragraph:
``(24) the construction or improvement of tornado-safe
shelters for residents of manufactured housing, and the
provision of assistance (including loans and grants) to
nonprofit and for-profit entities (including owners of
manufactured housing parks) for such construction or
improvement, except that--
``(A) a shelter assisted with amounts provided
pursuant to this paragraph may be located only in a
neighborhood (including a manufactured housing park)
that--
``(i) contains not less than 20 manufactured
housing units that are within such proximity to
the shelter that the shelter is available to the
residents of such units in the event of a tornado;
``(ii) consists predominantly of persons of
low and moderate income; and
``(iii) is located within a State in which a
tornado has occurred during the fiscal year for
which the amounts to be used under this paragraph
were made available or any of the 3 preceding
fiscal years, as determined by the Secretary after
consultation with the Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency;
``(B) such a shelter shall comply with standards for
construction and safety as the Secretary, after
consultation with the Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, shall provide to ensure protection
from tornadoes;
[[Page 117 STAT. 1884]]
``(C) such a shelter shall be of a size sufficient
to accommodate, at a single time, all occupants of
manufactured housing units located within the
neighborhood in which the shelter is located; and
``(D) amounts may not be used for a shelter as
provided under this paragraph unless there is located,
within the neighborhood in which the shelter is located
(or, in the case of a shelter located in a manufactured
housing park, within 1,500 feet of such park), a warning
siren that is operated in accordance with such local,
regional, or national disaster warning programs or
systems as the Secretary, after consultation with the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
considers appropriate to ensure adequate notice of
occupants of manufactured housing located in such
neighborhood or park of a tornado; and''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
In addition to any amounts otherwise made available for grants under
title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.), there is authorized to be appropriated for assistance
only for activities pursuant to section 105(a)(24) of such Act
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
Approved December 3, 2003.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 23:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108-151 (Comm. on Financial Services).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
July 21, considered and passed House.
Nov. 18, considered and passed Senate.
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