§ 5407 — Research, Testing, Development, And Training By Secretary

(a) The Secretary shall conduct research, testing, development, and training necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including, but not limited to— (1) collecting data from any source for the purpose of determining the relationship between manufactured home performance characteristics and (A) accidents involving manufactured homes, and (B) the occurrence of death, personal injury, or damage resulting from such accidents; (2) procuring (by negotiation or otherwise) experimental and other manufactured homes for research and testing purposes; (3) selling or otherwise disposing of test manufactured homes and reimbursing the proceeds of such sale or disposal into the current appropriation available for the purpose of carrying out this chapter; (4) encouraging the government-sponsored housing entities to actively develop and implement secondary market securitization programs for the FHA manufactured home loans and those of other loan programs, as appropriate, thereby promoting the availability of affordable manufactured homes to increase homeownership for all people in the United States; and (5) reviewing the programs for FHA manufactured home loans and developing any changes to such programs to promote the affordability of manufactured homes, including changes in loan terms, amortization periods, regulations, and procedures. (b) The Secretary is authorized to conduct research, testing, development, and training as authorized to be carried out by subsection (a) of this section by contracting for or making grants for the conduct of such research, testing, development, and training to States, interstate agencies, and independent institutions. (c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) The term “government-sponsored housing entities” means the Government National Mortgage Association of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. (2) The term “FHA manufactured home loan” means a loan that— (A) is insured under title I of the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1702 et seq.] and is made for the purpose of financing alterations, repairs, or improvements on or in connection with an existing manufactured home, the purchase of a manufactured home, the purchase of a manufactured home and a lot on which to place the home, or the purchase only of a lot on which to place a manufactured home; or (B) is otherwise insured under the National Housing Act [12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.] and made for or in connection with a manufactured home.