Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 - Title I: Department of Transportation - Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2015 - Makes appropriations for FY2015 to the Department of Transportation (DOT), including: (1) the Office of the Secretary, (2) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), (3) the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), (4) the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), (5) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), (6) the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), (7) the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), (8) the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, (9) the Maritime Administration, (10) the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), (11) the Office of Inspector General, and (12) the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
(Sec. 102) Authorizes the DOT's Working Capital fund to provide advanced payments to vendors to carry out the federal transit pass transportation fringe benefit program for federal employees.
(Sec. 103) Directs the Secretary to: (1) post on the DOT website a schedule of all Credit Council meetings, including the agenda for each meeting; and (2) require the Council to record the decisions and actions of the meetings.
(Sec. 110) Prohibits the use of funds to compensate more than 600 technical staff-years under the federally funded research and development center contract between the FAA and the Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development during FY2015.
(Sec. 111) Prohibits the use of funds to pursue or adopt guidelines or regulations requiring airport sponsors to provide to the FAA without cost building construction, maintenance, utilities and expenses, or space in airport sponsor-owned buildings for services relating to air traffic control, air navigation, or weather reporting. Exempts from this prohibition any negotiations between the agency and airport sponsors to: (1) achieve agreement on "below-market" rates for these items, or (2) grant assurances that require airport sponsors to provide land without cost to the FAA for air traffic control facilities.
(Sec. 112) Authorizes the FAA Administrator to reimburse amounts made available from certain fees to carry out the Essential Air Service (EAS) program.
(Sec. 113) Requires that amounts collected for safety-related training and operational services to foreign aviation authorities be credited to the appropriation current at the time of collection, to be merged with and available for the same purposes of such appropriation.
(Sec. 114) Prohibits the availability of funds for paying premium pay (pay for Sunday and holiday work) to an FAA employee unless the employee actually performed worked during the time corresponding to such pay.
(Sec. 115) Prohibits the obligation of funds for an FAA employee to purchase a store gift card or gift certificate through use of a government-issued credit card.
(Sec. 116) Prohibits the obligation of funds for retention bonuses for an FAA employee without the prior written approval of the DOT Assistant Secretary for Administration.
(Sec. 117) Prohibits the use of funds to implement, or to continue to implement, any limitation on the ability of a private aircraft owner or operator, upon a request to the FAA Administrator, to block, with respect to its noncommercial flights, the display of the owner's or operator's registration number in the Aircraft Situational Display to Industry data provided by the FAA to the public, unless the data has been made available to a government agency.
(Sec. 118) Prohibits the availability of funds for salaries and expenses of more than nine FAA political and Presidential appointees.
(Sec. 119) Prohibits the use of funds to increase fees the FAA Administrator may assess for the costs of creating, printing and disseminating aeronautical products and services until the FAA provides Congress the aeronautical navigation products report referred to in the explanatory statement described in section 4 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014.
(Sec. 119A) Bars the use of funds to change weight restrictions or prior permission rules at Teterboro airport in Teterboro, New Jersey.
(Sec. 120) Prescribes requirements, including a formula, for certain FY2015 distributions from the obligation limitation for federal-aid highways.
(Sec. 121) Allows crediting to the federal-aid highways account of funds received by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics from the sale of data products to reimburse the Bureau for necessary expenses.
(Sec. 122) Requires the Secretary to make an informal public notice and comment opportunity on the intent of the waiver before waiving any Buy American requirement for federal-aid highway projects.
(Sec. 123) Prohibits the use of funds to approve or authorize the imposition of a toll on any segment of a federal highway in the state of Texas that is not already tolled, is constructed with federal assistance, and is in actual operation.
States that this prohibition does not apply to: (1) any federal-aid system highway segment that will have the same number of nontoll lanes as existed before a toll is imposed, or (2) any high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane converted to a toll lane if an HOV may use the toll lane without paying a toll or the HOV lane was constructed as a temporary lane to be replaced by a toll lane.
(Sec. 124) Prohibits the use of funds to DOT to provide credit assistance (secured or direct loans, loan guarantees, or lines of credit) for eligible infrastructure projects unless the Secretary notifies Congress at least three days before approval of any loan or credit application.
(Sec. 125) Permits the continued operation of trucks on any segment of the U.S. Route 41 corridor in Wisconsin designated as a route on the Interstate System that could operate legally on such segment before that designation without regard to federal weight limitation requirements.
Prohibits application of federal weight limitations to a longer combination vehicle operating on a segment of the Interstate System in Idaho if it: (1) has a gross vehicle weight of 129,000 pounds or less; (2) complies with certain single axle, tandem axle, and bridge formula weight limits; and (3) is authorized to operate on that segment under Idaho law.
Permits the continued operation of trucks on any segment of U.S. Route 78 in Mississippi from mile marker 0 to mile marker 113 that is designated as a route on the Interstate System. Prohibits federal weight limitation requirements from applying to those segments with respect to trucks that could operate legally on them before that designation.
(Sec. 130) Subjects funds appropriated or limited in this Act to certain safety examination and other requirements of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 and the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 relating to Mexico-domiciled motor carriers involved in cross-border trucking between the United States and Mexico.
(Sec. 131) Requires the FMCSA to send a notice of commercial motor vehicle safety violations, subject to expedited action, by certified mail, registered mail, or another manner of delivery which records the receipt of the notice by the persons responsible for the violations.
(Sec. 140) Makes certain additional funds available to NHTSA, contingent upon reauthorization, to pay for: (1) travel and related expenses for state management reviews, and (2) core competency development training and related expenses for highway safety staff.
(Sec. 141) Declares that certain limitations on obligations for NHTSA programs shall not apply to any obligational authority made available in previous public laws, except to the extent that the obligational authority has not lapsed or been used.
(Sec. 142) Prohibits the use of funds to implement establishment in the DOT of a National Highway Safety Advisory Committee.
(Sec. 150) Authorizes the Secretary to receive cash or spare parts from non-federal sources to repair damages to or replace federally-owned automated track inspection cars and equipment as a result of third party liability for such damages.
(Sec. 151) Authorizes the Secretary to allow the issuer of any preferred stock heretofore sold to DOT to redeem or repurchase it upon the payment to DOT of an amount the Secretary determines.
(Sec. 152) Bars the use of funds for Amtrak to pay overtime costs in excess of $35,000 for any Amtrak employee.
Authorizes the president of Amtrak to waive such cap in cases where it poses a risk to the safety and operational efficiency of the Amtrak system.
(Sec. 160) Declares that the limitations on obligations for FTA programs shall not apply to any grant authority previously made available for obligation, or to any other authority previously made available for obligation.
(Sec. 161) Declares that funds appropriated by this Act for specified FTA fixed guideway capital investment projects which are not obligated by September 30, 2019, and other recoveries, shall be directed to projects eligible to use the funds for the purposes for which they were originally provided.
(Sec. 162) Authorizes certain transfers of any public transportation funds appropriated before October 1, 2014, that remain available for expenditure.
(Sec. 163) Authorizes the Secretary, when applying project justification and local commitment criteria to a New Starts project, to consider the costs and ridership of any connected project where private parties are making significant financial contributions to the construction of the connected project. Authorizes the Secretary also to consider the significant financial contributions of such parties to the connected project when calculating the non-federal share of net capital project costs for the New Starts project.
(Sec. 164) Bars the use of funds to enter into a full funding grant agreement for a major transit capital project with a New Starts program share greater than 50%.
(Sec. 165) Bars the use of funds to advance in any way a new light or heavy rail project towards a full funding agreement for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, if the proposed capital project is constructed on (or planned to be constructed on) Richmond Avenue west of South Shepherd Drive or on Post Oak Boulevard north of Richmond Avenue in Houston, Texas.
(Sec. 166) Makes unobligated FY2010-FY2012 funds for capital projects for buses and bus-related equipment and facilities available for fixed guideway capital investment projects, subject to specified terms and conditions.
(Sec. 170) Authorizes the Maritime Administration to furnish utilities and services and make necessary repairs in connection with any lease, contract, or occupancy of property under its control.
(Sec. 171) Bars the use of funds by DOT or the Maritime Administration to negotiate or execute, enter into, facilitate or perform fee-for-service contracts for vessel disposal, scrapping, or recycling, unless there is no qualified domestic ship recycler that will pay to purchase and scrap or recycle a vessel owned or operated by the Maritime Administration or that is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
(Sec. 182) Prohibits the availability of the funds in this Act for salaries and expenses of more than 110 political and presidential appointees in DOT. Prohibits assignment of any of such appointees on temporary detail outside DOT.
(Sec. 183) Bars recipients of funds made available in this Act from disseminating personal information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles in connection with a motor vehicle record, except as permitted under specified federal criminal law. Prohibits the Secretary, however, from withholding funds for any grantee if a state fails to comply with this prohibition.
(Sec. 185) Requires the Secretary to notify the congressional appropriations committees at least three full business days before announcing any project competitively selected to receive a discretionary grant award, letter of intent, loan commitment, loan guarantee commitment, line of credit commitment, or full funding grant agreement from certain grant programs, including the federal highway emergency relief program, the FAA AIP, any FRA program, any FTA program other than the formula grants and fixed guideway modernization programs, any Maritime Administration program, or any funding for national infrastructure investments.
(Sec. 187) Makes available for reimbursement of recovery costs any recovered funds that the Secretary has determined represent improper DOT payments to a third party contractor under a financial assistance award.
(Sec. 189) Prohibits the use of funds by the STB to charge or collect any filing fee for rate complaints filed with it in an amount in excess of that authorized for district court civil suit filing fees under the federal judicial code.
(Sec. 190) Authorizes the obligation of funds appropriated to the modal administrations for the Office of the Secretary for costs related to assessments or reimbursable agreements only when such amounts are for the costs of goods or services purchased to provide a direct benefit to such administrations.
(Sec. 191) Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a program to establish uniform standards for developing and supporting agency transit pass and transit benefits, including distribution of such benefits by various paper and electronic media.
(Sec. 192) Prohibits the STB from using funds under this Act to take any actions to construct a high-speed rail project in California unless it has jurisdiction over the entire project and the permit to construct the project in its entirety was issued by the STB.
(Sec. 193) Prohibits use of transportation infrastructure finance and innovation (TIFIA) program funds made available under this Act to subsidize a credit instrument that would cause the credit subsidy obligated in FY2015 for transportation infrastructure projects in a single state to exceed 33% of the total credit subsidy made available by this Act on October 1, 2014.
(Sec. 194) Bars use of funds made available by this Act to deny an application to renew a Hazardous Materials Safety Program permit for a motor carrier based on that carrier's Hazardous Materials Out-of-Service rate, unless the Secretary determines the carrier's corrective actions or corrective action plan is insufficient to address the safety concerns that resulted in that rate.
(Sec. 195) Makes any unobligated FRA safety and operations funds under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 available for rail safety oversight activities for the transport of energy products.
Makes $10 million of unobligated FRA capital assistance to states for intercity passenger rail service for FY2008-FY2009 available for grade crossing safety improvements on rail routes that transport such products.
Title II: Department of Housing and Urban Development - Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2015 - Makes appropriations for FY2015 to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for: (1) administration, operations, and management; (2) the Office of Public and Indian Housing; (3) the Office of Community Planning and Development; (4) the Office of Housing and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA); (5) the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae); (6) Office of Policy Development and Research; (7) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity; (8) the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes; and (9) the Office of Inspector General.
Rescinds permanently any unobligated balances, including recaptures and carryover, remaining from funds appropriated to HUD for brownfields redevelopment and the Community Development Loan Guarantees Program account.
(Sec. 201) Requires rescission of 50% of the amounts of budget authority (or, in the alternative, remittance to the Treasury of 50% of the associated cash amounts) that are recaptured from certain state-, local government-, or local housing agency-financed projects under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988. Requires such recaptured budget authority or funds, as well as any budget authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the Treasury, to be used by state housing finance agencies or local governments or local housing agencies with HUD-approved projects for which settlement occurred after January 1, 1992.
Authorizes the Secretary of HUD (Secretary in this title), all the same, to award up to 15% of the budget authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the Treasury to provide project owners with incentives to refinance their projects at a lower interest rate.
(Sec. 202) Prohibits the use of funds during FY2015 to investigate or prosecute under the Fair Housing Act any otherwise lawful activity engaged in by one or more persons, including the filing or maintaining of a non-frivolous legal action, that is engaged in solely to achieve or prevent action by a government official or entity, or a court of competent jurisdiction.
(Sec. 203) Directs the Secretary to make a grant under certain authority of the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act for any state that received an allocation in a prior fiscal year, but is not otherwise eligible for an FY2015 allocation because the areas in the state outside of qualifying metropolitan statistical areas in FY2015 (modified to reflect revised delineations established by the Office of Management and Budget [OMB] and Executive Order No. 10253) do not have the number of cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) otherwise required.
Prescribes a formula for the allocation of such grants to Jersey City and Paterson, New Jersey.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) adjust the funds allocated for FY2015 under the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act to Wilmington, Delaware, on behalf of the Wilmington, Delaware-Maryland-New Jersey Metropolitan Division; and (2) allocate a portion to the state of New Jersey according to a specified formula.
Directs the Secretary to allocate to Wake County, North Carolina, certain funds that otherwise would be allocated for FY2015 under such Act to Raleigh, North Carolina, on behalf of the Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area (as modified).
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) adjust FY2015 allocations under such Act upon the written request of a grant applicant for a formula allocation on behalf of a metropolitan statistical area (as modified), and (2) designate the state or states in which the metropolitan statistical area is located as the eligible grantee(s) of the allocation.
(Sec. 204) Requires any grant, cooperative agreement, or other assistance made pursuant to this title to be made on a competitive basis and in accordance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989.
(Sec. 205) Makes certain funds available, without regard to limitations on administrative expenses, for: (1) legal services on a contract or fee basis; and (2) payment for services and facilities of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Ginnie Mae, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Federal Financing Bank, Federal Reserve banks, Federal Home Loan banks, and any bank insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act.
(Sec. 207) Authorizes any HUD corporations and agencies subject to the Government Corporation Control Act to make expenditures, contracts, and commitments without regard to fiscal year limitations as necessary to carry out their FY2015 budgets.
(Sec. 208) Directs the Secretary to report quarterly to congressional appropriations committees regarding all uncommitted, unobligated, recaptured, and excess funds in each program and activity within HUD jurisdiction, along with additional, updated budget information upon request.
(Sec. 209) Requires the President's formal budget request for FY2016 and HUD's congressional budget justifications to use the identical account and subaccount structure provided under this Act.
(Sec. 210) Declares that a PHA (or other entity) that administers federal housing assistance for the Housing Authority of the county of Los Angeles, California, or the states of Alaska, Iowa, or Mississippi shall not be required to include a resident of public housing or a recipient of section 8 rental assistance (under the United States Housing Act of 1937) on the agency or entity governing board.
Requires each such PHA (or other entity) that chooses not to include such individuals on its governing board to establish an advisory board, which shall meet at least quarterly, consisting of at least six residents of public housing or section 8 rental assistance recipients.
(Sec. 211) Prohibits the use of funds provided under this title for an audit of Ginnie Mae that applies certain requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990.
(Sec. 212) Authorizes the Secretary for FY2015-FY2016, subject to specified conditions, to authorize the transfer of some or all project-based assistance, debt, and statutorily required low-income and very low-income use restrictions, associated with one or more multifamily housing project, to another multifamily housing project or projects.
(Sec. 213) Prohibits any section 8 rental assistance to any individual who: (1) is enrolled as a student at an institution of higher education; (2) is under age 24; (3) is not a veteran; (4) is unmarried; (5) does not have a dependent child; (6) is not a person with disabilities, and was not receiving section 8 assistance as of November 30, 2005; and (7) is not otherwise individually eligible, or has parents who, individually or jointly, are not eligible, to receive such assistance.
Declares that, for section 8 rental assistance eligibility purposes, any financial assistance (in excess of amounts received for tuition) that an individual receives under the Higher Education Act of 1965, from private sources, or an institution of higher education shall be considered income to that individual, except for a person over age 23 with dependent children.
(Sec. 214) Requires that the funds made available for Native American Housing Block Grants in title II of this Act be allocated to the same recipients that received funds in FY2005.
(Sec. 215) Authorizes the Secretary through FY2015 to insure, and enter into commitments to insure, home equity conversion mortgages (HECMs, or reverse mortgages) for elderly homeowners.
(Sec. 216) Requires the Secretary during FY2015, in managing and disposing of any multifamily property that is owned or has a mortgage held by HUD, and during the process of foreclosure on any property with a contract for section 8 rental assistance payments or other federal programs, to maintain any rental assistance payments attached to any dwelling units in the property. Authorizes the Secretary, however, to the extent that such a multifamily property is not feasible for continued payments, based on specified cost, operation, or environmental considerations, to: (1) contract, in consultation with the property's tenants, for project-based rental assistance payments with an owner or owners of other existing housing properties; or (2) provide other rental assistance.
(Sec. 217) Authorizes the use of Community Development Loan Guarantee funds in FY2015 to guarantee, or make commitments to guarantee, notes or other obligations issued by any state on behalf of its non-entitlement communities.
(Sec. 218) Authorizes PHAs that own and operate 400 or fewer public housing units to elect to be exempt from any asset management requirements imposed by the Secretary in connection with the operating fund rule.
Prohibits exemption from such requirements, however, for an agency seeking a discontinuance of a reduction of subsidy under the operating fund formula.
(Sec. 219) Prohibits the Secretary, with respect to the use of funds for the operation, capital improvement, and management of public housing authorized by the United States Housing Act of 1937, from imposing any asset management requirement or guideline that restricts or limits in any way the use of capital funds for central office costs.
Prohibits a PHA, however, from using capital funds authorized for eligible operation and management activities with operating funds in excess of specified permitted amounts.
(Sec. 220) Prohibits designation of a HUD official or employee as an allotment holder unless he or she has: (1) implemented an adequate system of funds control, and (2) received training in funds control procedures and directives.
(Sec. 221) Requires the Secretary to report annually to congressional appropriations committees on the status of all section 8 project-based housing, including the number of all project-based units by region, as well as an analysis of all federally subsidized housing being refinanced under the Mark-to-Market program.
(Sec. 222) Requires the Secretary for FY2015 to notify the public through the Federal Register and other appropriate means of the issuance of a notice of the availability of assistance or notice of funding availability (NOFA) for any program or discretionary fund that is to be awarded competitively.
Authorizes the Secretary for such period to make the NOFA available only on the Internet at the appropriate government website or through other electronic media.
(Sec. 223) Requires payment of attorney fees in program-related litigation from individual program office personnel benefits and compensation funding.
(Sec. 225) Considers the HUD-administered Disaster Housing Assistance Programs as a HUD program under the McKinney Act for income verification and matching purposes.
(Sec. 226) Requires the Secretary to take specified actions when a multifamily housing project with a section 8 contract or contract for similar project-based assistance: (1) receives a Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) score of 30 or less; or (2) receives a REAC score between 31 and 59 and fails to certify in writing to HUD, within 60 days, that all deficiencies have been corrected, or receives consecutive scores of less than 60 on REAC inspections.
Applies such requirements to insured and noninsured projects with section 8 rental assistance attached to the units; but not to units receiving PHA project-based assistance under the voucher program, or to public housing units assisted with capital or operating funds.
(Sec. 227) Prohibits during any PHA FY2015 the use of funds, made available for specified purposes of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (including the Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance program), by any PHA for any amount of salary for its chief executive officer, or any other official or employee that exceeds the annual rate of basic pay for a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule.
(Sec. 228) Bars the use of funds made available by this Act for the HUD doctoral dissertation research grant program.
(Sec. 229) Bars the use of funds in this Act provided to HUD to make a grant award unless the Secretary notifies congressional appropriations committees at least three full business days before any project, state, locality, housing authority, tribe, nonprofit organization, or other entity selected to receive a grant award is announced by HUD or its offices.
(Sec. 230) Amends the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 to extend through October 1, 2016, the FHA-Insured Multifamily Housing Mortgage and Housing Assistance Program and the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring.
(Sec. 231) Bars the use of funds in this Act to require or enforce the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA).
(Sec. 232) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act or any receipts or amounts collected under any FHA program to implement the Homeowners Armed with Knowledge (HAWK) program.
(Sec. 233) Bars the use of funds made available in this Act by FHA, Ginnie Mae, or HUD to insure, securitize, or establish a federal guarantee of any mortgage or mortgage-backed security that refinances or otherwise replaces a mortgage that has been subject to eminent domain condemnation or seizure, by a state, municipality, or any other local government.
Title III: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY2014 to: (1) the Access Board, (2) the Federal Maritime Commission, (3) the Offices of Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency and for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), (4) the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), (5) the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and (6) the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Title IV: General Provisions (This Act) - Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.
(Sec. 401) Prohibits the use of funds for the planning or execution of any program to pay the expenses of, or otherwise compensate, nonfederal parties intervening in regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings funded in this Act.
(Sec. 404) Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds made available in this Act for any employee training that meets specified negative criteria. Declares that nothing in this prohibition shall prohibit, restrict, or otherwise preclude an agency from conducting training bearing directly upon the performance of official duties.
(Sec. 407) Prohibits the use of funds to support any federal, state, or local projects that seek to use the power of eminent domain, unless eminent domain is employed only for a public use.
(Sec. 408) Requires all federal agencies and departments funded by this Act to report by July 30, 2015, to the congressional appropriations committees on all sole source contracts.
(Sec. 409) Prohibits the transfer of duns made available in this Act to any federal department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriations Act.
(Sec. 410) Prohibits payment of the salary from any appropriation under this Act for any person filling a position (other than temporary) formerly held by an employee who has: (1) left to enter the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) satisfactorily completed his or her period of active military or naval service; (3) within 90 days after release from such service, or from hospitalization continuing after discharge for up to one year, applied for restoration to his former position; and (4) been certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as still qualified to perform the duties of his or her former position, but not been restored to it.
(Sec. 411) Prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated under this Act by an entity unless the entity agrees to comply with the Buy American Act.
(Sec. 412) Prohibits the availability of funds to any person or entity that has been convicted of violating the Buy American Act.
(Sec. 413) Prohibits the use of funds under this Act for first-class airline accommodations in contravention of specified federal regulations.
(Sec. 414) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to any corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has: (1) considered suspension or debarment of the corporation, and (2) made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect government interests.
(Sec. 415) Makes the same prohibition as in Sec. 414 with respect to any corporation with any unpaid federal tax liability that is not being paid in a timely manner, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and determined that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the government.
(Sec. 416) Declares that the amount by which the applicable allocation of new budget authority made by the House Committee on Appropriations exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0.
(Sec. 417) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to require or carry out the relocation of any asset management positions of the HUD Office of Multifamily Housing in existence as of enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 418) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act in contravention of the 5th or 14th Amendment to the Constitution or title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
(Sec. 419) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to approve a new foreign air carrier permit, or an application for exemption from a permit, for an air carrier already holding an air operators certificate issued by a country that is party to the U.S.-E.U.-Iceland-Norway Air Transport Agreement, where approval would contravene U.S. law or the Agreement.
(Sec. 420) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for FTA Transit Formula Grants in contravention of fixed guideway capital investment grant requirements.
(Sec. 421) Prohibits the use of funds made available by title II of this Act to repay any loan made, guaranteed, or insured by HUD.
(Sec. 422) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to contract with any offeror, or any of its principals, if the offeror certifies that within the three years preceding the offer the offeror or any of its principals:
(Sec. 423) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to develop or implement any rule to modify the citizenship criteria applied to determine whether a person is eligible to be an operator (including a ship manager or agent) of a vessel in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Sec. 424. Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to administer the NHTSA National Roadside Survey.
(Sec. 425) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to develop, issue, or implement regulations that increase levels of minimum financial responsibility for transporting passengers or property as in effect on January 1, 2014, under specified federal regulations.
(Sec. 426) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce the proposed HUD rule entitled "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing."
(Sec. 427) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to acquire a camera for the purpose of collecting or storing vehicle license plate numbers.
(Sec. 428) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for the Housing Trust Fund.
(Sec. 429) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to contract with any person whose disclosures of a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding, with a disposition listed in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, refer to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
(Sec. 430) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to terminate the status of a unit of general local government as a metropolitan city with respect to community development grants under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
(Sec. 431) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to make incentive payments to contractors for contracts that are behind schedule or over a specified contract amount.
(Sec. 432) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to promulgate, implement, or enforce any regulations that would require Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking or event data recorders in light-duty noncommercial passenger motor vehicles.
(Sec. 433) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to provide mortgage insurance for any mortgage on a 1- to 4-family dwelling to be used as the principal residence of a mortgagor who provides only an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) for identification.
(Sec. 434) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to contract with any incorporated entity whose sealed bid or competitive proposal shows that the entity is incorporated or chartered in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands, if the sealed bid or competitive proposal also shows that the entity was previously incorporated in the United States.
(Sec. 435) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act in contravention of Amtrak's general authority.
(Sec. 436) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to support Amtrak's route with the highest loss, measured by contributions/(Loss) per Rider, as based on the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Fiscal Years 2013-2017 Five Year Plan from May 2013.
(Sec. 437) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act by the Secretary or the FTA to implement, administer, or enforce, for construction hiring purposes, the federal regulation requiring grantees and subgrantees to conduct procurements in a manner that prohibits the use of statutorily or administratively imposed in-state or local geographical preferences in the evaluation of bids or proposals, except where applicable federal statutes expressly mandate or encourage geographic preference.
(Sec. 438) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles for any executive fleet, or for an agency's fleet inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum: Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
Sec. 439. Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for high-speed rail in California or for the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
(Sec. 440) Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to implement, administer, or enforce a certain regulation authorizing the Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public and Indian Housing to approve the request of a local Public Housing Agency (PHA) to raise the payment standard of "section 8" rental assistance Housing Choice Vouchers, for the total area of a county, PHA jurisdiction, or place, above 120% of the published fair market rental amount.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4745 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 344
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4745
[Report No. 113-464]
Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and
Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 27, 2014
Mr. Latham, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the
following bill; which was committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and
Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums
are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and
Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2015, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Secretary,
$103,000,000, of which not to exceed $2,600,000 shall be available for
the immediate Office of the Secretary; not to exceed $980,000 shall be
available for the immediate Office of the Deputy Secretary; not to
exceed $19,000,000 shall be available for the Office of the General
Counsel; not to exceed $9,500,000 shall be available for the Office of
the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy; not to exceed
$12,500,000 shall be available for the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Budget and Programs; not to exceed $2,500,000 shall be
available for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Governmental
Affairs; not to exceed $24,720,000 shall be available for the Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Administration; not to exceed $2,000,000
shall be available for the Office of Public Affairs; not to exceed
$1,700,000 shall be available for the Office of the Executive
Secretariat; not to exceed $1,400,000 shall be available for the Office
of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; not to exceed
$10,600,000 shall be available for the Office of Intelligence,
Security, and Emergency Response; and not to exceed $15,500,000 shall
be available for the Office of the Chief Information Officer: Provided,
That the Secretary of Transportation is authorized to transfer funds
appropriated for any office of the Office of the Secretary to any other
office of the Office of the Secretary: Provided further, That no
appropriation for any office shall be increased or decreased by more
than 5 percent by all such transfers: Provided further, That notice of
any change in funding greater than 5 percent shall be submitted for
approval to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided
further, That not to exceed $60,000 shall be for allocation within the
Department for official reception and representation expenses as the
Secretary may determine: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any
other provision of law, excluding fees authorized in Public Law 107-71,
there may be credited to this appropriation up to $2,500,000 in funds
received in user fees: Provided further, That none of the funds
provided in this Act shall be available for the position of Assistant
Secretary for Public Affairs.
research and technology
For necessary expenses related to the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research and Technology, $12,625,000, of which $8,218,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2017: Provided, That there
may be credited to this appropriation, to be available until expended,
funds received from States, counties, municipalities, other public
authorities, and private sources for expenses incurred for training:
Provided further, That any reference in law, regulation, judicial
proceedings, or elsewhere to the Research and Innovative Technology
Administration shall continue to be deemed to be a reference to the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology of the
Department of Transportation.
national infrastructure investments
For capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure,
$100,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2017: Provided,
That the Secretary of Transportation shall distribute funds provided
under this heading as discretionary grants to be awarded to a State,
local government, or a collaboration among such entities on a
competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on
the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region: Provided further, That
funds under this heading shall be available only for highway and bridge
activities described under paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 133(b) of
title 23, United States Code, and section 202(a) of such title; freight
rail transportation projects; and port infrastructure investments:
Provided further, That the Secretary may use up to 10 percent of the
funds made available under this heading for the purpose of paying the
subsidy and administrative costs of projects eligible for Federal
credit assistance under chapter 6 of title 23, United States Code, if
the Secretary finds that such use of the funds would advance the
purposes of this paragraph: Provided further, That in distributing
funds provided under this heading, the Secretary shall take such
measures so as to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of funds
and an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban and rural
areas: Provided further, That a grant funded under this heading shall
be not less than $2,000,000 and not greater than $15,000,000: Provided
further, That not more than 20 percent of the funds made available
under this heading may be awarded to projects in a single State:
Provided further, That the Federal share of the costs for which an
expenditure is made under this heading shall be, at the option of the
recipient, up to 50 percent: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
give priority to projects that require a contribution of Federal funds
in order to complete an overall financing package: Provided further,
That not less than 20 percent of the funds provided under this heading
shall be for projects located in rural areas: Provided further, That
for projects located in rural areas, the minimum grant size shall be
$1,000,000 and the Secretary may increase the Federal share of costs to
80 percent: Provided further, That projects conducted using funds
provided under this heading must comply with the requirements of
subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
financial management capital
For necessary expenses for upgrading and enhancing the Department
of Transportation's financial systems and re-engineering business
processes, $5,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 2016.
cyber security initiatives
For necessary expenses for cyber security initiatives, including
necessary upgrades to wide area network and information technology
infrastructure, improvement of network perimeter controls and identity
management, testing and assessment of information technology against
business, security, and other requirements, implementation of Federal
cyber security initiatives and information infrastructure enhancements,
implementation of enhanced security controls on network devices, and
enhancement of cyber security workforce training tools, $5,000,000, to
remain available through September 30, 2016.
office of civil rights
For necessary expenses of the Office of Civil Rights, $9,600,000.
transportation planning, research, and development
For necessary expenses for conducting transportation planning,
research, systems development, development activities, and making
grants, to remain available until expended, $6,000,000.
working capital fund
For necessary expenses for operating costs and capital outlays of
the Working Capital Fund, not to exceed $181,000,000 shall be paid from
appropriations made available to the Department of Transportation:
Provided, That such services shall be provided on a competitive basis
to entities within the Department of Transportation: Provided further,
That the above limitation on operating expenses shall not apply to non-
DOT entities: Provided further, That no funds appropriated in this Act
to an agency of the Department shall be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund without majority approval of the Working Capital Fund
Steering Committee and approval of the Secretary: Provided further,
That no assessments may be levied against any program, budget activity,
subactivity or project funded by this Act unless notice of such
assessments and the basis therefor are presented to the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations and are approved by such
Committees.
minority business resource center program
For the cost of guaranteed loans, $417,000, as authorized by 49
U.S.C. 332: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of modifying
such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That these funds are available to
subsidize total loan principal, any part of which is to be guaranteed,
not to exceed $18,367,000.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
guaranteed loan program, $596,000.
minority business outreach
For necessary expenses of Minority Business Resource Center
outreach activities, $3,099,000, to remain available until September
30, 2016: Provided, That, notwithstanding 49 U.S.C. 332, these funds
may be used for business opportunities related to any mode of
transportation.
payments to air carriers
(airport and airway trust fund)
In addition to funds made available from any other source to carry
out the essential air service program under 49 U.S.C. 41731 through
41742, $149,000,000, to be derived from the Airport and Airway Trust
Fund, to remain available until expended: Provided, That in determining
between or among carriers competing to provide service to a community,
the Secretary may consider the relative subsidy requirements of the
carriers: Provided further, That basic essential air service minimum
requirements shall not include the 15-passenger capacity requirement
under subsection 41732(b)(3) of title 49, United States Code: Provided
further, That none of the funds in this Act or any other Act shall be
used to enter into a new contract with a community located less than 40
miles from the nearest small hub airport before the Secretary has
negotiated with the community over a local cost share: Provided
further, That none of the funds in this Act or any other Act shall be
used to provide essential air service to communities in the 48
contiguous States that require a rate of subsidy per passenger in
excess of $500 before the Secretary has negotiated with the community
over a local cost share so that the per passenger subsidy does not
exceed $500.
administrative provisions--office of the secretary of transportation
Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this Act to the
Department of Transportation may be obligated for the Office of the
Secretary of Transportation to approve assessments or reimbursable
agreements pertaining to funds appropriated to the modal
administrations in this Act, except for activities underway on the date
of enactment of this Act, unless such assessments or agreements have
completed the normal reprogramming process for Congressional
notification.
Sec. 102. The Secretary or his designee may engage in activities
with States and State legislators to consider proposals related to the
reduction of motorcycle fatalities.
Sec. 103. Notwithstanding section 3324 of title 31, United States
Code, in addition to authority provided by section 327 of title 49,
United States Code, the Department's Working Capital Fund is hereby
authorized to provide payments in advance to vendors that are necessary
to carry out the Federal transit pass transportation fringe benefit
program under Executive Order 13150 and section 3049 of Public Law 109-
59: Provided, That the Department shall include adequate safeguards in
the contract with the vendors to ensure timely and high-quality
performance under the contract.
Sec. 104. The Secretary shall post on the Web site of the
Department of Transportation a schedule of all meetings of the Credit
Council, including the agenda for each meeting, and require the Credit
Council to record the decisions and actions of each meeting.
Federal Aviation Administration
operations
(airport and airway trust fund)
For necessary expenses of the Federal Aviation Administration, not
otherwise provided for, including operations and research activities
related to commercial space transportation, administrative expenses for
research and development, establishment of air navigation facilities,
the operation (including leasing) and maintenance of aircraft,
subsidizing the cost of aeronautical charts and maps sold to the
public, lease or purchase of passenger motor vehicles for replacement
only, in addition to amounts made available by Public Law 112-95,
$9,750,000,000 of which $8,595,000,000 shall be derived from the
Airport and Airway Trust Fund, of which not to exceed $7,396,654,000
shall be available for air traffic organization activities; not to
exceed $1,218,458,000 shall be available for aviation safety
activities; not to exceed $16,000,000 shall be available for commercial
space transportation activities; not to exceed $762,652,000 shall be
available for finance and management activities; not to exceed
$60,089,000 shall be available for NextGen and operations planning
activities; and not to exceed $296,147,000 shall be available for staff
offices: Provided, That not to exceed 2 percent of any budget activity,
except for aviation safety budget activity, may be transferred to any
budget activity under this heading: Provided further, That no transfer
may increase or decrease any appropriation by more than 2 percent:
Provided further, That any transfer in excess of 2 percent shall be
treated as a reprogramming of funds under section 405 of this Act and
shall not be available for obligation or expenditure except in
compliance with the procedures set forth in that section: Provided
further, That not later than March 31 of each fiscal year hereafter,
the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall transmit
to Congress an annual update to the report submitted to Congress in
December 2004 pursuant to section 221 of Public Law 108-176: Provided
further, That the amount herein appropriated shall be reduced by
$100,000 for each day after March 31 that such report has not been
submitted to the Congress: Provided further, That not later than March
31 of each fiscal year hereafter, the Administrator shall transmit to
Congress a companion report that describes a comprehensive strategy for
staffing, hiring, and training flight standards and aircraft
certification staff in a format similar to the one utilized for the
controller staffing plan, including stated attrition estimates and
numerical hiring goals by fiscal year: Provided further, That the
amount herein appropriated shall be reduced by $100,000 per day for
each day after March 31 that such report has not been submitted to
Congress: Provided further, That funds may be used to enter into a
grant agreement with a nonprofit standard-setting organization to
assist in the development of aviation safety standards: Provided
further, That none of the funds in this Act shall be available for new
applicants for the second career training program: Provided further,
That none of the funds in this Act shall be available for the Federal
Aviation Administration to finalize or implement any regulation that
would promulgate new aviation user fees not specifically authorized by
law after the date of the enactment of this Act: Provided further, That
there may be credited to this appropriation as offsetting collections
funds received from States, counties, municipalities, foreign
authorities, other public authorities, and private sources for expenses
incurred in the provision of agency services, including receipts for
the maintenance and operation of air navigation facilities, and for
issuance, renewal or modification of certificates, including airman,
aircraft, and repair station certificates, or for tests related
thereto, or for processing major repair or alteration forms: Provided
further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less
than $140,000,000 shall be for the contract tower program, of which
$9,500,000 is for the contract tower cost share program: Provided
further, That none of the funds in this Act for aeronautical charting
and cartography are available for activities conducted by, or
coordinated through, the Working Capital Fund.
facilities and equipment
(airport and airway trust fund)
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, for
acquisition, establishment, technical support services, improvement by
contract or purchase, and hire of national airspace systems and
experimental facilities and equipment, as authorized under part A of
subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code, including initial
acquisition of necessary sites by lease or grant; engineering and
service testing, including construction of test facilities and
acquisition of necessary sites by lease or grant; construction and
furnishing of quarters and related accommodations for officers and
employees of the Federal Aviation Administration stationed at remote
localities where such accommodations are not available; and the
purchase, lease, or transfer of aircraft from funds available under
this heading, including aircraft for aviation regulation and
certification; to be derived from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund,
$2,600,000,000, of which $463,000,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2015, and $2,137,000,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2017: Provided, That there may be credited to this
appropriation funds received from States, counties, municipalities,
other public authorities, and private sources, for expenses incurred in
the establishment, improvement, and modernization of national airspace
systems: Provided further, That upon initial submission to the Congress
of the fiscal year 2016 President's budget, the Secretary of
Transportation shall transmit to the Congress a comprehensive capital
investment plan for the Federal Aviation Administration which includes
funding for each budget line item for fiscal years 2016 through 2020,
with total funding for each year of the plan constrained to the funding
targets for those years as estimated and approved by the Office of
Management and Budget.
research, engineering, and development
(airport and airway trust fund)
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, for research,
engineering, and development, as authorized under part A of subtitle
VII of title 49, United States Code, including construction of
experimental facilities and acquisition of necessary sites by lease or
grant, $156,750,000, to be derived from the Airport and Airway Trust
Fund and to remain available until September 30, 2017: Provided, That
there may be credited to this appropriation as offsetting collections,
funds received from States, counties, municipalities, other public
authorities, and private sources, which shall be available for expenses
incurred for research, engineering, and development.
grants-in-aid for airports
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(airport and airway trust fund)
(including transfer of funds)
For liquidation of obligations incurred for grants-in-aid for
airport planning and development, and noise compatibility planning and
programs as authorized under subchapter I of chapter 471 and subchapter
I of chapter 475 of title 49, United States Code, and under other law
authorizing such obligations; for procurement, installation, and
commissioning of runway incursion prevention devices and systems at
airports of such title; for grants authorized under section 41743 of
title 49, United States Code; and for inspection activities and
administration of airport safety programs, including those related to
airport operating certificates under section 44706 of title 49, United
States Code, $3,200,000,000, to be derived from the Airport and Airway
Trust Fund and to remain available until expended: Provided, That none
of the funds under this heading shall be available for the planning or
execution of programs the obligations for which are in excess of
$3,350,000,000 in fiscal year 2015, notwithstanding section 47117(g) of
title 49, United States Code: Provided further, That none of the funds
under this heading shall be available for the replacement of baggage
conveyor systems, reconfiguration of terminal baggage areas, or other
airport improvements that are necessary to install bulk explosive
detection systems: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, of funds limited under this heading, not more than
$107,100,000 shall be obligated for administration, not less than
$15,000,000 shall be available for the Airport Cooperative Research
Program, not less than $29,750,000 shall be available for Airport
Technology Research, and $3,000,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be available and transferred to ``Office of the
Secretary, Salaries and Expenses'' to carry out the Small Community Air
Service Development Program.
(cancellation)
Of the amounts authorized under sections 48103 and 48112 of Title
49, United States Code, $260,000,000 are hereby permanently cancelled
from amounts authorized for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015
and prior years.
administrative provisions--federal aviation administration
Sec. 110. None of the funds in this Act may be used to compensate
in excess of 600 technical staff-years under the federally funded
research and development center contract between the Federal Aviation
Administration and the Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development
during fiscal year 2015.
Sec. 111. None of the funds in this Act shall be used to pursue or
adopt guidelines or regulations requiring airport sponsors to provide
to the Federal Aviation Administration without cost building
construction, maintenance, utilities and expenses, or space in airport
sponsor-owned buildings for services relating to air traffic control,
air navigation, or weather reporting: Provided, That the prohibition of
funds in this section does not apply to negotiations between the agency
and airport sponsors to achieve agreement on ``below-market'' rates for
these items or to grant assurances that require airport sponsors to
provide land without cost to the FAA for air traffic control
facilities.
Sec. 112. The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
may reimburse amounts made available to satisfy 49 U.S.C. 41742(a)(1)
from fees credited under 49 U.S.C. 45303 and any amount remaining in
such account at the close of that fiscal year may be made available to
satisfy section 41742(a)(1) for the subsequent fiscal year.
Sec. 113. Amounts collected under section 40113(e) of title 49,
United States Code, shall be credited to the appropriation current at
the time of collection, to be merged with and available for the same
purposes of such appropriation.
Sec. 114. None of the funds in this Act shall be available for
paying premium pay under subsection 5546(a) of title 5, United States
Code, to any Federal Aviation Administration employee unless such
employee actually performed work during the time corresponding to such
premium pay.
Sec. 115. None of the funds in this Act may be obligated or
expended for an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration to
purchase a store gift card or gift certificate through use of a
Government-issued credit card.
Sec. 116. None of the funds in this Act may be obligated or
expended for retention bonuses for an employee of the Federal Aviation
Administration without the prior written approval of the Assistant
Secretary for Administration of the Department of Transportation.
Sec. 117. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the
funds made available under this Act or any prior Act may be used to
implement or to continue to implement any limitation on the ability of
any owner or operator of a private aircraft to obtain, upon a request
to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, a blocking
of that owner's or operator's aircraft registration number from any
display of the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Situational
Display to Industry data that is made available to the public, except
data made available to a Government agency, for the noncommercial
flights of that owner or operator.
Sec. 118. None of the funds in this Act shall be available for
salaries and expenses of more than 9 political and Presidential
appointees in the Federal Aviation Administration.
Sec. 119. None of the funds made available under this Act may be
used to increase fees pursuant to section 44721 of title 49, United
States Code, until the FAA provides to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations the report related to aeronautical navigation
products referred to in the explanatory statement described in section
4 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014.
Sec. 119A. None of the funds appropriated or limited by this Act
may be used to change weight restrictions or prior permission rules at
Teterboro airport in Teterboro, New Jersey.
Federal Highway Administration
limitation on administrative expenses
(highway trust fund)
(including transfer of funds)
Contingent upon reauthorization, not to exceed $426,100,000,
together with advances and reimbursements received by the Federal
Highway Administration, shall be paid in accordance with law from
appropriations made available by this Act to the Federal Highway
Administration for necessary expenses for administration and operation.
In addition, not to exceed $3,248,000 shall be paid from appropriations
made available by this Act and transferred to the Appalachian Regional
Commission in accordance with section 104 of title 23, United States
Code.
federal-aid highways
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, funds available for the
implementation or execution of programs of Federal-aid Highways and
highway safety construction programs authorized under titles 23 and 49,
United States Code, and the provisions of Public Law 112-141 shall not
exceed total obligations of $40,256,000,000 for fiscal year 2015:
Provided, That the Secretary may collect and spend fees, as authorized
by title 23, United States Code, to cover the costs of services of
expert firms, including counsel, in the field of municipal and project
finance to assist in the underwriting and servicing of Federal credit
instruments and all or a portion of the costs to the Federal Government
of servicing such credit instruments: Provided further, That such fees
are available until expended to pay for such costs: Provided further,
That such amounts are in addition to administrative expenses that are
also available for such purpose, and are not subject to any obligation
limitation or the limitation on administrative expenses under section
608 of title 23, United States Code.
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, for the payment of obligations
incurred in carrying out Federal-aid Highways and highway safety
construction programs authorized under title 23, United States Code,
$40,995,000,000, derived from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the
Mass Transit Account), to remain available until expended.
administrative provisions--federal highway administration
Sec. 120. Contingent upon reauthorization:
(a) For fiscal year 2015, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) not distribute from the obligation limitation for
Federal-aid Highways--
(A) amounts authorized for administrative expenses
and programs by section 104(a) of title 23, United
States Code; and
(B) amounts authorized for the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics;
(2) not distribute an amount from the obligation limitation
for Federal-aid Highways that is equal to the unobligated
balance of amounts--
(A) made available from the Highway Trust Fund
(other than the Mass Transit Account) for Federal-aid
Highways and highway safety construction programs for
previous fiscal years the funds for which are allocated
by the Secretary (or apportioned by the Secretary under
sections 202 or 204 of title 23, United States Code);
and
(B) for which obligation limitation was provided in
a previous fiscal year;
(3) determine the proportion that--
(A) the obligation limitation for Federal-aid
Highways, less the aggregate of amounts not distributed
under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection; bears
to
(B) the total of the sums authorized to be
appropriated for the Federal-aid Highways and highway
safety construction programs (other than sums
authorized to be appropriated for provisions of law
described in paragraphs (1) through (12) of subsection
(b) and sums authorized to be appropriated for section
119 of title 23, United States Code, equal to the
amount referred to in subsection (b)(13) for such
fiscal year), less the aggregate of the amounts not
distributed under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this
subsection;
(4) distribute the obligation limitation for Federal-aid
Highways, less the aggregate amounts not distributed under
paragraphs (1) and (2), for each of the programs (other than
programs to which paragraph (1) applies) that are allocated by
the Secretary under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st
Century Act and title 23, United States Code, or apportioned by
the Secretary under sections 202 or 204 of that title, by
multiplying--
(A) the proportion determined under paragraph (3);
by
(B) the amounts authorized to be appropriated for
each such program for such fiscal year; and
(5) distribute the obligation limitation for Federal-aid
Highways, less the aggregate amounts not distributed under
paragraphs (1) and (2) and the amounts distributed under
paragraph (4), for Federal-aid Highways and highway safety
construction programs that are apportioned by the Secretary
under title 23, United States Code (other than the amounts
apportioned for the National Highway Performance Program in
section 119 of title 23, United States Code, that are exempt
from the limitation under subsection (b)(13) and the amounts
apportioned under sections 202 and 204 of that title) in the
proportion that--
(A) amounts authorized to be appropriated for the
programs that are apportioned under title 23, United
States Code, to each State for such fiscal year; bears
to
(B) the total of the amounts authorized to be
appropriated for the programs that are apportioned
under title 23, United States Code, to all States for
such fiscal year.
(b) Exceptions From Obligation Limitation.--The obligation
limitation for Federal-aid Highways shall not apply to obligations
under or for--
(1) section 125 of title 23, United States Code;
(2) section 147 of the Surface Transportation Assistance
Act of 1978 (23 U.S.C. 144 note; 92 Stat. 2714);
(3) section 9 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1981 (95
Stat. 1701);
(4) subsections (b) and (j) of section 131 of the Surface
Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 2119);
(5) subsections (b) and (c) of section 149 of the Surface
Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987
(101 Stat. 198);
(6) sections 1103 through 1108 of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (105 Stat. 2027);
(7) section 157 of title 23, United States Code (as in
effect on June 8, 1998);
(8) section 105 of title 23, United States Code (as in
effect for fiscal years 1998 through 2004, but only in an
amount equal to $639,000,000 for each of those fiscal years);
(9) Federal-aid Highways programs for which obligation
authority was made available under the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (112 Stat. 107) or subsequent Acts for
multiple years or to remain available until expended, but only
to the extent that the obligation authority has not lapsed or
been used;
(10) section 105 of title 23, United States Code (as in
effect for fiscal years 2005 through 2012, but only in an
amount equal to $639,000,000 for each of those fiscal years);
(11) section 1603 of SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 118 note; 119
Stat. 1248), to the extent that funds obligated in accordance
with that section were not subject to a limitation on
obligations at the time at which the funds were initially made
available for obligation; and
(12) section 119 of title 23, United States Code (as in
effect for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, but only in an amount
equal to $639,000,000 for each of those fiscal years); and
(13) section 119 of title 23, United States Code (but, for
fiscal year 2015, only in an amount equal to $639,000,000).
(c) Redistribution of Unused Obligation Authority.--Notwithstanding
subsection (a), the Secretary shall, after August 1 of such fiscal
year--
(1) revise a distribution of the obligation limitation made
available under subsection (a) if an amount distributed cannot
be obligated during that fiscal year; and
(2) redistribute sufficient amounts to those States able to
obligate amounts in addition to those previously distributed
during that fiscal year, giving priority to those States having
large unobligated balances of funds apportioned under sections
144 (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of
Public Law 112-141) and 104 of title 23, United States Code.
(d) Applicability of Obligation Limitations to Transportation
Research Programs.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
obligation limitation for Federal-aid Highways shall apply to
contract authority for transportation research programs carried
out under--
(A) chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code; and
(B) division E of the Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21st Century Act.
(2) Exception.--Obligation authority made available under
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) remain available for a period of 4 fiscal
years; and
(B) be in addition to the amount of any limitation
imposed on obligations for Federal-aid Highways and
highway safety construction programs for future fiscal
years.
(e) Redistribution of Certain Authorized Funds.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
distribution of obligation limitation under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall distribute to the States any funds (excluding
funds authorized for the program under section 202 of title 23,
United States Code) that--
(A) are authorized to be appropriated for such
fiscal year for Federal-aid Highways programs; and
(B) the Secretary determines will not be allocated
to the States (or will not be apportioned to the States
under section 204 of title 23, United States Code), and
will not be available for obligation, for such fiscal
year because of the imposition of any obligation
limitation for such fiscal year.
(2) Ratio.--Funds shall be distributed under paragraph (1)
in the same proportion as the distribution of obligation
authority under subsection (a)(5).
(3) Availability.--Funds distributed to each State under
paragraph (1) shall be available for any purpose described in
section 133(b) of title 23, United States Code.
Sec. 121. Notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, funds received by the
Bureau of Transportation Statistics from the sale of data products, for
necessary expenses incurred pursuant to chapter 63 of title 49, United
States Code, may be credited to the Federal-aid Highways account for
the purpose of reimbursing the Bureau for such expenses: Provided, That
such funds shall be subject to the obligation limitation for Federal-
aid Highways and highway safety construction programs.
Sec. 122. Not less than 15 days prior to waiving, under his or her
statutory authority, any Buy America requirement for Federal-aid
Highways projects, the Secretary of Transportation shall make an
informal public notice and comment opportunity on the intent to issue
such waiver and the reasons therefor: Provided, That the Secretary
shall provide an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations on any waivers granted under the Buy America
requirements.
Sec. 123. (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b),
none of the funds made available, limited, or otherwise affected by
this Act shall be used to approve or otherwise authorize the imposition
of any toll on any segment of highway located on the Federal-aid system
in the State of Texas that--
(1) as of the date of enactment of this Act, is not tolled;
(2) is constructed with Federal assistance provided under
title 23, United States Code; and
(3) is in actual operation as of the date of enactment of
this Act.
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) Number of toll lanes.--Subsection (a) shall not apply
to any segment of highway on the Federal-aid system described
in that subsection that, as of the date on which a toll is
imposed on the segment, will have the same number of nontoll
lanes as were in existence prior to that date.
(2) High-occupancy vehicle lanes.--A high-occupancy vehicle
lane that is converted to a toll lane shall not be subject to
this section, and shall not be considered to be a nontoll lane
for purposes of determining whether a highway will have fewer
nontoll lanes than prior to the date of imposition of the toll,
if--
(A) high-occupancy vehicles occupied by the number
of passengers specified by the entity operating the
toll lane may use the toll lane without paying a toll,
unless otherwise specified by the appropriate county,
town, municipal or other local government entity, or
public toll road or transit authority; or
(B) each high-occupancy vehicle lane that was
converted to a toll lane was constructed as a temporary
lane to be replaced by a toll lane under a plan
approved by the appropriate county, town, municipal or
other local government entity, or public toll road or
transit authority.
Sec. 124. None of the funds in this Act to the Department of
Transportation may be used to provide credit assistance unless not less
than 3 days before any application approval to provide credit
assistance under sections 603 and 604 of title 23, United States Code,
the Secretary of Transportation provides notification in writing to the
following committees: the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations; the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives: Provided, That such notification shall include, but
not be limited to, the name of the project sponsor; a description of
the project; whether credit assistance will be provided as a direct
loan, loan guarantee, or line of credit; and the amount of credit
assistance.
Sec. 125. Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Operation of Vehicles on Certain Other Wisconsin Highways.--
If any segment of the United States Route 41 corridor, as described in
section 1105(c)(57) of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act of 1991, is designated as a route on the Interstate System, a
vehicle that could operate legally on that segment before the date of
such designation may continue to operate on that segment, without
regard to any requirement under subsection (a).
``(k) Longer Combination Vehicles in Idaho.--No limit or other
prohibition under this section, except as provided in this subsection,
applies to a longer combination vehicle operating on a segment of the
Interstate System in Idaho if such vehicle--
``(1) has a gross vehicle weight of 129,000 pounds or less;
``(2) complies with the single axle, tandem axle, and
bridge formula limits set forth in subsection (a); and
``(3) is authorized to operate on such segment under Idaho
State law.
``(l) Operation of Vehicles on Certain Mississippi Highways.--If
any segment of United States Route 78 in Mississippi from mile marker 0
to mile marker 113 is designated as part of the Interstate System, no
limit established under this section may apply to that segment with
respect to the operation of any vehicle that could have legally
operated on that segment before such designation.''.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
motor carrier safety operations and programs
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, for payment of obligations
incurred in the implementation, execution and administration of motor
carrier safety operations and programs pursuant to section 31104(i) of
title 49, United States Code, and sections 4127 and 4134 of Public Law
109-59, as amended by Public Law 112-141, $259,000,000, to be derived
from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account),
together with advances and reimbursements received by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration, the sum of which shall remain available
until expended: Provided, That funds available for implementation,
execution or administration of motor carrier safety operations and
programs authorized under title 49, United States Code, shall not
exceed total obligations of $259,000,000 for ``Motor Carrier Safety
Operations and Programs'' for fiscal year 2015, of which $9,000,000, to
remain available for obligation until September 30, 2017, is for the
research and technology program, and of which $1,000,000 shall be
available for commercial motor vehicle operator's grants to carry out
section 4134 of Public Law 109-59, and of which $34,545,000, to remain
available for obligation until September 30, 2017, is for information
management.
motor carrier safety grants
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, for payment of obligations
incurred in carrying out sections 31102, 31104(a), 31106, 31107, 31109,
31309, 31313 of title 49, United States Code, and sections 4126 and
4128 of Public Law 109-59, as amended by Public Law 112-141,
$313,000,000, to be derived from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the
Mass Transit Account) and to remain available until expended: Provided,
That funds available for the implementation or execution of motor
carrier safety programs shall not exceed total obligations of
$313,000,000 in fiscal year 2015 for ``Motor Carrier Safety Grants'';
of which $218,000,000 shall be available for the motor carrier safety
assistance program, $30,000,000 shall be available for the commercial
driver's license improvements program, $32,000,000 shall be available
for border enforcement grants, $5,000,000 shall be available for the
performance and registration information system management program,
$25,000,000 shall be available for the commercial vehicle information
systems and networks deployment program, and $3,000,000 shall be
available for the safety data improvement program: Provided further,
That, of the funds made available herein for the motor carrier safety
assistance program, $32,000,000 shall be available for audits of new
entrant motor carriers.
administrative provisions--federal motor carrier safety administration
Sec. 130. Funds appropriated or limited in this Act shall be
subject to the terms and conditions stipulated in section 350 of Public
Law 107-87 and section 6901 of Public Law 110-28.
Sec. 131. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall
send notice of 49 C.F.R. section 385.308 violations by certified mail,
registered mail, or another manner of delivery, which records the
receipt of the notice by the persons responsible for the violations.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
operations and research
For expenses necessary to discharge the functions of the Secretary,
with respect to traffic and highway safety authorized under chapter 301
and part C of subtitle VI of title 49, United States Code,
$134,000,000, of which $22,500,000 shall remain available through
September 30, 2016.
operations and research
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, for payment of obligations
incurred in carrying out the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 403, and chapter
303 of title 49, United States Code, $128,500,000, to be derived from
the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) and to
remain available until expended: Provided, That none of the funds in
this Act shall be available for the planning or execution of programs
the total obligations for which, in fiscal year 2015, are in excess of
$128,500,000, of which $123,500,000 shall be for programs authorized
under 23 U.S.C. 403 and $5,000,000 shall be for the National Driver
Register authorized under chapter 303 of title 49, United States Code:
Provided further, That within the $123,500,000 obligation limitation
for operations and research, $22,500,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2016, and shall be in addition to the amount of any
limitation imposed on obligations for future years: Provided further,
That $10,000,000 of the total obligation limitation for operations and
research in fiscal year 2015 shall be applied toward unobligated
balances of contract authority provided in prior Acts for carrying out
the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 403, and chapter 303 of title 49, United
States Code.
highway traffic safety grants
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon reauthorization, for payment of obligations
incurred in carrying out provisions of 23 U.S.C. 402 and 405, section
2009 of Public Law 109-59, as amended by Public Law 112-141, and
section 31101(a)(6) of Public Law 112-141, to remain available until
expended, $561,500,000, to be derived from the Highway Trust Fund
(other than the Mass Transit Account): Provided, That none of the funds
in this Act shall be available for the planning or execution of
programs the total obligations for which, in fiscal year 2015, are in
excess of $561,500,000 for programs authorized under 23 U.S.C. 402 and
405, section 2009 of Public Law 109-59, as amended by Public Law 112-
141, and section 31101(a)(6) of Public Law 112-141, of which
$235,000,000 shall be for ``Highway Safety Programs'' under 23 U.S.C.
402; $272,000,000 shall be for ``National Priority Safety Programs''
under 23 U.S.C. 405; $29,000,000 shall be for ``High Visibility
Enforcement Program'' under section 2009 of Public Law 109-59, as
amended by Public Law 112-141; $25,500,000 shall be for
``Administrative Expenses'' under section 31101(a)(6) of Public Law
112-141: Provided further, That none of these funds shall be used for
construction, rehabilitation, or remodeling costs, or for office
furnishings and fixtures for State, local or private buildings or
structures: Provided further, That not to exceed $500,000 of the funds
made available for ``National Priority Safety Programs'' under 23
U.S.C. 405 for ``Impaired Driving Countermeasures'' (as described in
subsection (d) of that section) shall be available for technical
assistance to the States: Provided further, That with respect to the
``Transfers'' provision under 23 U.S.C. 405(a)(1)(G), any amounts
transferred to increase the amounts made available under section 402
shall include the obligation authority for such amounts: Provided
further, That the Administrator shall notify the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations of any exercise of the authority granted
under the previous proviso or under 23 U.S.C. 405(a)(1)(G) within 60
days.
administrative provisions--national highway traffic safety
administration
Sec. 140. Contingent upon reauthorization, an additional $130,000
shall be made available to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, out of the amount limited for section 402 of title 23,
United States Code, to pay for travel and related expenses for State
management reviews and to pay for core competency development training
and related expenses for highway safety staff.
Sec. 141. The limitations on obligations for the programs of the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set in this Act shall
not apply to obligations for which obligation authority was made
available in previous public laws but only to the extent that the
obligation authority has not lapsed or been used.
Sec. 142. None of the funds in this Act shall be used to implement
section 404 of title 23, United States Code.
Federal Railroad Administration
safety and operations
For necessary expenses of the Federal Railroad Administration, not
otherwise provided for, $185,250,000, of which $12,400,000 shall remain
available until expended.
railroad research and development
For necessary expenses for railroad research and development,
$35,250,000, to remain available until expended.
railroad rehabilitation and improvement financing program
The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to issue direct loans
and loan guarantees pursuant to sections 501 through 504 of the
Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (Public Law
94-210), as amended, such authority to exist as long as any such direct
loan or loan guarantee is outstanding: Provided, That, pursuant to
section 502 of such Act, as amended, no new direct loans or loan
guarantee commitments shall be made using Federal funds for the credit
risk premium during fiscal year 2015: Provided further, That no new
direct loans or loan guarantee commitments made under the Railroad
Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program in fiscal year 2015
shall cause the total principal amount of direct loans and loan
guarantees committed under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement
Financing Program to projects in a single state to exceed
$5,600,000,000.
operating grants to the national railroad passenger corporation
To enable the Secretary of Transportation to make quarterly grants
to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, in amounts based on the
Secretary's assessment of the Corporation's seasonal cash flow
requirements, for the operation of intercity passenger rail, as
authorized by section 101 of the Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008 (division B of Public Law 110-432),
$340,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the
amounts available under this paragraph shall be available for the
Secretary to approve funding to cover operating losses for the
Corporation only after receiving and reviewing a grant request for each
specific train route: Provided further, That each such grant request
shall be accompanied by a detailed financial analysis, revenue
projection, and capital expenditure projection justifying the Federal
support to the Secretary's satisfaction: Provided further, That not
later than 60 days after enactment of this Act, the Corporation shall
transmit, in electronic format, to the Secretary and the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations the annual budget, business plan,
the 5-Year Financial Plan for fiscal year 2015 required under section
204 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 and
the comprehensive fleet plan for all Amtrak rolling stock: Provided
further, That the budget, business plan and the 5-Year Financial Plan
shall include annual information on the maintenance, refurbishment,
replacement, and expansion for all Amtrak rolling stock consistent with
the comprehensive fleet plan: Provided further, That the Corporation
shall provide monthly performance reports in an electronic format which
shall describe the work completed to date, any changes to the business
plan, and the reasons for such changes as well as progress against the
milestones and target dates of the 2012 performance improvement plan:
Provided further, That the Corporation's budget, business plan, 5-Year
Financial Plan, semiannual reports, monthly reports, comprehensive
fleet plan and all supplemental reports or plans comply with
requirements in Public Law 112-55: Provided further, That none of the
funds provided in this Act may be used to support any route on which
Amtrak offers a discounted fare of more than 50 percent off the normal
peak fare: Provided further, That the preceding proviso does not apply
to routes where the operating loss as a result of the discount is
covered by a State and the State participates in the setting of fares.
capital and debt service grants to the national railroad passenger
corporation
To enable the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation for capital investments as
authorized by section 101(c), 102, and 219(b) of the Passenger Rail
Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (division B of Public Law 110-
432), $850,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which not to
exceed $150,000,000 shall be for debt service obligations as authorized
by section 102 of such Act: Provided, That of the amounts made
available under this heading, not less than $50,000,000 shall be made
available to bring Amtrak-served facilities and stations into
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act: Provided further,
That after an initial distribution of up to $200,000,000, which shall
be used by the Corporation as a working capital account, all remaining
funds shall be provided to the Corporation only on a reimbursable
basis: Provided further, That of the amounts made available under this
heading, up to $20,000,000 may be used by the Secretary to subsidize
operating losses of the Corporation should the funds provided under the
heading "Operating Grants to the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation" be insufficient to meet operational costs for fiscal year
2015: Provided further, That the Secretary may retain up to one-half of
1 percent of the funds provided under this heading to fund the costs of
project management and oversight of activities authorized by
subsections 101(a) and 101(c) of division B of Public Law 110-432:
Provided further, That the Secretary shall approve funding for capital
expenditures, including advance purchase orders of materials, for the
Corporation only after receiving and reviewing a grant request for each
specific capital project justifying the Federal support to the
Secretary's satisfaction: Provided further, That except as otherwise
provided herein, none of the funds under this heading may be used to
subsidize operating losses of the Corporation: Provided further, That
none of the funds under this heading may be used for capital projects
not approved by the Secretary of Transportation or on the Corporation's
fiscal year 2015 business plan: Provided further, That in addition to
the project management oversight funds authorized under section 101(d)
of division B of Public Law 110-432, the Secretary may retain up to an
additional $5,000,000 of the funds provided under this heading to fund
expenses associated with implementing section 212 of division B of
Public Law 110-432, including the amendments made by section 212 to
section 24905 of title 49, United States Code.
administrative provisions--federal railroad administration
Sec. 150. The Secretary of Transportation may receive and expend
cash, or receive and utilize spare parts and similar items, from non-
United States Government sources to repair damages to or replace United
States Government owned automated track inspection cars and equipment
as a result of third-party liability for such damages, and any amounts
collected under this section shall be credited directly to the Safety
and Operations account of the Federal Railroad Administration, and
shall remain available until expended for the repair, operation and
maintenance of automated track inspection cars and equipment in
connection with the automated track inspection program.
Sec. 151. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or
regulation, the Secretary of Transportation is authorized to allow the
issuer of any preferred stock heretofore sold to the Department to
redeem or repurchase such stock upon the payment to the Department of
an amount to be determined by the Secretary.
Sec. 152. None of the funds provided to the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation may be used to fund any overtime costs in excess
of $35,000 for any individual employee: Provided, That the president of
Amtrak may waive the cap set in the previous proviso for specific
employees when the president of Amtrak determines such a cap poses a
risk to the safety and operational efficiency of the system: Provided
further, That Amtrak shall notify the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations each quarter of the calendar year on waivers granted to
employees and amounts paid above the cap for each month within such
quarter and provide documentation of the specific activities of each
employee during his or her paid overtime in excess of $35,000 and how
the work resulted in increased safety or operational efficiencies:
Provided further, That the president of Amtrak shall certify the
documentation in the previous proviso is accurate and correct: Provided
further, That Amtrak shall provide to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations by March 1, 2015, a summary of all overtime payments
incurred by the Corporation for 2014 and the two prior calendar years:
Provided further, That such summary shall include the total number of
employees that received waivers and the total overtime payments the
Corporation paid to those employees receiving waivers for each month
for 2014 and for the two prior calendar years.
Federal Transit Administration
administrative expenses
For necessary administrative expenses of the Federal Transit
Administration's programs authorized by chapter 53 of title 49, United
States Code, $103,000,000, of which not more than $4,000,000 shall be
available to carry out the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 5329 and not less
than $1,000,000 shall be available to carry out the provisions of 49
U.S.C. 5326: Provided, That none of the funds provided or limited in
this Act may be used to create a permanent office of transit security
under this heading: Provided further, That upon submission to the
Congress of the fiscal year 2016 President's budget, the Secretary of
Transportation shall transmit to Congress the annual report on New
Starts, including proposed allocations for fiscal year 2016.
transit formula grants
(liquidation of contract authorization)
(limitation on obligations)
(highway trust fund)
Contingent upon enactment of multi-year surface transportation
authorization legislation, for payment of obligations incurred in the
Federal Public Transportation Assistance Program in this account, and
for payment of obligations incurred in carrying out the provisions of
49 U.S.C. 5305, 5307, 5310, 5311, 5318, 5322(d), 5329(e)(6), 5335,
5337, 5339, and 5340, as amended by Public Law 112-141; and section
20005(b) of Public Law 112-141, as amended, $9,500,000,000, to be
derived from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and to
remain available until expended: Provided, That funds available for the
implementation or execution of programs authorized under 49 U.S.C.
5305, 5307, 5310, 5311, 5318, 5322(d), 5329(e)(6), 5335, 5337, 5339,
and 5340, as amended by Public Law 112-141, and section 20005(b) of
Public Law 112-141, shall not exceed total obligations of
$8,595,000,000 in fiscal year 2015.
transit research
For necessary expenses to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5312 and 5313,
$15,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
$14,000,000 shall be for activities authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5312 and
$1,000,000 shall be for activities authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5313.
technical assistance and training
For necessary expenses to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5314 and 5322(a), (b)
and (e), $3,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
$2,000,000 shall be for activities authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5314 and
$1,000,000 shall be for activities authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5322(a),
(b) and (e).
capital investment grants
(including rescission of funds)
For necessary expenses to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5309, $1,691,000,000,
to remain available until expended: Provided, That of the unobligated
balances made available under this heading in division L of Public Law
113-76, $65,000,000 is hereby rescinded.
grants to the washington metropolitan area transit authority
For grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as
authorized under section 601 of division B of Public Law 110-432,
$150,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That the
Secretary shall approve grants for capital and preventive maintenance
expenditures for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
only after receiving and reviewing a request for each specific project:
Provided further, That, prior to approving such grants, the Secretary
shall determine that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
has placed the highest priority on those investments that will improve
the safety of the system: Provided further, That the Secretary, in
order to ensure safety throughout the rail system, may waive the
requirements of section 601(e)(1) of title VI of Public Law 110-432
(112 Stat. 4968).
administrative provisions--federal transit administration
(including rescissions)
Sec. 160. The limitations on obligations for the programs of the
Federal Transit Administration shall not apply to any authority under
49 U.S.C. 5338, previously made available for obligation, or to any
other authority previously made available for obligation.
Sec. 161. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds
appropriated or limited by this Act under the heading ``Fixed Guideway
Capital Investment'' of the Federal Transit Administration for projects
specified in this Act or identified in reports accompanying this Act
not obligated by September 30, 2019, and other recoveries, shall be
directed to projects eligible to use the funds for the purposes for
which they were originally provided.
Sec. 162. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any funds
appropriated before October 1, 2014, under any section of chapter 53 of
title 49, United States Code, that remain available for expenditure,
may be transferred to and administered under the most recent
appropriation heading for any such section.
Sec. 163. For purposes of applying the project justification and
local financial commitment criteria of 49 U.S.C. 5309(d) to a New
Starts project, the Secretary may consider the costs and ridership of
any connected project in an instance in which private parties are
making significant financial contributions to the construction of the
connected project; additionally, the Secretary may consider the
significant financial contributions of private parties to the connected
project in calculating the non-Federal share of net capital project
costs for the New Starts project.
Sec. 164. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the
funds made available in this Act shall be used to enter into a full
funding grant agreement for a project with a New Starts share greater
than 50 percent.
Sec. 165. None of the funds in this or any other Act may be
available to advance in any way a new light or heavy rail project
towards a full funding grant agreement as defined by 49 U.S.C. 5309 for
the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas if the
proposed capital project is constructed on or planned to be constructed
on Richmond Avenue west of South Shepherd Drive or on Post Oak
Boulevard north of Richmond Avenue in Houston, Texas.
Sec. 166. Unobligated and recovered fiscal year 2010 through 2012
funds that were made available to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5339 shall be
available to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5309, as amended by Public Law 112-
141, subject to the terms and conditions required under such section.
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is hereby
authorized to make such expenditures, within the limits of funds and
borrowing authority available to the Corporation, and in accord with
law, and to make such contracts and commitments without regard to
fiscal year limitations as provided by section 104 of the Government
Corporation Control Act, as amended, as may be necessary in carrying
out the programs set forth in the Corporation's budget for the current
fiscal year.
operations and maintenance
(harbor maintenance trust fund)
For necessary expenses to conduct the operations, maintenance, and
capital asset renewal activities of those portions of the St. Lawrence
Seaway owned, operated, and maintained by the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Development Corporation, $32,500,000, to be derived from the Harbor
Maintenance Trust Fund, pursuant to Public Law 99-662.
Maritime Administration
maritime security program
For necessary expenses to maintain and preserve a U.S.-flag
merchant fleet to serve the national security needs of the United
States, $166,000,000, to remain available until expended.
operations and training
For necessary expenses of operations and training activities
authorized by law, $132,000,000, of which $11,300,000 shall remain
available until expended for maintenance and repair of training ships
at State Maritime Academies, and of which $2,400,000 shall remain
available through September 30, 2016, for the Student Incentive Program
at State Maritime Academies, and of which $1,500,000 shall remain
available until expended for facilities maintenance and repair,
equipment, and capital improvements at the United State Merchant Marine
Academy: Provided, That amounts apportioned for the United States
Merchant Marine Academy shall be available only upon allotments made
personally by the Secretary of Transportation or the Assistant
Secretary for Budget and Programs: Provided further, That the
Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and the Director of the Office of
Resource Management of the United State Merchant Marine Academy may not
be allotment holders for the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and
the Administrator of the Maritime Administration shall hold all
allotments made by the Secretary of Transportation or the Assistant
Secretary for Budget and Programs under the previous proviso: Provided
further, That 50 percent of the funding made available for the United
States Merchant Marine Academy under this heading shall be available
only after the Secretary, in consultation with the Superintendent and
the Maritime Administrator, completes a plan detailing by program or
activity how such funding will be expended at the Academy, and this
plan is submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
ship disposal
For necessary expenses related to the disposal of obsolete vessels
in the National Defense Reserve Fleet of the Maritime Administration,
$4,000,000, to remain available until expended.
maritime guaranteed loan (title xi) program account
(including transfer and rescission of funds)
For necessary administrative expenses of the maritime guaranteed
loan program, $3,100,000 shall be paid to the appropriations for
``Maritime Administration-Operations and Training'': Provided, That of
the funds made available under this heading in division L of Public Law
113-76, $29,000,000 is rescinded.
administrative provisions--maritime administration
Sec. 170. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
Maritime Administration is authorized to furnish utilities and services
and make necessary repairs in connection with any lease, contract, or
occupancy involving Government property under control of the Maritime
Administration, and payments received therefor shall be credited to the
appropriation charged with the cost thereof: Provided, That rental
payments under any such lease, contract, or occupancy for items other
than such utilities, services, or repairs shall be covered into the
Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
Sec. 171. None of the funds available or appropriated in this Act
shall be used by the United States Department of Transportation or the
United States Maritime Administration to negotiate or otherwise
execute, enter into, facilitate or perform fee-for-service contracts
for vessel disposal, scrapping or recycling, unless there is no
qualified domestic ship recycler that will pay any sum of money to
purchase and scrap or recycle a vessel owned, operated or managed by
the Maritime Administration or that is part of the National Defense
Reserve Fleet. Such sales offers must be consistent with the
solicitation and provide that the work will be performed in a timely
manner at a facility qualified within the meaning of section 3502 of
Public Law 106-398. Nothing contained herein shall affect the Maritime
Administration's authority to award contracts at least cost to the
Federal Government and consistent with the requirements of 16 U.S.C.
5405(c), section 3502, or otherwise authorized under the Federal
Acquisition Regulation.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
operational expenses
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary operational expenses of the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, $21,654,000: Provided, That $1,500,000
shall be transferred to ``Pipeline Safety'' in order to fund ``Pipeline
Safety Information Grants to Communities'' as authorized under section
60130 of title 49, United States Code.
hazardous materials safety
For expenses necessary to discharge the hazardous materials safety
functions of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, $52,000,000, of which $7,000,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2017: Provided, That up to $800,000 in fees
collected under 49 U.S.C. 5108(g) shall be deposited in the general
fund of the Treasury as offsetting receipts: Provided further, That
there may be credited to this appropriation, to be available until
expended, funds received from States, counties, municipalities, other
public authorities, and private sources for expenses incurred for
training, for reports publication and dissemination, and for travel
expenses incurred in performance of hazardous materials exemptions and
approvals functions.
pipeline safety
(pipeline safety fund)
(oil spill liability trust fund)
(pipeline safety design review fund)
For expenses necessary to conduct the functions of the pipeline
safety program, for grants-in-aid to carry out a pipeline safety
program, as authorized by 49 U.S.C. 60107, and to discharge the
pipeline program responsibilities of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990,
$131,500,000, of which $19,500,000 shall be derived from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund and shall remain available until September 30,
2017; and of which $110,000,000 shall be derived from the Pipeline
Safety Fund, of which $54,436,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2017; and of which $2,000,000, to remain available until
expended, shall be derived from the Pipeline Safety Design Review Fund,
as authorized in 49 U.S.C. 60117(n): Provided, That not less than
$1,058,000 of the funds provided under this heading shall be for the
One-Call state grant program.
emergency preparedness grants
(emergency preparedness fund)
For necessary expenses to carry out 49 U.S.C. 5128(b), $188,000, to
be derived from the Emergency Preparedness Fund, to remain available
until September 30, 2016: Provided, That not more than $28,318,000
shall be made available for obligation in fiscal year 2015 from amounts
made available by 49 U.S.C. 5116(i) and 5128(b)-(c): Provided further,
That none of the funds made available by 49 U.S.C. 5116(i), 5128(b), or
5128(c) shall be made available for obligation by individuals other
than the Secretary of Transportation, or his or her designee.
Office of Inspector General
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Office of the Inspector General to
carry out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as
amended, $86,223,000: Provided, That the Inspector General shall have
all necessary authority, in carrying out the duties specified in the
Inspector General Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 3), to investigate
allegations of fraud, including false statements to the government (18
U.S.C. 1001), by any person or entity that is subject to regulation by
the Department: Provided further, That the funds made available under
this heading may be used to investigate, pursuant to section 41712 of
title 49, United States Code: (1) unfair or deceptive practices and
unfair methods of competition by domestic and foreign air carriers and
ticket agents; and (2) the compliance of domestic and foreign air
carriers with respect to item (1) of this proviso: Provided further,
That: (1) the Inspector General shall have the authority to audit and
investigate the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA); (2)
in carrying out these audits and investigations the Inspector General
shall have all the authorities described under section 6 of the
Inspector General Act (5 U.S.C. App.); (3) MWAA Board Members,
employees, contractors, and subcontractors shall cooperate and comply
with requests from the Inspector General, including providing testimony
and other information; (4) The Inspector General shall be permitted to
observe closed executive sessions of the MWAA Board of Directors; (5)
MWAA shall pay the expenses of the Inspector General, including staff
salaries and benefits and associated operating costs, which shall be
credited to this appropriation and remain available until expended; and
(6) if MWAA fails to make funds available to the Inspector General
within 30 days after a request for such funds is received, then the
Inspector General shall notify the Secretary of Transportation, who
shall not approve a grant for MWAA under section 47107(b) of title 49,
United States Code, until such funding is made available for the
Inspector General: Provided further, That hereafter funds transferred
to the Office of the Inspector General through forfeiture proceedings
or from the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund or the
Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, as a participating agency,
as an equitable share from the forfeiture of property in investigations
in which the Office of Inspector General participates, or through the
granting of a Petition for Remission or Mitigation, shall be deposited
to the credit of this account for law enforcement activities authorized
under the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, to remain
available until expended.
Surface Transportation Board
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Surface Transportation Board,
including services authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, $31,250,000: Provided,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, not to exceed
$1,250,000 from fees established by the Chairman of the Surface
Transportation Board shall be credited to this appropriation as
offsetting collections and used for necessary and authorized expenses
under this heading: Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated
from the general fund shall be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis as
such offsetting collections are received during fiscal year 2015, to
result in a final appropriation from the general fund estimated at no
more than $30,000,000.
General Provisions--Department of Transportation
Sec. 180. During the current fiscal year, applicable
appropriations to the Department of Transportation shall be available
for maintenance and operation of aircraft; hire of passenger motor
vehicles and aircraft; purchase of liability insurance for motor
vehicles operating in foreign countries on official department
business; and uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by law (5
U.S.C. 5901-5902).
Sec. 181. Appropriations contained in this Act for the Department
of Transportation shall be available for services as authorized by 5
U.S.C. 3109, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the per diem
rate equivalent to the rate for an Executive Level IV.
Sec. 182. None of the funds in this Act shall be available for
salaries and expenses of more than 110 political and Presidential
appointees in the Department of Transportation: Provided, That none of
the personnel covered by this provision may be assigned on temporary
detail outside the Department of Transportation.
Sec. 183. (a) No recipient of funds made available in this Act
shall disseminate personal information (as defined in 18 U.S.C.
2725(3)) obtained by a State department of motor vehicles in connection
with a motor vehicle record as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2725(1), except as
provided in 18 U.S.C. 2721 for a use permitted under 18 U.S.C. 2721.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary shall not
withhold funds provided in this Act for any grantee if a State is in
noncompliance with this provision.
Sec. 184. Funds received by the Federal Highway Administration,
Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Railroad Administration
from States, counties, municipalities, other public authorities, and
private sources for expenses incurred for training may be credited
respectively to the Federal Highway Administration's ``Federal-Aid
Highways'' account, the Federal Transit Administration's ``Technical
Assistance and Training'' account, and to the Federal Railroad
Administration's ``Safety and Operations'' account, except for State
rail safety inspectors participating in training pursuant to 49 U.S.C.
20105.
Sec. 185. None of the funds in this Act to the Department of
Transportation may be used to make a loan, loan guarantee, line of
credit, or grant unless the Secretary of Transportation notifies the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations not less than 3 full
business days before any project competitively selected to receive a
discretionary grant award, any discretionary grant award, letter of
intent, loan commitment, loan guarantee commitment, line of credit
commitment, or full funding grant agreement is announced by the
department or its modal administrations from:
(1) any discretionary grant or federal credit program of
the Federal Highway Administration including the emergency
relief program;
(2) the airport improvement program of the Federal Aviation
Administration;
(3) any program of the Federal Railroad Administration;
(4) any program of the Federal Transit Administration other
than the formula grants and fixed guideway modernization
programs;
(5) any program of the Maritime Administration; or
(6) any funding provided under the headings ``National
Infrastructure Investments'' in this Act: Provided, That the
Secretary gives concurrent notification to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations for any ``quick release'' of funds
from the emergency relief program: Provided further, That no
notification shall involve funds that are not available for
obligation.
Sec. 186. Rebates, refunds, incentive payments, minor fees and
other funds received by the Department of Transportation from travel
management centers, charge card programs, the subleasing of building
space, and miscellaneous sources are to be credited to appropriations
of the Department of Transportation and allocated to elements of the
Department of Transportation using fair and equitable criteria and such
funds shall be available until expended.
Sec. 187. Amounts made available in this or any other Act that the
Secretary determines represent improper payments by the Department of
Transportation to a third-party contractor under a financial assistance
award, which are recovered pursuant to law, shall be available--
(1) to reimburse the actual expenses incurred by the
Department of Transportation in recovering improper payments;
and
(2) to pay contractors for services provided in recovering
improper payments or contractor support in the implementation
of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002: Provided,
That amounts in excess of that required for paragraphs (1) and
(2)--
(A) shall be credited to and merged with the
appropriation from which the improper payments were
made, and shall be available for the purposes and
period for which such appropriations are available:
Provided further, That where specific project or
accounting information associated with the improper
payment or payments is not readily available, the
Secretary may credit an appropriate account, which
shall be available for the purposes and period
associated with the account so credited; or
(B) if no such appropriation remains available,
shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous
receipts: Provided further, That prior to the transfer
of any such recovery to an appropriations account, the
Secretary shall notify the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations of the amount and reasons for such
transfer: Provided further, That for purposes of this
section, the term ``improper payments'' has the same
meaning as that provided in section 2(d)(2) of Public
Law 107-300.
Sec. 188. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if any funds
provided in or limited by this Act are subject to a reprogramming
action that requires notice to be provided to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations, transmission of said reprogramming notice
shall be provided solely to the Committees on Appropriations, and said
reprogramming action shall be approved or denied solely by the
Committees on Appropriations: Provided, That the Secretary may provide
notice to other congressional committees of the action of the
Committees on Appropriations on such reprogramming but not sooner than
30 days following the date on which the reprogramming action has been
approved or denied by the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations.
Sec. 189. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available under this Act may be used by the Surface Transportation
Board of the Department of Transportation to charge or collect any
filing fee for rate or practice complaints filed with the Board in an
amount in excess of the amount authorized for district court civil suit
filing fees under section 1914 of title 28, United States Code.
Sec. 190. Funds appropriated in this Act to the modal
administrations may be obligated for the Office of the Secretary for
the costs related to assessments or reimbursable agreements only when
such amounts are for the costs of goods and services that are purchased
to provide a direct benefit to the applicable modal administration or
administrations.
Sec. 191. The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to carry
out a program that establishes uniform standards for developing and
supporting agency transit pass and transit benefits authorized under
section 7905 of title 5, United States Code, including distribution of
transit benefits by various paper and electronic media.
Sec. 192. None of the funds made available by this Act shall be
used by the Surface Transportation Board to take any actions with
respect to the construction of a high speed rail project in California
unless the Board has jurisdiction over the entire project and the
permit is or was issued by the Board with respect to the project in its
entirety.
Sec. 193. None of the funds limited or otherwise made available by
this Act to carry out chapter 6 of title 23, United States Code, may be
used to subsidize a credit instrument authorized under such chapter
that would cause the credit subsidy obligated in fiscal year 2015 to
fund projects located in a single State to exceed 33 percent of the
total credit subsidy made available by this Act on October 1, 2014 to
carry out such chapter.
Sec. 194. None of the funds limited or otherwise made available by
this Act may be used to deny an application to renew a Hazardous
Materials Safety Program permit for a motor carrier based on that
carrier's Hazardous Materials Out-of-Service rate, unless the carrier
has the opportunity to submit a written description of corrective
actions taken, and other documentation the carrier wishes the Secretary
to consider, including submitting a corrective action plan, and the
Secretary determines the actions or plan is insufficient to address the
safety concerns that resulted in that Hazardous Materials Out-of-
Service rate.
Sec. 195. Any unexpended amounts available for obligation under
the heading ``Federal Railroad Administration--Safety and Operations''
under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-447)
shall be made available for rail safety oversight activities for the
transport of energy products: Provided, That $10,000,000 of unexpended
amounts available for obligation under the heading ``Federal Railroad
Administration--Capital Assistance to States--Intercity Passenger Rail
Service'' for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 shall be made available for
grade crossing safety improvements on rail routes that transport energy
products.
This title may be cited as the ``Department of Transportation
Appropriations Act, 2015''.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Management and Administration
executive offices
For necessary salaries and expenses for Executive Offices, which
shall be comprised of the offices of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary,
Adjudicatory Services, Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations,
Public Affairs, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and the
Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, $14,000,000:
Provided, That not to exceed $25,000 of the amount made available under
this heading shall be available to the Secretary for official reception
and representation expenses as the Secretary may determine.
administrative support offices
For necessary salaries and expenses for Administrative Support
Offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development,
$500,000,000, of which not to exceed $45,000,000 shall be available for
the Office of the Chief Financial Officer; not to exceed $93,000,000
shall be available for the Office of the General Counsel; not to exceed
$194,000,000 shall be available for the Office of Administration; not
to exceed $52,000,000 shall be available for the Office of the Chief
Human Capital Officer; not to exceed $49,000,000 shall be available for
the Office of Field Policy and Management; not to exceed $16,000,000
shall be available for the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer; not
to exceed $2,500,000 shall be available for the Office of Departmental
Equal Employment Opportunity; not to exceed $3,500,000 shall be
available for the Office of Strategic Planning and Management; and not
to exceed $45,000,000 shall be available for the Office of the Chief
Information Officer: Provided, That funds provided under this heading
may be used for necessary administrative and non-administrative
expenses of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, not
otherwise provided for, including purchase of uniforms, or allowances
therefore, as authorized by U.S.C. 5901-5902; hire of passenger motor
vehicles; and services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided
further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds
appropriated under this heading may be used for advertising and
promotional activities that support the housing mission area: Provided
further, That the Secretary shall provide the Committees on
Appropriations quarterly written notification regarding the status of
pending congressional reports: Provided further, That the Secretary
shall provide all signed reports required by Congress electronically.
Program Office Salaries and Expenses
public and indian housing
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Public and
Indian Housing, $200,000,000.
community planning and development
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Community
Planning and Development, $100,000,000.
housing
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Housing,
$370,000,000, of which at least $9,000,000 shall be for the Office of
Risk and Regulatory Affairs.
policy development and research
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Policy
Development and Research, $20,000,000.
fair housing and equal opportunity
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Fair Housing
and Equal Opportunity, $68,000,000.
office of lead hazard control and healthy homes
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Lead Hazard
Control and Healthy Homes, $7,000,000.
Public and Indian Housing
tenant-based rental assistance
For activities and assistance for the provision of tenant-based
rental assistance authorized under the United States Housing Act of
1937, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) (``the Act'' herein), not
otherwise provided for, $15,356,529,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2017, shall be available on October 1, 2014 (in addition
to the $4,000,000,000 previously appropriated under this heading that
became available on October 1, 2014), and $4,000,000,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2018, shall be available on October 1,
2015: Provided, That the amounts made available under this heading are
provided as follows:
(1) $17,693,079,000 shall be available for renewals of
expiring section 8 tenant-based annual contributions contracts
(including renewals of enhanced vouchers under any provision of
law authorizing such assistance under section 8(t) of the Act)
and including renewal of other special purpose incremental
vouchers: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of
law, from amounts provided under this paragraph and any
carryover, the Secretary for the calendar year 2015 funding
cycle shall provide renewal funding for each public housing
agency based on validated voucher management system (VMS)
leasing and cost data for the prior calendar year and by
applying an inflation factor as established by the Secretary,
by notice published in the Federal Register, and by making any
necessary adjustments for the costs associated with the first-
time renewal of vouchers under this paragraph including tenant
protection, HOPE VI, and Choice Neighborhoods vouchers:
Provided further, That in determining calendar year 2015
funding allocations under this heading for public housing
agencies, including agencies participating in the Moving To
Work (MTW) demonstration, the Secretary may take into account
the anticipated impact of changes in targeting and utility
allowances, on public housing agencies' contract renewal needs:
Provided further, That none of the funds provided under this
paragraph may be used to fund a total number of unit months
under lease which exceeds a public housing agency's authorized
level of units under contract, except for public housing
agencies participating in the Moving to Work (MTW)
demonstration, which are instead governed by the terms and
conditions of their MTW agreements: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall, to the extent necessary to stay within the
amount specified under this paragraph (except as otherwise
modified under this paragraph), pro rate each public housing
agency's allocation otherwise established pursuant to this
paragraph: Provided further, That except as provided in the
following provisos, the entire amount specified under this
paragraph (except as otherwise modified under this paragraph)
shall be obligated to the public housing agencies based on the
allocation and pro rata method described above, and the
Secretary shall notify public housing agencies of their annual
budget by the latter of 60 days after enactment of this Act or
March 1, 2015: Provided further, That the Secretary may extend
the notification period with the prior written approval of the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided
further, That public housing agencies participating in the MTW
demonstration shall be funded pursuant to their MTW agreements
and shall be subject to the same pro rata adjustments under the
previous provisos: Provided further, That the Secretary may
offset public housing agencies' calendar year 2015 allocations
based on the excess amounts of public housing agencies' net
restricted assets accounts, including HUD held programmatic
reserves (in accordance with VMS data in calendar year 2014
that is verifiable and complete), as determined by the
Secretary: Provided further, That public housing agencies
participating in the MTW demonstration shall also be subject to
the offset, as determined by the Secretary, excluding amounts
subject to the single fund budget authority provisions of their
MTW agreements, from the agencies' calendar year 2015 MTW
funding allocation: Provided further, That the Secretary shall
use any offset referred to in the previous two provisos
throughout the calendar year to prevent the termination of
rental assistance for families as the result of insufficient
funding, as determined by the Secretary, and to avoid or reduce
the proration of renewal funding allocations: Provided further,
That up to $75,000,000 shall be available only: (1) for
adjustments in the allocations for public housing agencies,
after application for an adjustment by a public housing agency
that experienced a significant increase, as determined by the
Secretary, in renewal costs of vouchers resulting from
unforeseen circumstances or from portability under section 8(r)
of the Act; (2) for vouchers that were not in use during the
12-month period in order to be available to meet a commitment
pursuant to section 8(o)(13) of the Act; (3) for adjustments
for costs associated with HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers; (4) for public housing agencies
that despite taking reasonable cost savings measures, as
determined by the Secretary, would otherwise be required to
terminate rental assistance for families as a result of
insufficient funding: Provided further, That the Secretary
shall allocate amounts under the previous proviso based on
need, as determined by the Secretary; and (5) for adjustments
in the allocations for public housing agencies that experienced
a significant increase, as determined by the Secretary, in
renewal costs as a result of participation in the Small Area
Fair Market Rent demonstration;
(2) $130,000,000 shall be for section 8 rental assistance
for relocation and replacement of housing units that are
demolished or disposed of pursuant to section 18 of the Act,
conversion of section 23 projects to assistance under section
8, the family unification program under section 8(x) of the
Act, relocation of witnesses in connection with efforts to
combat crime in public and assisted housing pursuant to a
request from a law enforcement or prosecution agency, enhanced
vouchers under any provision of law authorizing such assistance
under section 8(t) of the Act, HOPE VI and Choice Neighborhood
vouchers, mandatory and voluntary conversions, and tenant
protection assistance including replacement and relocation
assistance or for project-based assistance to prevent the
displacement of unassisted elderly tenants currently residing
in section 202 properties financed between 1959 and 1974 that
are refinanced pursuant to Public Law 106-569, as amended, or
under the authority as provided under this Act: Provided, That
when a public housing development is submitted for demolition
or disposition under section 18 of the Act, the Secretary may
provide section 8 rental assistance when the units pose an
imminent health and safety risk to residents: Provided further,
That the Secretary may only provide replacement vouchers for
units that were occupied within the previous 24 months that
cease to be available as assisted housing, subject only to the
availability of funds: Provided further, That of the amounts
made available under this paragraph, $5,000,000 may be
available to provide tenant protection assistance, not
otherwise provided under this paragraph, to residents residing
in low vacancy areas and who may have to pay rents greater than
30 percent of household income, as the result of (1) the
maturity of a HUD-insured, HUD-held or section 202 loan that
requires the permission of the Secretary prior to loan
prepayment; (2) the expiration of a rental assistance contract
for which the tenants are not eligible for enhanced voucher or
tenant protection assistance under existing law; or (3) the
expiration of affordability restrictions accompanying a
mortgage or preservation program administered by the Secretary:
Provided further, That such tenant protection assistance made
available under the previous proviso may be provided under the
authority of section 8(t) or section 8(o)(13) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(t)): Provided
further, That the Secretary shall issue guidance to implement
the previous provisos, including, but not limited to,
requirements for defining eligible at-risk households within
120 days of the enactment of this Act: Provided further, That
any tenant protection voucher made available from amounts under
this paragraph shall not be reissued by any public housing
agency, except the replacement vouchers as defined by the
Secretary by notice, when the initial family that received any
such voucher no longer receives such voucher, and the authority
for any public housing agency to issue any such voucher shall
cease to exist: Provided further, That the Secretary, for the
purpose under this paragraph, may use unobligated balances,
including recaptures and carryovers, remaining from amounts
appropriated in prior fiscal years under this heading for
voucher assistance for nonelderly disabled families and for
disaster assistance made available under Public Law 110-329;
(3) $1,350,000,000 shall be for administrative and other
expenses of public housing agencies in administering the
section 8 tenant-based rental assistance program, of which up
to $10,000,000 shall be available to the Secretary to allocate
to public housing agencies that need additional funds to
administer their section 8 programs, including fees associated
with section 8 tenant protection rental assistance, the
administration of disaster related vouchers, Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing vouchers, and other special purpose
incremental vouchers: Provided, That no less than
$1,335,000,000 of the amount provided in this paragraph shall
be allocated to public housing agencies for the calendar year
2015 funding cycle based on section 8(q) of the Act (and
related Appropriation Act provisions) as in effect immediately
before the enactment of the Quality Housing and Work
Responsibility Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-276): Provided
further, That if the amounts made available under this
paragraph are insufficient to pay the amounts determined under
the previous proviso, the Secretary may decrease the amounts
allocated to agencies by a uniform percentage applicable to all
agencies receiving funding under this paragraph or may, to the
extent necessary to provide full payment of amounts determined
under the previous proviso, utilize unobligated balances,
including recaptures and carryovers, remaining from funds
appropriated to the Department of Housing and Urban Development
under this heading from prior fiscal years, notwithstanding the
purposes for which such amounts were appropriated: Provided
further, That all public housing agencies participating in the
MTW demonstration shall be funded pursuant to their MTW
agreements, and shall be subject to the same uniform percentage
decrease as under the previous proviso: Provided further, That
amounts provided under this paragraph shall be only for
activities related to the provision of tenant-based rental
assistance authorized under section 8, including related
development activities;
(4) $108,450,000 for the renewal of tenant-based assistance
contracts under section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National
Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013), including necessary
administrative expenses: Provided, That administrative and
other expenses of public housing agencies in administering the
special purpose vouchers in this paragraph shall be funded
under the same terms and be subject to the same pro rata
reduction as the percent decrease for administrative and other
expenses to public housing agencies under paragraph (3) of this
heading;
(5) $75,000,000 for incremental rental voucher assistance
for use through a supported housing program administered in
conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs as
authorized under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing
Act of 1937: Provided, That the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall make such funding available, notwithstanding
section 204 (competition provision) of this title, to public
housing agencies that partner with eligible VA Medical Centers
or other entities as designated by the Secretary of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, based on geographical need for
such assistance as identified by the Secretary of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, public housing agency
administrative performance, and other factors as specified by
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in consultation
with the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs:
Provided further, That the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development may waive, or specify alternative requirements for
(in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of
Veterans Affairs), any provision of any statute or regulation
that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development administers
in connection with the use of funds made available under this
paragraph (except for requirements related to fair housing,
nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment), upon
a finding by the Secretary that any such waivers or alternative
requirements are necessary for the effective delivery and
administration of such voucher assistance: Provided further,
That assistance made available under this paragraph shall
continue to remain available for homeless veterans upon turn-
over; and
(6) The Secretary shall separately track all special
purpose vouchers funded under this heading.
housing certificate fund
(including rescissions)
Unobligated balances, including recaptures and carryover, remaining
from funds appropriated to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development under this heading, the heading ``Annual Contributions for
Assisted Housing'' and the heading ``Project-Based Rental Assistance'',
for fiscal year 2015 and prior years may be used for renewal of or
amendments to section 8 project-based contracts and for performance-
based contract administrators, notwithstanding the purposes for which
such funds were appropriated: Provided, That any obligated balances of
contract authority from fiscal year 1974 and prior that have been
terminated shall be rescinded: Provided further, That amounts
heretofore recaptured, or recaptured during the current fiscal year,
from section 8 project-based contracts from source years fiscal year
1975 through fiscal year 1987 are hereby rescinded, and an amount of
additional new budget authority, equivalent to the amount rescinded is
hereby appropriated, to remain available until expended, for the
purposes set forth under this heading, in addition to amounts otherwise
available.
public housing capital fund
For the Public Housing Capital Fund Program to carry out capital
and management activities for public housing agencies, as authorized
under section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437g) (the ``Act'') $1,775,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2018: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision
of law or regulation, during fiscal year 2015 the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development may not delegate to any Department official other
than the Deputy Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Public and
Indian Housing any authority under paragraph (2) of section 9(j)
regarding the extension of the time periods under such section:
Provided further, That for purposes of such section 9(j), the term
``obligate'' means, with respect to amounts, that the amounts are
subject to a binding agreement that will result in outlays, immediately
or in the future: Provided further, That up to $8,000,000 shall be to
support ongoing Public Housing Financial and Physical Assessment
activities: Provided further, That up to $5,000,000 shall be to support
the costs of administrative and judicial receiverships: Provided
further, That of the total amount provided under this heading, not to
exceed $20,000,000 shall be available for the Secretary to make grants,
notwithstanding section 204 of this Act, to public housing agencies for
emergency capital needs including safety and security measures
necessary to address crime and drug-related activity as well as needs
resulting from unforeseen or unpreventable emergencies and natural
disasters excluding Presidentially declared emergencies and natural
disasters under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) occurring in fiscal year 2015: Provided
further, That of the total amount provided under this heading
$45,000,000 shall be for supportive services, service coordinator and
congregate services as authorized by section 34 of the Act (42 U.S.C.
1437z-6) and the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.): Provided further,
That of the total amount made available under this heading, up to
$15,000,000 may be used for incentives as part of a Jobs-Plus Pilot
initiative modeled after the Jobs-Plus demonstration: Provided further,
That the funding provided under the previous proviso shall provide
competitive grants to partnerships between public housing authorities,
local workforce investment boards established under section 117 of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and other agencies and organizations
that provide support to help public housing residents obtain employment
and increase earnings: Provided further, That applicants must
demonstrate the ability to provide services to residents, partner with
workforce investment boards, and leverage service dollars: Provided
further, That the Secretary may set aside a portion of the funds
provided for the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency program to
support the services element of the Jobs-Plus Pilot initiative:
Provided further, That the Secretary may allow PHAs to request
exemptions from rent and income limitation requirements under sections
3 and 6 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 as necessary to
implement the Jobs-Plus program, on such terms and conditions as the
Secretary may approve upon a finding by the Secretary that any such
waivers or alternative requirements are necessary for the effective
implementation of the Jobs-Plus Pilot initiative as a voluntary program
for residents: Provided further, That the Secretary shall publish by
notice in the Federal Register any waivers or alternative requirements
pursuant to the preceding proviso no later than 10 days before the
effective date of such notice: Provided further, That from the funds
made available under this heading, the Secretary shall provide bonus
awards in fiscal year 2015 to public housing agencies that are
designated high performers.
public housing operating fund
For 2015 payments to public housing agencies for the operation and
management of public housing, as authorized by section 9(e) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(e)), $4,400,000,000.
choice neighborhoods initiative
For competitive grants under the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
(subject to section 24 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437v), unless otherwise specified under this heading), for
transformation, rehabilitation, and replacement housing needs of both
public and HUD-assisted housing and to transform neighborhoods of
poverty into functioning, sustainable mixed income neighborhoods with
appropriate services, schools, public assets, transportation and access
to jobs, $25,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2017:
Provided, That grant funds may be used for resident and community
services, community development, and affordable housing needs in the
community, and for conversion of vacant or foreclosed properties to
affordable housing: Provided further, That the use of funds made
available under this heading shall not be deemed to be public housing
notwithstanding section 3(b)(1) of such Act: Provided further, That
grantees shall commit to an additional period of affordability
determined by the Secretary of not fewer than 20 years: Provided
further, That grantees shall undertake comprehensive local planning
with input from residents and the community, and that grantees shall
provide a match in State, local, other Federal or private funds:
Provided further, That grantees may include local governments, tribal
entities, public housing authorities, and nonprofits: Provided further,
That for-profit developers may apply jointly with a public entity:
Provided further, That such grantees shall create partnerships with
other local organizations including assisted housing owners, service
agencies, and resident organizations: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall consult with the Secretaries of Education, Labor,
Transportation, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Commerce,
the Attorney General, and the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to coordinate and leverage other appropriate Federal
resources: Provided further, That unobligated balances remaining from
funds appropriated under this heading and the heading ``Revitalization
of Severely Distressed Public Housing (HOPE VI)'' in fiscal year 2014
and prior fiscal years may be used for purposes under this heading
notwithstanding the purposes for which such amounts were appropriated:
Provided further, That none of the funds made available under this
paragraph may be used for a grant to a recipient that has previously
received a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative implementation grant.
family self-sufficiency
For the Family Self-Sufficiency program to support family self-
sufficiency coordinators under section 23 of the United States Housing
Act of 1937, to promote the development of local strategies to
coordinate the use of assistance under sections 8(o) and 9 of such Act
with public and private resources, and enable eligible families to
achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency, $75,000,000:
Provided, That the Secretary may, by Federal Register notice, waive or
specify alternative requirements under subsections b(3), b(4), b(5), or
c(1) of section 23 of such Act in order for public housing agencies,
owners and the Department to administer and to facilitate the operation
of a unified self-sufficiency program for individuals receiving
assistance under different provisions of the Act, as determined by the
Secretary.
native american housing block grants
For the Native American Housing Block Grants program, as authorized
under title I of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) (25 U.S.C. 4111 et seq.),
$650,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019: Provided,
That, notwithstanding the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996, to determine the amount of the allocation
under title I of such Act for each Indian tribe, the Secretary shall
apply the formula under section 302 of such Act with the need component
based on single-race census data and with the need component based on
multi-race census data, and the amount of the allocation for each
Indian tribe shall be the greater of the two resulting allocation
amounts: Provided further, That of the amounts made available under
this heading, $3,000,000 shall be contracted for assistance for
national or regional organizations representing Native American housing
interests for providing training and technical assistance to Indian
housing authorities and tribally designated housing entities as
authorized under NAHASDA: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under the previous proviso, not less than $2,000,000 shall be
made available for a national organization as authorized under section
703 of NAHASDA (25 U.S.C. 4212): Provided further, That of the amounts
made available under this heading, $2,000,000 shall be to support the
inspection of Indian housing units, contract expertise, training, and
technical assistance in the training, oversight, and management of such
Indian housing and tenant-based assistance, including up to $300,000
for related travel: Provided further, That of the amount provided under
this heading, $2,000,000 shall be made available for the cost of
guaranteed notes and other obligations, as authorized by title VI of
NAHASDA: Provided further, That such costs, including the costs of
modifying such notes and other obligations, shall be as defined in
section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended:
Provided further, That these funds are available to subsidize the total
principal amount of any notes and other obligations, any part of which
is to be guaranteed, not to exceed $16,530,000: Provided further, That
the Department will notify grantees of their formula allocation within
60 days of the date of enactment of this Act: Provided further,
notwithstanding section 302(d) of NAHASDA, if on January 1, 2015, a
recipient's total amount of undisbursed block grants in the
Department's line of credit control system is greater than three times
the formula allocation it would otherwise receive under this heading,
the Secretary shall adjust that recipient's formula allocation down by
the difference between its total amount of undisbursed block grants in
the Department's line of credit control system on January 1, 2015, and
three times the formula allocation it would otherwise receive: Provided
further, That grant amounts not allocated to a recipient pursuant to
the previous proviso shall be allocated under the need component of the
formula proportionately among all other Indian tribes not subject to an
adjustment: Provided further, That the two previous provisos shall not
apply to any Indian tribe that would otherwise receive a formula
allocation of less than $5,000,000: Provided further, That to take
effect, the three previous provisos do not require the issuance of any
regulation.
indian housing loan guarantee fund program account
For the cost of guaranteed loans, as authorized by section 184 of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 1715z-
13a), $8,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
such costs, including the costs of modifying such loans, shall be as
defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:
Provided further, That these funds are available to subsidize total
loan principal, any part of which is to be guaranteed, up to
$1,200,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided further,
That up to $750,000 of this amount may be for administrative contract
expenses including management processes and systems to carry out the
loan guarantee program.
Community Planning and Development
housing opportunities for persons with aids
For carrying out the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
program, as authorized by the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act (42 U.S.C.
12901 et seq.), $305,900,000, to remain available until September 30,
2016, except that amounts allocated pursuant to section 854(c)(3) of
such Act shall remain available until September 30, 2017: Provided,
That the Secretary shall renew all expiring contracts for permanent
supportive housing that initially were funded under section 854(c)(3)
of such Act from funds made available under this heading in fiscal year
2010 and prior fiscal years that meet all program requirements before
awarding funds for new contracts under such section, and if amounts
provided under this heading pursuant to such section are insufficient
to fund renewals for all such expiring contracts, then amounts made
available under this heading for formula grants pursuant to section
854(c)(1) shall be used to provide the balance of such renewal funding
before awarding funds for such formula grants: Provided further, That
the Department shall notify grantees of their formula allocation within
60 days of enactment of this Act.
community development fund
For assistance to units of State and local government, and to other
entities, for economic and community development activities, and for
other purposes, $3,060,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2017, unless otherwise specified: Provided, That of the total amount
provided, $3,000,000,000 is for carrying out the community development
block grant program under title I of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974, as amended (the ``Act'' herein) (42 U.S.C.
5301 et seq.): Provided further, That unless explicitly provided for
under this heading, not to exceed 20 percent of any grant made with
funds appropriated under this heading shall be expended for planning
and management development and administration: Provided further, That a
metropolitan city, urban county, unit of general local government, or
Indian tribe, or insular area that directly or indirectly receives
funds under this heading may not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer all
or any portion of such funds to another such entity in exchange for any
other funds, credits or non-Federal considerations, but must use such
funds for activities eligible under title I of the Act: Provided
further, That none of the funds made available under this heading may
be used for grants for the Economic Development Initiative (``EDI'') or
Neighborhood Initiatives activities, Rural Innovation Fund, or for
grants pursuant to section 107 of the Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5307): Provided further, That the Department
shall notify grantees of their formula allocation within 60 days of
enactment of this Act: Provided further, That $60,000,000 shall be for
grants to Indian tribes notwithstanding section 106(a)(1) of such Act,
of which, notwithstanding any other provision of law (including section
204 of this Act), up to $3,960,000 may be used for emergencies that
constitute imminent threats to health and safety.
community development loan guarantees program account
(including rescission)
Subject to section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974,
during fiscal year 2015, commitments to guarantee loans under section
108 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5308), any part of which is guaranteed, shall not exceed a total
principal amount of $500,000,000, notwithstanding any aggregate
limitation on outstanding obligations guaranteed in subsection (k) of
such section 108: Provided, That the Secretary shall collect fees from
borrowers, notwithstanding subsection (m) of such section 108, to
result in a credit subsidy cost of zero for guaranteeing such loans,
and any such fees shall be collected in accordance with section 502(7)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That all
unobligated balances, including recaptures and carryover, remaining
from funds appropriated to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development under this heading are hereby permanently rescinded.
home investment partnerships program
For the HOME investment partnerships program, as authorized under
title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as
amended, $700,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2017:
Provided, That notwithstanding the amount made available under this
heading, the threshold reduction requirements in sections 216(10) and
217(b)(4) of such Act shall not apply to allocations of such amount:
Provided further, That the requirements under provisos 2 through 6
under this heading for fiscal year 2012 and such requirements
applicable pursuant to the ``Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act,
2013'', shall not apply to any project to which funds were committed on
or after August 23, 2013, but such projects shall instead be governed
by the Final Rule titled ``Home Investment Partnerships Program;
Improving Performance and Accountability; Updating Property Standards''
which became effective on such date: Provided further, That funds
provided in prior appropriations Acts for technical assistance, which
were made available for Community Housing Development Organizations
technical assistance, and which still remain available, may be used for
HOME technical assistance, notwithstanding the purposes for which such
amounts were appropriated: Provided further, That the Department shall
notify grantees of their formula allocation within 60 days of enactment
of this Act: Provided further, That of the total amount provided under
this heading, up to $10,000,000 shall be made available to the Self-
help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program, as authorized
under section 11 of the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act of
1996, as amended (42 U.S.C. 12805 note).
capacity building
For the second, third, and fourth capacity building activities
authorized under section 4(a) of the HUD Demonstration Act of 1993 (42
U.S.C. 9816 note), $35,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2017, of which not less than $5,000,000 shall be made available for
rural capacity-building activities. In addition, $5,000,000 shall be
made available for capacity building by national rural housing
organizations with experience assessing national rural conditions and
providing financing, training, technical assistance, information, and
research to local non-profits, local governments, and Indian Tribes
serving high-need rural communities.
homeless assistance grants
(including transfer of funds)
For the emergency solutions grants program as authorized under
subtitle B of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,
as amended; the continuum of care program as authorized under subtitle
C of title IV of such Act; and the rural housing stability assistance
program as authorized under subtitle D of title IV of such Act,
$2,105,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2017: Provided,
That any rental assistance amounts that are recaptured under such
continuum of care program shall remain available until expended:
Provided further, That not less than $200,000,000 of the funds
appropriated under this heading shall be available for such emergency
solutions grants program: Provided further, That not less than
$1,800,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be
available for such continuum of care and rural housing stability
assistance programs: Provided further, That up to $5,000,000 of the
funds appropriated under this heading shall be available for the
national homeless data analysis project: Provided further, That all
funds awarded for supportive services under the continuum of care
program and the rural housing stability assistance program shall be
matched by not less than 25 percent in cash or in kind by each grantee:
Provided further, That for all match requirements applicable to funds
made available under this heading for this fiscal year and prior years,
a grantee may use (or could have used) as a source of match funds other
funds administered by the Secretary and other Federal agencies unless
there is (or was) a specific statutory prohibition on any such use of
any such funds: Provided further, That the Secretary may renew on an
annual basis expiring contracts or amendments to contracts funded under
the continuum of care program if the program is determined to be needed
under the applicable continuum of care and meets appropriate program
requirements, performance measures, and financial standards, as
determined by the Secretary: Provided further, That all awards of
assistance under this heading shall be required to coordinate and
integrate homeless programs with other mainstream health, social
services, and employment programs for which homeless populations may be
eligible, including Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance
Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Stamps, and
services funding through the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Block
Grant, Workforce Investment Act, and the Welfare-to-Work grant program:
Provided further, That all balances for Shelter Plus Care renewals
previously funded from the Shelter Plus Care Renewal account and
transferred to this account shall be available, if recaptured, for
continuum of care renewals in fiscal year 2015: Provided further, That
with respect to funds provided under this heading for the continuum of
care program for fiscal years 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 provision of
permanent housing rental assistance may be administered by private
nonprofit organizations: Provided further, That the Department shall
notify grantees of their formula allocation from amounts allocated
(which may represent initial or final amounts allocated) for the
emergency solutions grant program within 60 days of enactment of this
Act.
brownfields redevelopment
(rescission)
Unobligated balances, including recaptures and carryover, remaining
from funds appropriated to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development under this heading are hereby permanently rescinded.
Housing Programs
project-based rental assistance
For activities and assistance for the provision of project-based
subsidy contracts under the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) (``the Act''), not otherwise provided for,
$9,346,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be available
on October 1, 2014 (in addition to the $400,000,000 previously
appropriated under this heading that became available October 1, 2014),
and $400,000,000, to remain available until expended, shall be
available on October 1, 2015: Provided, That the amounts made available
under this heading shall be available for expiring or terminating
section 8 project-based subsidy contracts (including section 8 moderate
rehabilitation contracts), for amendments to section 8 project-based
subsidy contracts (including section 8 moderate rehabilitation
contracts), for contracts entered into pursuant to section 441 of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11401), for renewal
of section 8 contracts for units in projects that are subject to
approved plans of action under the Emergency Low Income Housing
Preservation Act of 1987 or the Low-Income Housing Preservation and
Resident Homeownership Act of 1990, and for administrative and other
expenses associated with project-based activities and assistance funded
under this paragraph: Provided further, That of the total amounts
provided under this heading, not to exceed $210,000,000 shall be
available for assistance agreements with performance-based contract
administrators for section 8 project-based assistance, for carrying out
42 U.S.C. 1437(f): Provided further, That the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development may also use such amounts in the previous proviso for
performance-based contract administrators for the administration of:
interest reduction payments pursuant to section 236(a) of the National
Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-1(a)); rent supplement payments pursuant
to section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 (12
U.S.C. 1701s); section 236(f)(2) rental assistance payments (12 U.S.C.
1715z-1(f)(2)); project rental assistance contracts for the elderly
under section 202(c)(2) of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q);
project rental assistance contracts for supportive housing for persons
with disabilities under section 811(d)(2) of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013(d)(2)); project
assistance contracts pursuant to section 202(h) of the Housing Act of
1959 (Public Law 86-372; 73 Stat. 667); and loans under section 202 of
the Housing Act of 1959 (Public Law 86-372; 73 Stat. 667): Provided
further, That amounts recaptured under this heading, the heading
``Annual Contributions for Assisted Housing'', or the heading ``Housing
Certificate Fund'', may be used for renewals of or amendments to
section 8 project-based contracts or for performance-based contract
administrators, notwithstanding the purposes for which such amounts
were appropriated: Provided further, That, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, upon the request of the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development, project funds that are held in residual receipts
accounts for any project subject to a section 8 project-based Housing
Assistance Payments contract that authorizes HUD or a Housing Finance
Agency to require that surplus project funds be deposited in an
interest-bearing residual receipts account and that are in excess of an
amount to be determined by the Secretary, shall be remitted to the
Department and deposited in this account, to be available until
expended: Provided further, That amounts deposited pursuant to the
previous proviso shall be available in addition to the amount otherwise
provided by this heading for uses authorized under this heading.
housing for the elderly
For amendments to capital advance contracts for housing for the
elderly, as authorized by section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, as
amended, and for project rental assistance for the elderly under
section 202(c)(2) of such Act, including amendments to contracts for
such assistance and renewal of expiring contracts for such assistance
for up to a 1-year term, and for senior preservation rental assistance
contracts, as authorized by section 811(e) of the American Housing and
Economic Opportunity Act of 2000, as amended, and for supportive
services associated with the housing, $420,000,000 to remain available
until September 30, 2018: Provided, That of the amount provided under
this heading, up to $70,000,000 shall be for service coordinators and
the continuation of existing congregate service grants for residents of
assisted housing projects: Provided further, That amounts under this
heading shall be available for Real Estate Assessment Center
inspections and inspection-related activities associated with section
202 projects: Provided further, That the Secretary may waive the
provisions of section 202 governing the terms and conditions of project
rental assistance, except that the initial contract term for such
assistance shall not exceed 5 years in duration.
housing for persons with disabilities
For amendments to capital advance contracts for supportive housing
for persons with disabilities, as authorized by section 811 of the
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013), for
project rental assistance for supportive housing for persons with
disabilities under section 811(d)(2) of such Act and for project
assistance contracts pursuant to section 202(h) of the Housing Act of
1959 (Public Law 86-372; 73 Stat. 667), including amendments to
contracts for such assistance and renewal of expiring contracts for
such assistance for up to a 1-year term, for project rental assistance
to State housing finance agencies and other appropriate entities as
authorized under section 811(b)(3) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National
Housing Act, and for supportive services associated with the housing
for persons with disabilities as authorized by section 811(b)(1) of
such Act, $135,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2018:
Provided, That amounts made available under this heading shall be
available for Real Estate Assessment Center inspections and inspection-
related activities associated with section 811 projects.
housing counseling assistance
For contracts, grants, and other assistance excluding loans, as
authorized under section 106 of the Housing and Urban Development Act
of 1968, as amended, $47,000,000, to remain available until September
30, 2016, including up to $4,500,000 for administrative contract
services: Provided, That grants made available from amounts provided
under this heading shall be awarded within 180 days of enactment of
this Act: Provided further, That funds shall be used for providing
counseling and advice to tenants and homeowners, both current and
prospective, with respect to property maintenance, financial
management/literacy, and such other matters as may be appropriate to
assist them in improving their housing conditions, meeting their
financial needs, and fulfilling the responsibilities of tenancy or
homeownership; for program administration; and for housing counselor
training.
rental housing assistance
For amendments to contracts under section 101 of the Housing and
Urban Development Act of 1965 (12 U.S.C. 1701s) and section 236(f)(2)
of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-1) in State-aided,
noninsured rental housing projects, $28,000,000, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That such amount, together with unobligated
balances from recaptured amounts appropriated prior to fiscal year 2006
from terminated contracts under such sections of law, and any
unobligated balances, including recaptures and carryover, remaining
from funds appropriated under this heading after fiscal year 2005,
shall also be available for extensions of up to one year for expiring
contracts under such sections of law.
payment to manufactured housing fees trust fund
For necessary expenses as authorized by the National Manufactured
Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5401
et seq.), up to $10,000,000, to remain available until expended, of
which $10,000,000 is to be derived from the Manufactured Housing Fees
Trust Fund: Provided, That not to exceed the total amount appropriated
under this heading shall be available from the general fund of the
Treasury to the extent necessary to incur obligations and make
expenditures pending the receipt of collections to the Fund pursuant to
section 620 of such Act: Provided further, That the amount made
available under this heading from the general fund shall be reduced as
such collections are received during fiscal year 2015 so as to result
in a final fiscal year 2015 appropriation from the general fund
estimated at zero, and fees pursuant to such section 620 shall be
modified as necessary to ensure such a final fiscal year 2015
appropriation: Provided further, That for the dispute resolution and
installation programs, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
may assess and collect fees from any program participant: Provided
further, That such collections shall be deposited into the Fund, and
the Secretary, as provided herein, may use such collections, as well as
fees collected under section 620, for necessary expenses of such Act:
Provided further, That, notwithstanding the requirements of section 620
of such Act, the Secretary may carry out responsibilities of the
Secretary under such Act through the use of approved service providers
that are paid directly by the recipients of their services.
Federal Housing Administration
mutual mortgage insurance program account
New commitments to guarantee single family loans insured under the
Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund shall not exceed $400,000,000,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2016: Provided, That during fiscal
year 2015, obligations to make direct loans to carry out the purposes
of section 204(g) of the National Housing Act, as amended, shall not
exceed $20,000,000: Provided further, That the foregoing amount in the
previous proviso shall be for loans to nonprofit and governmental
entities in connection with sales of single family real properties
owned by the Secretary and formerly insured under the Mutual Mortgage
Insurance Fund.
For administrative contract expenses of the Federal Housing
Administration, $130,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2016: Provided, That to the extent guaranteed loan commitments exceed
$200,000,000,000 on or before April 1, 2015, an additional $1,400 for
administrative contract expenses shall be available for each $1,000,000
in additional guaranteed loan commitments (including a pro rata amount
for any amount below $1,000,000), but in no case shall funds made
available by this proviso exceed $30,000,000.
general and special risk program account
New commitments to guarantee loans insured under the General and
Special Risk Insurance Funds, as authorized by sections 238 and 519 of
the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-3 and 1735c), shall not
exceed $30,000,000,000 in total loan principal, any part of which is to
be guaranteed, to remain available until September 30, 2016: Provided,
That during fiscal year 2015, gross obligations for the principal
amount of direct loans, as authorized by sections 204(g), 207(l), 238,
and 519(a) of the National Housing Act, shall not exceed $20,000,000,
which shall be for loans to nonprofit and governmental entities in
connection with the sale of single family real properties owned by the
Secretary and formerly insured under such Act.
Government National Mortgage Association
guarantees of mortgage-backed securities loan guarantee program account
New commitments to issue guarantees to carry out the purposes of
section 306 of the National Housing Act, as amended (12 U.S.C.
1721(g)), shall not exceed $500,000,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2016: Provided, That $22,000,000 shall be available for
necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Government National
Mortgage Association: Provided further, That receipts from Commitment
and Multiclass fees collected pursuant to title III of the National
Housing Act, as amended, shall be credited as offsetting collections to
this account.
Policy Development and Research
research and technology
For contracts, grants, and necessary expenses of programs of
research and studies relating to housing and urban problems, not
otherwise provided for, as authorized by title V of the Housing and
Urban Development Act of 1970 (12 U.S.C. 1701z-1 et seq.), including
carrying out the functions of the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development under section 1(a)(1)(i) of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of
1968, and for technical assistance, $40,000,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2016: Provided, That with respect to amounts made
available under this heading, notwithstanding section 204 of this
title, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements funded with
philanthropic entities, other Federal agencies, or State or local
governments and their agencies for research projects: Provided further,
That with respect to the previous proviso, such partners to the
cooperative agreements must contribute at least a 50 percent match
toward the cost of the project: Provided further, That for non-
competitive agreements entered into in accordance with the previous two
provisos, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall comply
with section 2(b) of the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-282, 31 U.S.C. note) in lieu
of compliance with section 102(a)(4)(C) with respect to documentation
of award decisions: Provided further, That prior to obligation of
technical assistance, the Secretary shall submit a plan, for approval,
to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on how it will
allocate funding for this activity.
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
fair housing activities
For contracts, grants, and other assistance, not otherwise provided
for, as authorized by title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as
amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, and section 561 of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987, as amended,
$46,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2016: Provided,
That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, the Secretary may assess and
collect fees to cover the costs of the Fair Housing Training Academy,
and may use such funds to provide such training: Provided further, That
no funds made available under this heading shall be used to lobby the
executive or legislative branches of the Federal Government in
connection with a specific contract, grant or loan: Provided further,
That of the funds made available under this heading, $300,000 shall be
available to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for the
creation and promotion of translated materials and other programs that
support the assistance of persons with limited English proficiency in
utilizing the services provided by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
lead hazard reduction
For the Lead Hazard Reduction Program, as authorized by section
1011 of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992,
$70,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2016: Provided,
That up to $10,000,000 of that amount shall be for the Healthy Homes
Initiative, pursuant to sections 501 and 502 of the Housing and Urban
Development Act of 1970 that shall include research, studies, testing,
and demonstration efforts, including education and outreach concerning
lead-based paint poisoning and other housing-related diseases and
hazards: Provided further, That for purposes of environmental review,
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.) and other provisions of the law that further the purposes
of such Act, a grant under the Healthy Homes Initiative, or the Lead
Technical Studies program under this heading or under prior
appropriations Acts for such purposes under this heading, shall be
considered to be funds for a special project for purposes of section
305(c) of the Multifamily Housing Property Disposition Reform Act of
1994.
Information Technology Fund
For the development of, modifications to, and infrastructure for
Department-wide and program-specific information technology systems,
for the continuing operation and maintenance of both Department-wide
and program-specific information systems, and for program-related
maintenance activities, $97,000,000, of which $82,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2016, and of which $15,000,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2017 for Development,
Modernization and Enhancement: Provided, That any amounts transferred
to this Fund under this Act shall remain available until expended:
Provided further, That any amounts transferred to this Fund from
amounts appropriated by previously enacted appropriations Acts may be
used for the purposes specified under this Fund, in addition to any
other information technology purposes for which such amounts were
appropriated: Provided further, That not more than 40 percent of the
funds made available under this heading for Development, Modernization
and Enhancement, including development and deployment of a Next
Generation Management System and development and deployment of
modernized Federal Housing Administration systems may be obligated
until the Secretary submits to the Committees on Appropriations and the
Comptroller General of the United States a plan for expenditure that--
(A) provides for all information technology investments: (i) the cost
and schedule baselines with explanations for each associated variance,
(ii) the status of functional and performance capabilities delivered or
planned to be delivered, and (iii) mitigation strategies to address
identified risks; (B) outlines activities to ensure strategic,
consistent, and effective application of information technology
management controls: (i) enterprise architecture, (ii) project
management, (iii) investment management, and (iv) human capital
management.
Office of Inspector General
For necessary salaries and expenses of the Office of Inspector
General in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended,
$124,861,000: Provided, That the Inspector General shall have
independent authority over all personnel and acquisition issues within
this office.
General Provisions--Department of Housing and Urban Development
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 201. Fifty percent of the amounts of budget authority, or in
lieu thereof 50 percent of the cash amounts associated with such budget
authority, that are recaptured from projects described in section
1012(a) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act
of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1437 note) shall be rescinded or in the case of
cash, shall be remitted to the Treasury, and such amounts of budget
authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or remitted to the
Treasury shall be used by State housing finance agencies or local
governments or local housing agencies with projects approved by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for which settlement
occurred after January 1, 1992, in accordance with such section.
Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the Secretary may award up to 15
percent of the budget authority or cash recaptured and not rescinded or
remitted to the Treasury to provide project owners with incentives to
refinance their project at a lower interest rate.
Sec. 202. None of the amounts made available under this Act may be
used during fiscal year 2015 to investigate or prosecute under the Fair
Housing Act any otherwise lawful activity engaged in by one or more
persons, including the filing or maintaining of a nonfrivolous legal
action, that is engaged in solely for the purpose of achieving or
preventing action by a Government official or entity, or a court of
competent jurisdiction.
Sec. 203. Sections 203 and 209 of division C of Public Law 112-55
(125 Stat. 693-694) shall apply during fiscal year 2015 as if such
sections were included in this title, except that during such fiscal
year such sections shall be applied by substituting ``fiscal year
2015'' for ``fiscal year 2011'' and for ``fiscal year 2012'' each place
such terms appear, and shall be amended to reflect revised delineations
of statistical areas established by the Office of Management and Budget
pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3504(e)(3), 31 U.S.C. 1104(d), and Executive
Order 10253.
Sec. 204. Except as explicitly provided in law, any grant,
cooperative agreement or other assistance made pursuant to title II of
this Act shall be made on a competitive basis and in accordance with
section 102 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform
Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 3545).
Sec. 205. Funds of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
subject to the Government Corporation Control Act or section 402 of the
Housing Act of 1950 shall be available, without regard to the
limitations on administrative expenses, for legal services on a
contract or fee basis, and for utilizing and making payment for
services and facilities of the Federal National Mortgage Association,
Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation, Federal Financing Bank, Federal Reserve banks or any
member thereof, Federal Home Loan banks, and any insured bank within
the meaning of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, as
amended (12 U.S.C. 1811-1).
Sec. 206. Unless otherwise provided for in this Act or through a
reprogramming of funds, no part of any appropriation for the Department
of Housing and Urban Development shall be available for any program,
project or activity in excess of amounts set forth in the budget
estimates submitted to Congress.
Sec. 207. Corporations and agencies of the Department of Housing
and Urban Development which are subject to the Government Corporation
Control Act are hereby authorized to make such expenditures, within the
limits of funds and borrowing authority available to each such
corporation or agency and in accordance with law, and to make such
contracts and commitments without regard to fiscal year limitations as
provided by section 104 of such Act as may be necessary in carrying out
the programs set forth in the budget for 2015 for such corporation or
agency except as hereinafter provided: Provided, That collections of
these corporations and agencies may be used for new loan or mortgage
purchase commitments only to the extent expressly provided for in this
Act (unless such loans are in support of other forms of assistance
provided for in this or prior appropriations Acts), except that this
proviso shall not apply to the mortgage insurance or guaranty
operations of these corporations, or where loans or mortgage purchases
are necessary to protect the financial interest of the United States
Government.
Sec. 208. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
provide quarterly reports to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations regarding all uncommitted, unobligated, recaptured and
excess funds in each program and activity within the jurisdiction of
the Department and shall submit additional, updated budget information
to these Committees upon request.
Sec. 209. The President's formal budget request for fiscal year
2016, as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development's
congressional budget justifications to be submitted to the Committees
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall
use the identical account and sub-account structure provided under this
Act.
Sec. 210. A public housing agency or such other entity that
administers Federal housing assistance for the Housing Authority of the
county of Los Angeles, California, the States of Alaska, Iowa, and
Mississippi shall not be required to include a resident of public
housing or a recipient of assistance provided under section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 on the board of directors or a
similar governing board of such agency or entity as required under
section (2)(b) of such Act. Each public housing agency or other entity
that administers Federal housing assistance under section 8 for the
Housing Authority of the county of Los Angeles, California and the
States of Alaska, Iowa and Mississippi that chooses not to include a
resident of public housing or a recipient of section 8 assistance on
the board of directors or a similar governing board shall establish an
advisory board of not less than six residents of public housing or
recipients of section 8 assistance to provide advice and comment to the
public housing agency or other administering entity on issues related
to public housing and section 8. Such advisory board shall meet not
less than quarterly.
Sec. 211. No funds provided under this title may be used for an
audit of the Government National Mortgage Association that makes
applicable requirements under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2
U.S.C. 661 et seq.).
Sec. 212. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subject
to the conditions listed under this section, for fiscal years 2015 and
2016, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may authorize the
transfer of some or all project-based assistance, debt held or insured
by the Secretary and statutorily required low-income and very low-
income use restrictions if any, associated with one or more multifamily
housing project or projects to another multifamily housing project or
projects.
(b) Phased Transfers.--Transfers of project-based assistance under
this section may be done in phases to accommodate the financing and
other requirements related to rehabilitating or constructing the
project or projects to which the assistance is transferred, to ensure
that such project or projects meet the standards under subsection (c).
(c) The transfer authorized in subsection (a) is subject to the
following conditions:
(1) Number and bedroom size of units.--
(A) For occupied units in the transferring project:
the number of low-income and very low-income units and
the configuration (i.e. bedroom size) provided by the
transferring project shall be no less than when
transferred to the receiving project or projects and
the net dollar amount of Federal assistance provided to
the transferring project shall remain the same in the
receiving project or projects.
(B) For unoccupied units in the transferring
project: the Secretary may authorize a reduction in the
number of dwelling units in the receiving project or
projects to allow for a reconfiguration of bedroom
sizes to meet current market demands, as determined by
the Secretary and provided there is no increase in the
project-based assistance budget authority.
(2) The transferring project shall, as determined by the
Secretary, be either physically obsolete or economically
nonviable.
(3) The receiving project or projects shall meet or exceed
applicable physical standards established by the Secretary.
(4) The owner or mortgagor of the transferring project
shall notify and consult with the tenants residing in the
transferring project and provide a certification of approval by
all appropriate local governmental officials.
(5) The tenants of the transferring project who remain
eligible for assistance to be provided by the receiving project
or projects shall not be required to vacate their units in the
transferring project or projects until new units in the
receiving project are available for occupancy.
(6) The Secretary determines that this transfer is in the
best interest of the tenants.
(7) If either the transferring project or the receiving
project or projects meets the condition specified in subsection
(d)(2)(A), any lien on the receiving project resulting from
additional financing obtained by the owner shall be subordinate
to any FHA-insured mortgage lien transferred to, or placed on,
such project by the Secretary, except that the Secretary may
waive this requirement upon determination that such a waiver is
necessary to facilitate the financing of acquisition,
construction, and/or rehabilitation of the receiving project or
projects.
(8) If the transferring project meets the requirements of
subsection (d)(2), the owner or mortgagor of the receiving
project or projects shall execute and record either a
continuation of the existing use agreement or a new use
agreement for the project where, in either case, any use
restrictions in such agreement are of no lesser duration than
the existing use restrictions.
(9) The transfer does not increase the cost (as defined in
section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as
amended) of any FHA-insured mortgage, except to the extent that
appropriations are provided in advance for the amount of any
such increased cost.
(d) For purposes of this section--
(1) the terms ``low-income'' and ``very low-income'' shall
have the meanings provided by the statute and/or regulations
governing the program under which the project is insured or
assisted;
(2) the term ``multifamily housing project'' means housing
that meets one of the following conditions--
(A) housing that is subject to a mortgage insured
under the National Housing Act;
(B) housing that has project-based assistance
attached to the structure including projects undergoing
mark to market debt restructuring under the Multifamily
Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Housing Act;
(C) housing that is assisted under section 202 of
the Housing Act of 1959 as amended by section 801 of
the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act;
(D) housing that is assisted under section 202 of
the Housing Act of 1959, as such section existed before
the enactment of the Cranston-Gonzales National
Affordable Housing Act;
(E) housing that is assisted under section 811 of
the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act;
or
(F) housing or vacant land that is subject to a use
agreement;
(3) the term ``project-based assistance'' means--
(A) assistance provided under section 8(b) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937;
(B) assistance for housing constructed or
substantially rehabilitated pursuant to assistance
provided under section 8(b)(2) of such Act (as such
section existed immediately before October 1, 1983);
(C) rent supplement payments under section 101 of
the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965;
(D) interest reduction payments under section 236
and/or additional assistance payments under section
236(f)(2) of the National Housing Act;
(E) assistance payments made under section
202(c)(2) of the Housing Act of 1959; and
(F) assistance payments made under section
811(d)(2) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable
Housing Act;
(4) the term ``receiving project or projects'' means the
multifamily housing project or projects to which some or all of
the project-based assistance, debt, and statutorily required
low-income and very low-income use restrictions are to be
transferred;
(5) the term ``transferring project'' means the multifamily
housing project which is transferring some or all of the
project-based assistance, debt and the statutorily required
low-income and very low-income use restrictions to the
receiving project or projects; and
(6) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development.
(e) Public Notice and Research Report.--
(1) The Secretary shall publish by notice in the Federal
Register the terms and conditions, including criteria for HUD
approval, of transfers pursuant to this section no later than
30 days before the effective date of such notice.
(2) The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the
transfer authority under this section, including the effect of
such transfers on the operational efficiency, contract rents,
physical and financial conditions, and long-term preservation
of the affected properties.
Sec. 213. (a) No assistance shall be provided under section 8 of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) to any
individual who--
(1) is enrolled as a student at an institution of higher
education (as defined under section 102 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002));
(2) is under 24 years of age;
(3) is not a veteran;
(4) is unmarried;
(5) does not have a dependent child;
(6) is not a person with disabilities, as such term is
defined in section 3(b)(3)(E) of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(3)(E)) and was not receiving
assistance under such section 8 as of November 30, 2005; and
(7) is not otherwise individually eligible, or has parents
who, individually or jointly, are not eligible, to receive
assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).
(b) For purposes of determining the eligibility of a person to
receive assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), any financial assistance (in excess of amounts
received for tuition and any other required fees and charges) that an
individual receives under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001 et seq.), from private sources, or an institution of higher
education (as defined under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1002)), shall be considered income to that individual, except for a
person over the age of 23 with dependent children.
Sec. 214. The funds made available for Native Alaskans under the
heading ``Native American Housing Block Grants'' in title II of this
Act shall be allocated to the same Native Alaskan housing block grant
recipients that received funds in fiscal year 2005.
Sec. 215. Notwithstanding the limitation in the first sentence of
section 255(g) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-20(g)), the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may, until September 30,
2015, insure and enter into commitments to insure mortgages under such
section 255.
Sec. 216. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in fiscal
year 2015, in managing and disposing of any multifamily property that
is owned or has a mortgage held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, and during the process of foreclosure on any property with
a contract for rental assistance payments under section 8 of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 or other Federal programs, the Secretary
shall maintain any rental assistance payments under section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 and other programs that are attached
to any dwelling units in the property. To the extent the Secretary
determines, in consultation with the tenants and the local government,
that such a multifamily property owned or held by the Secretary is not
feasible for continued rental assistance payments under such section 8
or other programs, based on consideration of (1) the costs of
rehabilitating and operating the property and all available Federal,
State, and local resources, including rent adjustments under section
524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of
1997 (``MAHRAA'') and (2) environmental conditions that cannot be
remedied in a cost-effective fashion, the Secretary may, in
consultation with the tenants of that property, contract for project-
based rental assistance payments with an owner or owners of other
existing housing properties, or provide other rental assistance. The
Secretary shall also take appropriate steps to ensure that project-
based contracts remain in effect prior to foreclosure, subject to the
exercise of contractual abatement remedies to assist relocation of
tenants for imminent major threats to health and safety after written
notice to and informed consent of the affected tenants and use of other
available remedies, such as partial abatements or receivership. After
disposition of any multifamily property described under this section,
the contract and allowable rent levels on such properties shall be
subject to the requirements under section 524 of MAHRAA.
Sec. 217. The commitment authority funded by fees as provided
under the heading ``Community Development Loan Guarantees Program
Account'' may be used to guarantee, or make commitments to guarantee,
notes, or other obligations issued by any State on behalf of non-
entitlement communities in the State in accordance with the
requirements of section 108 of the Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974: Provided, That any State receiving such a guarantee or
commitment shall distribute all funds subject to such guarantee to the
units of general local government in non-entitlement areas that
received the commitment.
Sec. 218. Public housing agencies that own and operate 400 or
fewer public housing units may elect to be exempt from any asset
management requirement imposed by the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development in connection with the operating fund rule: Provided, That
an agency seeking a discontinuance of a reduction of subsidy under the
operating fund formula shall not be exempt from asset management
requirements.
Sec. 219. With respect to the use of amounts provided in this Act
and in future Acts for the operation, capital improvement and
management of public housing as authorized by sections 9(d) and 9(e) of
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(d) and (e)), the
Secretary shall not impose any requirement or guideline relating to
asset management that restricts or limits in any way the use of capital
funds for central office costs pursuant to section 9(g)(1) or 9(g)(2)
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g(g)(1), (2)):
Provided, That a public housing agency may not use capital funds
authorized under section 9(d) for activities that are eligible under
section 9(e) for assistance with amounts from the operating fund in
excess of the amounts permitted under section 9(g)(1) or 9(g)(2).
Sec. 220. No official or employee of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development shall be designated as an allotment holder unless the
Office of the Chief Financial Officer has determined that such
allotment holder has implemented an adequate system of funds control
and has received training in funds control procedures and directives.
The Chief Financial Officer shall ensure that there is a trained
allotment holder for each HUD sub-office under the accounts ``Executive
Offices'' and ``Administrative Support Offices,'' as well as each
account receiving appropriations for ``Program Office Salaries and
Expenses'' within the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Sec. 221. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
report annually to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on
the status of all section 8 project-based housing, including the number
of all project-based units by region as well as an analysis of all
federally subsidized housing being refinanced under the Mark-to-Market
program. The Secretary shall in the report identify all existing units
maintained by region as section 8 project-based units and all project-
based units that have opted out of section 8 or have otherwise been
eliminated as section 8 project-based units. The Secretary shall
identify in detail and by project the most likely reasons for any units
which opted out or otherwise were lost as section 8 project-based
units. Such analysis shall include a review of the most likely impact
of the loss of any subsidized units in that housing marketplace.
Sec. 222. The Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development shall, for fiscal year 2015, notify the public through the
Federal Register and other means, as determined appropriate, of the
issuance of a notice of the availability of assistance or notice of
funding availability (NOFA) for any program or discretionary fund
administered by the Secretary that is to be competitively awarded.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for fiscal year 2015, the
Secretary may make the NOFA available only on the Internet at the
appropriate Government Web site or through other electronic media, as
determined by the Secretary.
Sec. 223. Payment of attorney fees in program-related litigation
must be paid from individual program office personnel benefits and
compensation funding. The annual budget submission for program office
personnel benefit and compensation funding must include program-related
litigation costs for attorney fees as a separate line item request.
Sec. 224. The Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development is authorized to transfer up to 5 percent or $5,000,000,
whichever is less, of the funds appropriated for any office funded
under the heading ``Administrative Support Offices'' to any other
office funded under such heading: Provided, That no appropriation for
any office funded under the heading ``Administrative Support Offices''
shall be increased or decreased by more than 5 percent or $5,000,000,
whichever is less, without prior written approval of the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations: Provided further, That the
Secretary is authorized to transfer up to 5 percent or $5,000,000,
whichever is less, of the funds appropriated for any account funded
under the general heading ``Program Office Salaries and Expenses'' to
any other account funded under such heading: Provided further, That no
appropriation for any account funded under the general heading
``Program Office Salaries and Expenses'' shall be increased or
decreased by more than 5 percent or $5,000,000, whichever is less,
without prior written approval of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations: Provided further, That the Secretary may transfer funds
made available for salaries and expenses between any office funded
under the heading ``Administrative Support Offices'' and any account
funded under the general heading ``Program Office Salaries and
Expenses'', but only with the prior written approval of the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations.
Sec. 225. The Disaster Housing Assistance Programs, administered
by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, shall be considered
a ``program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development'' under
section 904 of the McKinney Act for the purpose of income verifications
and matching.
Sec. 226. (a) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
take the required actions under subsection (b) when a multifamily
housing project with a section 8 contract or contract for similar
project-based assistance:
(1) receives a Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) score
of 30 or less; or
(2) receives a REAC score between 31 and 59 and:
(A) fails to certify in writing to HUD within 60
days that all deficiencies have been corrected; or
(B) receives consecutive scores of less than 60 on
REAC inspections.
Such requirements shall apply to insured and noninsured projects with
assistance attached to the units under section 8 of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), but do not apply to such units
assisted under section 8(o)(13) (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(13)) or to public
housing units assisted with capital or operating funds under section 9
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437g).
(b) The Secretary shall take the following required actions as
authorized under subsection (a)--
(1) The Secretary shall notify the owner and provide an
opportunity for response within 30 days. If the violations
remain, the Secretary shall develop a Compliance, Disposition
and Enforcement Plan within 60 days, with a specified timetable
for correcting all deficiencies. The Secretary shall provide
notice of the Plan to the owner, tenants, the local government,
any mortgagees, and any contract administrator.
(2) At the end of the term of the Compliance, Disposition
and Enforcement Plan, if the owner fails to fully comply with
such plan, the Secretary may require immediate replacement of
project management with a management agent approved by the
Secretary, and shall take one or more of the following actions,
and provide additional notice of those actions to the owner and
the parties specified above:
(A) impose civil money penalties;
(B) abate the section 8 contract, including partial
abatement, as determined by the Secretary, until all
deficiencies have been corrected;
(C) pursue transfer of the project to an owner,
approved by the Secretary under established procedures,
which will be obligated to promptly make all required
repairs and to accept renewal of the assistance
contract as long as such renewal is offered; or
(D) seek judicial appointment of a receiver to
manage the property and cure all project deficiencies
or seek a judicial order of specific performance
requiring the owner to cure all project deficiencies.
(c) The Secretary shall also take appropriate steps to ensure that
project-based contracts remain in effect, subject to the exercise of
contractual abatement remedies to assist relocation of tenants for
imminent major threats to health and safety after written notice to and
informed consent of the affected tenants and use of other remedies set
forth above. To the extent the Secretary determines, in consultation
with the tenants and the local government, that the property is not
feasible for continued rental assistance payments under such section 8
or other programs, based on consideration of (1) the costs of
rehabilitating and operating the property and all available Federal,
State, and local resources, including rent adjustments under section
524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of
1997 (``MAHRAA'') and (2) environmental conditions that cannot be
remedied in a cost-effective fashion, the Secretary may, in
consultation with the tenants of that property, contract for project-
based rental assistance payments with an owner or owners of other
existing housing properties, or provide other rental assistance. The
Secretary shall report semi-annually on all properties covered by this
section that are assessed through the Real Estate Assessment Center and
have physical inspection scores of less than 30 or have consecutive
physical inspection scores of less than 60. The report shall include:
(1) The enforcement actions being taken to address such
conditions, including imposition of civil money penalties and
termination of subsidies, and identify properties that have
such conditions multiple times; and
(2) Actions that the Department of Housing and Urban
Development is taking to protect tenants of such identified
properties.
Sec. 227. None of the funds made available by this Act, or any
other Act, for purposes authorized under section 8 (only with respect
to the tenant-based rental assistance program) and section 9 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.), may be used
by any public housing agency for any amount of salary, for the chief
executive officer of which, or any other official or employee of which,
that exceeds the annual rate of basic pay payable for a position at
level IV of the Executive Schedule at any time during any public
housing agency fiscal year 2015.
Sec. 228. None of the funds in this Act may be available for the
doctoral dissertation research grant program at the Department of
Housing and Urban Development.
Sec. 229. None of the funds in this Act provided to the Department
of Housing and Urban Development may be used to make a grant award
unless the Secretary notifies the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations not less than 3 full business days before any project,
State, locality, housing authority, tribe, nonprofit organization, or
other entity selected to receive a grant award is announced by the
Department or its offices.
Sec. 230. Section 579 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform
and Affordability Act (MAHRAA) of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1437f note) is
amended by striking ``October 1, 2015'' each place it appears and
inserting in lieu thereof ``October 1, 2016''.
Sec. 231. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to require or enforce the Physical Needs Assessment (PNA).
Sec. 232. None of the funds made available by this Act nor any
receipts or amounts collected under any Federal Housing Administration
program may be used to implement the Homeowners Armed with Knowledge
(HAWK) program.
Sec. 233. None of the funds made available in this Act shall be
used by the Federal Housing Administration, the Government National
Mortgage Administration, or the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to insure, securitize, or establish a Federal guarantee of
any mortgage or mortgage backed security that refinances or otherwise
replaces a mortgage that has been subject to eminent domain
condemnation or seizure, by a state, municipality, or any other
political subdivision of a state.
This title may be cited as the ``Department of Housing and Urban
Development Appropriations Act, 2015''.
TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES
Access Board
salaries and expenses
For expenses necessary for the Access Board, as authorized by
section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, $7,548,000:
Provided, That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, there may
be credited to this appropriation funds received for publications and
training expenses.
federal housing finance agency
office of inspector general
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in
carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978,
$45,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2016, to be
derived from assessments collected from the Federal National Mortgage
Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal
Home Loan Banks under section 1106 of the Housing and Economic Recovery
Act of 2008.
Federal Maritime Commission
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Federal Maritime Commission as
authorized by section 201(d) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as
amended (46 U.S.C. 307), including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C.
3109; hire of passenger motor vehicles as authorized by 31 U.S.C.
1343(b); and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized by 5
U.S.C. 5901-5902, $25,499,000: Provided, That not to exceed $2,000
shall be available for official reception and representation expenses.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation Office of Inspector General
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General for the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry out the provisions of
the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, $24,499,000: Provided,
That the Inspector General shall have all necessary authority, in
carrying out the duties specified in the Inspector General Act, as
amended (5 U.S.C. App. 3), to investigate allegations of fraud,
including false statements to the government (18 U.S.C. 1001), by any
person or entity that is subject to regulation by the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation: Provided further, That the Inspector General may
enter into contracts and other arrangements for audits, studies,
analyses, and other services with public agencies and with private
persons, subject to the applicable laws and regulations that govern the
obtaining of such services within the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation: Provided further, That the Inspector General may select,
appoint, and employ such officers and employees as may be necessary for
carrying out the functions, powers, and duties of the Office of
Inspector General, subject to the applicable laws and regulations that
govern such selections, appointments, and employment within Amtrak:
Provided further, That concurrent with the President's budget request
for fiscal year 2016, the Inspector General shall submit to the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations a budget request for fiscal
year 2016 in similar format and substance to those submitted by
executive agencies of the Federal Government.
National Transportation Safety Board
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the National Transportation Safety Board,
including hire of passenger motor vehicles and aircraft; services as
authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, but at rates for individuals not to exceed
the per diem rate equivalent to the rate for a GS-15; uniforms, or
allowances therefor, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901-5902),
$103,000,000, of which not to exceed $2,000 may be used for official
reception and representation expenses. The amounts made available to
the National Transportation Safety Board in this Act include amounts
necessary to make lease payments on an obligation incurred in fiscal
year 2001 for a capital lease.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
payment to the neighborhood reinvestment corporation
For payment to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for use in
neighborhood reinvestment activities, as authorized by the Neighborhood
Reinvestment Corporation Act (42 U.S.C. 8101-8107), $132,000,000, of
which $5,000,000 shall be for a multi-family rental housing program:
Provided, That in addition, $50,000,000 shall be made available until
expended to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for mortgage
foreclosure mitigation activities, under the following terms and
conditions:
(1) The Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (``NRC'')
shall make grants to counseling intermediaries approved by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (with match
to be determined by the NRC based on affordability and the
economic conditions of an area; a match also may be waived by
the NRC based on the aforementioned conditions) to provide
mortgage foreclosure mitigation assistance primarily to States
and areas with high rates of defaults and foreclosures to help
eliminate the default and foreclosure of mortgages of owner-
occupied single-family homes that are at risk of such
foreclosure. Other than areas with high rates of defaults and
foreclosures, grants may also be provided to approved
counseling intermediaries based on a geographic analysis of the
Nation by the NRC which determines where there is a prevalence
of mortgages that are risky and likely to fail, including any
trends for mortgages that are likely to default and face
foreclosure. A State Housing Finance Agency may also be
eligible where the State Housing Finance Agency meets all the
requirements under this paragraph. A HUD-approved counseling
intermediary shall meet certain mortgage foreclosure mitigation
assistance counseling requirements, as determined by the NRC,
and shall be approved by HUD or the NRC as meeting these
requirements.
(2) Mortgage foreclosure mitigation assistance shall only
be made available to homeowners of owner-occupied homes with
mortgages in default or in danger of default. These mortgages
shall likely be subject to a foreclosure action and homeowners
will be provided such assistance that shall consist of
activities that are likely to prevent foreclosures and result
in the long-term affordability of the mortgage retained
pursuant to such activity or another positive outcome for the
homeowner. No funds made available under this paragraph may be
provided directly to lenders or homeowners to discharge
outstanding mortgage balances or for any other direct debt
reduction payments.
(3) The use of mortgage foreclosure mitigation assistance
by approved counseling intermediaries and State Housing Finance
Agencies shall involve a reasonable analysis of the borrower's
financial situation, an evaluation of the current value of the
property that is subject to the mortgage, counseling regarding
the assumption of the mortgage by another non-Federal party,
counseling regarding the possible purchase of the mortgage by a
non-Federal third party, counseling and advice of all likely
restructuring and refinancing strategies or the approval of a
work-out strategy by all interested parties.
(4) NRC may provide up to 15 percent of the total funds
under this paragraph to its own charter members with expertise
in foreclosure prevention counseling, subject to a
certification by the NRC that the procedures for selection do
not consist of any procedures or activities that could be
construed as an unacceptable conflict of interest or have the
appearance of impropriety.
(5) HUD-approved counseling entities and State Housing
Finance Agencies receiving funds under this paragraph shall
have demonstrated experience in successfully working with
financial institutions as well as borrowers facing default,
delinquency and foreclosure as well as documented counseling
capacity, outreach capacity, past successful performance and
positive outcomes with documented counseling plans (including
post mortgage foreclosure mitigation counseling), loan workout
agreements and loan modification agreements. NRC may use other
criteria to demonstrate capacity in underserved areas.
(6) Of the total amount made available under this
paragraph, up to $2,500,000 may be made available to build the
mortgage foreclosure and default mitigation counseling capacity
of counseling intermediaries through NRC training courses with
HUD-approved counseling intermediaries and their partners,
except that private financial institutions that participate in
NRC training shall pay market rates for such training.
(7) Of the total amount made available under this
paragraph, up to 5 percent may be used for associated
administrative expenses for the NRC to carry out activities
provided under this section.
(8) Of the total amount made available under this
paragraph, up to $4,000,000 may be used for wind-down and
closeout of the mortgage foreclosure mitigation activities
program.
(9) Mortgage foreclosure mitigation assistance grants may
include a budget for outreach and advertising, and training, as
determined by the NRC.
(10) The NRC shall continue to report bi-annually to the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations as well as the
Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee
on its efforts to mitigate mortgage default.
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
operating expenses
For necessary expenses (including payment of salaries, authorized
travel, hire of passenger motor vehicles, the rental of conference
rooms, and the employment of experts and consultants under section 3109
of title 5, United States Code) of the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness in carrying out the functions pursuant to title
II of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended,
$3,500,000.
TITLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT
Sec. 401. None of the funds in this Act shall be used for the
planning or execution of any program to pay the expenses of, or
otherwise compensate, non-Federal parties intervening in regulatory or
adjudicatory proceedings funded in this Act.
Sec. 402. None of the funds appropriated in this Act shall remain
available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year, nor may any be
transferred to other appropriations, unless expressly so provided
herein.
Sec. 403. The expenditure of any appropriation under this Act for
any consulting service through procurement contract pursuant to section
3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those
contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and
available for public inspection, except where otherwise provided under
existing law, or under existing Executive order issued pursuant to
existing law.
Sec. 404. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act may be
obligated or expended for any employee training that--
(1) does not meet identified needs for knowledge, skills,
and abilities bearing directly upon the performance of official
duties;
(2) contains elements likely to induce high levels of
emotional response or psychological stress in some
participants;
(3) does not require prior employee notification of the
content and methods to be used in the training and written end
of course evaluation;
(4) contains any methods or content associated with
religious or quasi-religious belief systems or ``new age''
belief systems as defined in Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission Notice N-915.022, dated September 2, 1988; or
(5) is offensive to, or designed to change, participants'
personal values or lifestyle outside the workplace.
(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit, restrict, or otherwise
preclude an agency from conducting training bearing directly upon the
performance of official duties.
Sec. 405. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, none of the
funds provided in this Act, provided by previous appropriations Acts to
the agencies or entities funded in this Act that remain available for
obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 2015, or provided from any
accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of fees and
available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available for
obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that:
(1) creates a new program;
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3) increases funds or personnel for any program, project,
or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by
the Congress;
(4) proposes to use funds directed for a specific activity
by either the House or Senate Committees on Appropriations for
a different purpose;
(5) augments existing programs, projects, or activities in
excess of $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less;
(6) reduces existing programs, projects, or activities by
$5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less; or
(7) creates, reorganizes, or restructures a branch,
division, office, bureau, board, commission, agency,
administration, or department different from the budget
justifications submitted to the Committees on Appropriations or
the table accompanying the explanatory statement accompanying
this Act, whichever is more detailed, unless prior approval is
received from the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations: Provided, That not later than 60 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, each agency funded by this Act
shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of
the Senate and of the House of Representatives to establish the
baseline for application of reprogramming and transfer
authorities for the current fiscal year: Provided further, That
the report shall include:
(A) a table for each appropriation with a separate
column to display the prior year enacted level, the
President's budget request, adjustments made by
Congress, adjustments due to enacted rescissions, if
appropriate, and the fiscal year enacted level;
(B) a delineation in the table for each
appropriation and its respective prior year enacted
level by object class and program, project, and
activity as detailed in the budget appendix for the
respective appropriation; and
(C) an identification of items of special
congressional interest: Provided further, That the
amount appropriated or limited for salaries and
expenses for an agency shall be reduced by $100,000 per
day for each day after the required date that the
report has not been submitted to the Congress.
Sec. 406. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, not to
exceed 50 percent of unobligated balances remaining available at the
end of fiscal year 2015 from appropriations made available for salaries
and expenses for fiscal year 2015 in this Act, shall remain available
through September 30, 2016, for each such account for the purposes
authorized: Provided, That a request shall be submitted to the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations for approval prior to the
expenditure of such funds: Provided further, That these requests shall
be made in compliance with reprogramming guidelines under section 405
of this Act.
Sec. 407. No funds in this Act may be used to support any Federal,
State, or local projects that seek to use the power of eminent domain,
unless eminent domain is employed only for a public use: Provided, That
for purposes of this section, public use shall not be construed to
include economic development that primarily benefits private entities:
Provided further, That any use of funds for mass transit, railroad,
airport, seaport or highway projects as well as utility projects which
benefit or serve the general public (including energy-related,
communication-related, water-related and wastewater-related
infrastructure), other structures designated for use by the general
public or which have other common-carrier or public-utility functions
that serve the general public and are subject to regulation and
oversight by the government, and projects for the removal of an
immediate threat to public health and safety or brownsfield as defined
in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownsfield Revitalization
Act (Public Law 107-118) shall be considered a public use for purposes
of eminent domain.
Sec. 408. All Federal agencies and departments that are funded
under this Act shall issue a report to the House and Senate Committees
on Appropriations on all sole-source contracts by no later than July
30, 2015. Such report shall include the contractor, the amount of the
contract and the rationale for using a sole-source contract.
Sec. 409. None of the funds made available in this Act may be
transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United
States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer
authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriations Act.
Sec. 410. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall
be available to pay the salary for any person filling a position, other
than a temporary position, formerly held by an employee who has left to
enter the Armed Forces of the United States and has satisfactorily
completed his or her period of active military or naval service, and
has within 90 days after his or her release from such service or from
hospitalization continuing after discharge for a period of not more
than 1 year, made application for restoration to his or her former
position and has been certified by the Office of Personnel Management
as still qualified to perform the duties of his or her former position
and has not been restored thereto.
Sec. 411. No funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may be
expended by an entity unless the entity agrees that in expending the
assistance the entity will comply with sections 2 through 4 of the Act
of March 3, 1933 (41 U.S.C. 10a-10c, popularly known as the ``Buy
American Act'').
Sec. 412. No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under
this Act shall be made available to any person or entity that has been
convicted of violating the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 10a-10c).
Sec. 413. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
for first-class airline accommodations in contravention of sections
301-10.122 and 301-10.123 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 414. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative
agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to
any corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under
any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding
agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered
suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination
that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of
the Government.
Sec. 415. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used
to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative
agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee
to, any corporation with any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been
assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been
exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner
pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting
the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax
liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of
the corporation and made a determination that this further action is
not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.
spending reduction account
Sec. 416. The amount by which the applicable allocation of new
budget authority made by the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives under section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974 exceeds the amount of proposed new budget authority is $0.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015''.
Union Calendar No. 344
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4745
[Report No. 113-464]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and
Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 27, 2014
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed
DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Gingrey amendment under the five-minute rule.
DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Sessions amendment under the five-minute rule.
DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Bass amendment under the five-minute rule.
DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Sessions amendment under the five-minute rule.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Sessions amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Sessions demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Engel amendment under the five-minute rule.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that, pursuant to clause 6 of Rule XVIII, the unfinished business was the question of adoption of amendments which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
Mr. Latham moved for the Committee of the Whole to rise and report.
On motion to rise and report Agreed to by voice vote.
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The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 4745.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
The House adopted the amendments en gross as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Ms. Esty moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Appropriations. (consideration: CR H5237-5239; text: CR H5237)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to increase funds for The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety enforcement programs by $5,000,000 and decrease funds for the Federal Transit Administration's administrative expenses by the same amount.
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H5238)
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 195 - 227 (Roll no. 296).
Roll Call #296 (House)Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 229 - 192 (Roll no. 297).
Roll Call #297 (House)On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 229 - 192 (Roll no. 297).
Roll Call #297 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 430.