§5422 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

States may handle safety and construction problems for manufactured homes that the federal government has not set standards for. If a State wants to take over enforcing federal manufactured-home standards, it must send a plan to the Secretary that says which state agency will run the program and how it will enforce the rules. The plan must allow inspections and plan reviews of factories and warehouses, allow penalties and correction steps, charge manufacturers inspection fees that cover inspection costs, show the state has the legal power, staff, and money to do the job, keep manufacturers/distributors/retailers reporting to the Secretary as if the state plan did not exist, and make regular reports to the Secretary. Plans filed on or after the end of the 5-year period beginning on December 27, 2000, must also include a state installation program and a dispute resolution program to settle installer/manufacturer/retailer disputes and order fixes for defects reported during the 1-year period beginning on the date of installation. The Secretary must approve any plan that meets these rules, but must give notice and a hearing if rejecting one. After approval, the Secretary can still act on enforcement but does not have to. The Secretary will check each approved State at least once a year using reports and inspections and will send the results to Congress. If a State seriously fails to follow its plan, the Secretary may withdraw approval after notice and a hearing; the plan stops then, though the State can finish cases already started if they don’t relate to the reason for withdrawal. If a State has not set up the required dispute program by the end of the 5-year period beginning on December 27, 2000, the Secretary will create and run one for that State and may hire a government agent (but not a private contractor with other chapter contracts) to help.

Title 42, §5422

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Nothing in this chapter shall prevent any State agency or court from asserting jurisdiction under State law over any manufactured home construction or safety issue with respect to which no Federal manufactured home construction and safety standard has been established pursuant to the provisions of section 5403 of this title.

(b)Any State which, at any time, desires to assume responsibility for enforcement of manufactured home safety and construction standards relating to any issue with respect to which a Federal standard has been established under section 5403 of this title, shall submit to the Secretary a State plan for enforcement of such standards.

(c)The Secretary shall approve the plan submitted by a State under subsection (b), or any modification thereof, if such plan in his judgment—

(1)designates a State agency or agencies as the agency or agencies responsible for administering the plan throughout the State;

(2)provides for the enforcement of manufactured home safety and construction standards promulgated under section 5403 of this title;

(3)provides for a right of entry and inspection of all factories, warehouses, or establishments in such State in which manufactured homes are manufactured and for the review of plans, in a manner which is identical to that provided in section 5413 of this title;

(4)provides for the imposition of the civil and criminal penalties under section 5410 of this title;

(5)provides for the notification and correction procedures under section 5414 of this title;

(6)provides for the payment of inspection fees by manufacturers in amounts adequate to cover the costs of inspections;

(7)contains satisfactory assurances that the State agency or agencies have or will have the legal authority and qualified personnel necessary for the enforcement of such standards;

(8)give satisfactory assurances that such State will devote adequate funds to the administration and enforcement of such standards;

(9)requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in such State to make reports to the Secretary in the same manner and to the same extent as if the State plan were not in effect;

(10)provides that the State agency or agencies will make such reports to the Secretary in such form and containing such information as the Secretary shall from time to time require;

(11)with respect to any State plan submitted on or after the expiration of the 5-year period beginning on December 27, 2000, provides for an installation program established by State law that meets the requirements of section 5404(c)(3) of this title;

(12)with respect to any State plan submitted on or after the expiration of the 5-year period beginning on December 27, 2000, provides for a dispute resolution program for the timely resolution of disputes between manufacturers, retailers, and installers of manufactured homes regarding responsibility, and for the issuance of appropriate orders, for the correction or repair of defects in manufactured homes that are reported during the 1-year period beginning on the date of installation; and

(13)complies with such other requirements as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe for the enforcement of this chapter.

(d)If the Secretary rejects a plan submitted under subsection (b), he shall afford the State submitting the plan due notice and opportunity for a hearing before so doing.

(e)After the Secretary approves a State plan submitted under subsection (b), he may, but shall not be required to, exercise his authority under this chapter with respect to enforcement of manufactured home construction and safety standards in the State involved.

(f)The Secretary shall, on the basis of reports submitted by the designated State agency and his own inspections, make a continuing evaluation of the manner in which each State having a plan approved under this section is carrying out such plan. Such evaluation shall be made by the Secretary at least annually for each State, and the results of such evaluation and the inspection reports on which it is based shall be promptly submitted to the appropriate committees of the Congress. Whenever the Secretary finds, after affording due notice and opportunity for a hearing, that in the administration of the State plan there is a failure to comply substantially with any provision of the State plan or that the State plan has become inadequate, he shall notify the State agency or agencies of his withdrawal of approval of such plan. Upon receipt of such notice by such State agency or agencies such plan shall cease to be in effect, but the State may retain jurisdiction in any case commenced before the withdrawal of the plan in order to enforce manufactured home standards under the plan whenever the issues involved do not relate to the reasons for the withdrawal of the plan.

(g)(1)Not later than the expiration of the 5-year period beginning on December 27, 2000, the Secretary shall establish a dispute resolution program that meets the requirements of subsection (c)(12) for dispute resolution in each State described in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The order establishing the dispute resolution program shall be issued after notice and opportunity for public comment in accordance with section 553 of title 5.

(2)Beginning on the expiration of the 5-year period described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall implement the dispute resolution program established under paragraph (1) in each State that has not established a dispute resolution program that meets the requirements of subsection (c)(12).

(3)In carrying out paragraph (2), the Secretary may contract with an appropriate agent to implement the dispute resolution program established under paragraph (2), except that such agent shall not be a person or entity other than a government, nor an affiliate or subsidiary of such a person or entity, that has entered into a contract with the Secretary to implement any other regulatory program under this chapter.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Reference to “mobile homes”, appearing in subsec. (c)(3), changed to “manufactured homes” in view of the amendment of title VI of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (this chapter) by section 308(c)(4) of Pub. L. 96–399 requiring the substitution of “manufactured home” for “mobile home” wherever appearing in title VI of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, and section 339B(c) of Pub. L. 97–35 (set out as a note under section 1703 of Title 12, Banks and Banking) providing that the terms “mobile home” and “manufactured home” shall be deemed to include the terms “mobile homes” and “manufactured homes”, respectively.

Amendments

2000—Subsec. (c)(9). Pub. L. 106–569, § 603(b)(5), substituted “retailers” for “dealers”. Subsec. (c)(11). Pub. L. 106–569, § 605(b)(1), (3), added par. (11). Former par. (11) redesignated (13). Subsec. (c)(12). Pub. L. 106–569, § 610(1), added par. (12). Subsec. (c)(13). Pub. L. 106–569, § 605(b)(2), redesignated par. (11) as (13). Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 106–569, § 610(2), added subsec. (g). 1980—Subsecs. (a), (b), (c)(2), (e), (f). Pub. L. 96–399 substituted “manufactured home” for “mobile home” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–569 effective Dec. 27, 2000, except that amendment has no effect on any order or interpretative bulletin issued under this chapter and published as a proposed rule pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 on or before Dec. 27, 2000, see section 612 of Pub. L. 106–569, set out as a note under section 5401 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective upon the expiration of 180 days following Aug. 22, 1974, see section 627 of Pub. L. 93–383, set out as a note under section 5401 of this title.

§5422 State enforcement

Summary

Title 42, §5422

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata