§ 5419 — Authority To Collect Fee

(a) 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) 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) 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) 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. (1) 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) 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) 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.