Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§5419 Authority to Collect Fee
Title 42 › CHAPTER 70 — MANUFACTURED HOME CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS › § 5419
Summary
The Secretary may charge a reasonable fee to manufacturers of manufactured homes to pay for carrying out duties under this law. The money can pay for things like inspections and monitoring; funding States to run approved State plans and training; paying a noncareer program manager and staff costs; running the consensus committee; helping the Department accept the homes’ quality and safety; and running installation and dispute-resolution programs in States where the Secretary must step in after the five-year periods set by the law. Money used for these purposes is separate from Department limits on staff and travel. The Secretary must hire separate, independent contractors for monitoring, inspections, and other contractor work. Fees cannot be used for anything the law does not allow unless the Secretary was already doing that work before December 27, 2000. Fee amounts can only be changed after December 27, 2000 if an annual appropriations Act allows it and after rulemaking under section 553 of title 5. Collected fees go into the "Manufactured Housing Fees Trust Fund" in the Treasury and may be spent only as approved in an annual appropriations Act. The Secretary must keep funding States with approved plans at no less than the amounts based on the fee system in effect the day before the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 took effect.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §5419
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In general
In carrying out inspections under this chapter, in developing standards and regulations pursuant to section 5403 of this title, and in facilitating the acceptance of the affordability and availability of manufactured housing within the Department, the Secretary may—
(1)establish and collect from manufactured home manufacturers a reasonable fee, as may be necessary to offset the expenses incurred by the Secretary in connection with carrying out the responsibilities of the Secretary under this chapter, including—
(A)conducting inspections and monitoring;
(B)providing funding to States for the administration and implementation of approved State plans under section 5422 of this title, including reasonable funding for cooperative educational and training programs designed to facilitate uniform enforcement under this chapter, which funds may be paid directly to the States or may be paid or provided to any person or entity designated to receive and disburse such funds by cooperative agreements among participating States, provided that such person or entity is not otherwise an agent of the Secretary under this chapter;
(C)providing the funding for a noncareer administrator within the Department to administer the manufactured housing program;
(D)providing the funding for salaries and expenses of employees of the Department to carry out the manufactured housing program;
(E)administering the consensus committee as set forth in section 5403 of this title;
(F)facilitating the acceptance of the quality, durability, safety, and affordability of manufactured housing within the Department; and
(G)the administration and enforcement of the installation standards authorized by section 5404 of this title in States in which the Secretary is required to implement an installation program after the expiration of the 5-year period set forth in section 5404(c)(2)(B) of this title, and the administration and enforcement of a dispute resolution program described in section 5422(c)(12) of this title in States in which the Secretary is required to implement such a program after the expiration of the 5-year period set forth in section 5422(g)(2) of this title; and
(2)subject to subsection (e), use amounts from any fee collected under paragraph (1) of this subsection to pay expenses referred to in that paragraph, which shall be exempt and separate from any limitations on the Department regarding full-time equivalent positions and travel.
(b)Contractors
In using amounts from any fee collected under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that separate and independent contractors are retained to carry out monitoring and inspection work and any other work that may be delegated to a contractor under this chapter.
(c)Prohibited use
No amount from any fee collected under this section may be used for any purpose or activity not specifically authorized by this chapter, unless such activity was already engaged in by the Secretary prior to December 27, 2000.
(d)Modification
Beginning on December 27, 2000, the amount of any fee collected under this section may only be modified—
(1)as specifically authorized in advance in an annual appropriations Act; and
(2)pursuant to rulemaking in accordance with section 553 of title 5.
(e)Appropriation and deposit of fees
(1)In general
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the “Manufactured Housing Fees Trust Fund” for deposit of amounts from any fee collected under this section. Such amounts shall be held in trust for use only as provided in this chapter.
(2)Appropriation
Amounts from any fee collected under this section shall be available for expenditure only to the extent approved in advance in an annual appropriations Act. Any change in the expenditure of such amounts shall be specifically authorized in advance in an annual appropriations Act.
(3)Payments to States
On and after the effective date of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, the Secretary shall continue to fund the States having approved State plans in the amounts which are not less than the allocated amounts, based on the fee distribution system in effect on the day before such effective date.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
For the
Effective Date
of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, referred to in subsec. (e)(3), see section 612 of Pub. L. 106–569, set out as an
Effective Date
of 2000 Amendment note under section 5401 of this title.
Amendments
2000—Pub. L. 106–569 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “In carrying out the inspections required under this chapter, the Secretary may establish and impose on manufactured home manufacturers, distributors, and dealers such reasonable fees as may be necessary to offset the expenses incurred by him in conducting such inspections, and the Secretary may use any fees so collected to pay expenses incurred in connection with such inspections, except that this section shall not apply in any State which has in effect a State plan under section 5422 of this title.” 1980—Pub. L. 96–399 substituted “manufactured home” for “mobile home”. 1979—Pub. L. 96–153 substituted “conducting such inspections, and the Secretary may use any fees so collected to pay expenses incurred in connection with such inspections, except” for “conducting such inspections, except”.
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. Final Rulemaking on Manufactured Housing Payments Pub. L. 116–94, div. H, title II, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2994, provided in part: “That the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue a final rule to complete rulemaking initiated by the proposed rule entitled ‘Manufactured Housing Program: Minimum Payments to the States’ published in the Federal Register on
December 16, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 91083)”. Manufactured Housing Pub. L. 107–18, § 1,
July 5, 2001, 115 Stat. 152, provided that: “(a) Availability of Fees.—Notwithstanding section 620(e)(2) of the National Manufactured Housing
Construction
and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5419(e)(2)), any fees collected under that Act, including any fees collected before the date of enactment of the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000 (12 U.S.C. 1701 note) [Dec. 27, 2000] and remaining unobligated on the date of enactment of this Act [July 5, 2001], shall be available for expenditure to offset the expenses incurred by the Secretary under the National Manufactured Housing
Construction
and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.), otherwise in accordance with section 620 of that Act. “(b) Duration.—The authority for the use of fees provided for in subsection (a) shall remain in effect during the period beginning in fiscal year 2001 and ending on the
Effective Date
of the first appropriations Act referred to in section 620(e)(2) of the National Manufactured Housing
Construction
and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5419(e)(2)) that is enacted with respect to a fiscal year after fiscal year 2001.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 5419
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110