§5404 Manufactured home installation

Summary

Manufacturers must give each manufactured home a set of installation designs and instructions that a design-approval primary inspection agency has approved. Once federal model installation standards are set, an approval agency cannot ok a design unless it gives at least as much protection as those model standards. Within 18 months after the consensus committee is fully appointed, that committee must send proposed model installation standards to the Secretary. The proposals should, as much as possible, match approved home designs and the manufacturers’ installation instructions. The Secretary must adopt final model standards within 12 months after getting the proposals and must allow public notice and comment first. For the five-year period starting on December 27, 2000, no State or manufacturer may put in place installation rules that the Secretary finds give less protection than the rules in effect on December 27, 2000. When that five-year period ends, the Secretary must set up an installation program for any State without an adequate program. The program must have standards that meet or exceed the model standards or approved manufacturer instructions, require installer training and licensing, and include installation inspections. The Secretary may hire a government agent to run the program, but not a private company or a contractor already running other regulatory programs under this law.