29 U.S.C. § 1823: Safety and health of housing

Summary

Owners or people who control places used as housing for migrant agricultural workers must make sure those places meet federal and state safety and health rules. A state or local health agency must give a written certificate that the housing meets those rules before workers move in. The owner must post a copy where it can be seen, keep the original certificate for three years, and let officials inspect it. Posting the certificate does not remove the owner’s duty to follow the rules. If the owner asks for an inspection at least 45 days before move-in and the agency has not inspected by then, workers may move in. The rules do not apply to businesses that regularly rent housing to the general public and offer the same kind of housing to migrant agricultural workers.

Title 29, §1823

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(a)Compliance with substantive Federal and State safety and health standards

Except as provided in subsection (c), each person who owns or controls a facility or real property which is used as housing for migrant agricultural workers shall be responsible for ensuring that the facility or real property complies with substantive Federal and State safety and health standards applicable to that housing.

(b)Certification that applicable safety and health standards met; posting of certificate of occupancy; retention of certificate and availability for inspection and review; occupancy prior to inspection

(1)Except as provided in subsection (c) and paragraph (2) of this subsection, no facility or real property may be occupied by any migrant agricultural worker unless either a State or local health authority or other appropriate agency has certified that the facility or property meets applicable safety and health standards. No person who owns or controls any such facility or property shall permit it to be occupied by any migrant agricultural worker unless a copy of the certification of occupancy is posted at the site. The receipt and posting of a certificate of occupancy does not relieve any person of responsibilities under subsection (a). Each such person shall retain the original certification for three years and shall make it available for inspection and review in accordance with section 1862 of this title.

(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, if a request for the inspection of a facility or real property is made to the appropriate State or local agency at least forty-five days prior to the date on which it is occupied by migrant agricultural workers and such agency has not conducted an inspection by such date, the facility or property may be so occupied.

(c)Applicability to providers of housing on a commercial basis to the general public

This section does not apply to any person who, in the ordinary course of that person’s business, regularly provides housing on a commercial basis to the general public and who provides housing to migrant agricultural workers of the same character and on the same or comparable terms and conditions as is provided to the general public.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 90 days from Jan. 14, 1983, see section 524 of Pub. L. 97–470, set out as a note under section 1801 of this title.

§1823 Safety and Health of Housing

Summary

Title 29, §1823

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata