ACCESS TO PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES' BOOKS

EXCERPT FROM HOUSING ACT OF 1954

[Public Law 560, 83d Congress; 68 Stat. 647; 42 U.S.C. 1435]

AUDITS UNDER PUBLIC HOUSING ACT OF 1937; COMPTROLLER GENERAL SEC. 816. Every contract for loans or annual contributions under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, shall provide that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall, for the purpose of audit and examination, have access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the public housing agency entering into such contract that are pertinent to its operations with respect to financial assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. [42 U.S.C. 1435]

PROCUREMENT OF INSURANCE BY PUBLIC HOUSING

AGENCIES

EXCERPT FROM DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1991

[Public Law 101-507; 104 Stat. 1369]

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regulation or other requirement, the Secretary shall not require any public housing agency or Indian housing authority to seek competitive bids for the procurement of any line of insurance when such public housing agency or Indian Housing authority purchases such line of insurance from a nonprofit insurance entity, owned and controlled by public housing agencies or Indian housing authorities, and approved by the Secretary. In establishing standards for approval of such nonprofit insurance entities, the Secretary shall be assured that such entities have sufficient surplus capital to meet reasonably expected losses, reliable accounting systems, sound actuarial projections, and employees experienced in the insurance industry. The Secretary shall not place restrictions on the investment of funds of any such entity that is regulated by the insurance department of any State that describes the types of investments insurance companies licensed in such State may make. With regard to such entities that are not so regulated, the Secretary may establish investment guidelines that are comparable to State law regulating the investments of insurance companies.

PUBLIC HOUSING RENT WAIVER FOR POLICE OFFICERS

EXCERPT FROM CRANSTON-GONZALEZ NATIONAL AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ACT

[Public Law 101-625; 104 Stat. 4202; 42 U.S.C. 1437a-1]

SEC. 519. PUBLIC HOUSING RENT WAIVER FOR POLICE OFFICERS.

(a) AUTHORITY.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may permit public housing agencies to allow police officers and other security personnel (who are not otherwise eligible for residence in public housing) to reside in public housing dwelling units in accordance with this section.

(b) PLAN.-To be eligible to utilize dwelling units as provided under this section, a public housing agency shall submit to the Secretary a plan identifying the projects in which the police officers or security personnel will reside and describing the anticipated benefits from such residence.

(c) APPROVAL.-The Secretary may approve a plan and authorize the use of dwelling units under this section only if the Secretary determines that such use will

(1) increase security for other public housing residents;

(2) result in a limited loss of income to the public housing agency; and

(3) not result in a significant reduction of units available for residence by families eligible for such residence under the provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

The Secretary shall notify each public housing agency submitting a plan under subsection (b) of approval or disapproval of the plan not later than 30 days after the Secretary receives the plan.

(d) TERMS.-Upon approving a plan under subsection (b), the Secretary shall waive the applicability of any occupancy requirements with respect to the officers or other personnel, and may permit the public housing agency submitting the plan to establish such special rent requirements and other terms and conditions of occupancy that the Secretary considers appropriate. [42 U.S.C. 1437a-1]

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PUBLIC HOUSING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

EXCERPT FROM HOUSING AND URBAN-RURAL RECOVERY ACT OF 1983

[Public Law 98-181; 97 Stat. 1188; 12 U.S.C. 1701z-6 note]

PUBLIC HOUSING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

SEC. 222. (a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—

(1) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, to the extent approved in appropriation Acts, carry out a demonstration program of making grants to nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations in providing early childhood development services in or near lower income housing projects for lower income families who reside in public housing.

(2) The Secretary shall design the program described in paragraph (1) to determine the extent to which the availability of early childhood development services in or near lower income housing projects facilitates the employability of the parents or guardians of children residing in public housing.

(b) ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE.-The Secretary may make a grant to a nonprofit organization for early childhood development services in or near a lower income housing project only if

(1) prior to receipt of assistance under this section, an early childhood development program is not in operation for the project;

(2) the public housing agency agrees to provide suitable facilities in or near the project for the provision of early childhood development services;

(3) the early childhood development program for the project will serve preschool children during the day, school children after school, or both, in order to permit the parents or guardians of such children to obtain, retain, or train for employment;

(4) the early childhood development program for the project is designed, to the extent practicable, to involve the participation of the parents of children benefiting from such program; (5) the early childhood development program for the project is designed, to the extent practicable, to employ in part-time positions elderly individuals who reside in the lower income housing project involved; and

(6) the early childhood development program for the project complies with all applicable State and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.

(c) ALLOCATION OF ASSISTANCE.-In providing grants under this section, the Secretary shall

(1) give priority to nonprofit organizations providing early childhood development services in or near lower income hous

ing projects in which reside the largest number of preschool and school children of lower income families;

(2) seek to ensure a reasonable distribution of such grants between urban and rural areas and among nonprofit organizations providing early childhood development services in or near lower income housing projects of varying sizes; and

(3) seek to provide such grants to the largest number of nonprofit organizations practicable, considering the amount of funds available under this section and the financial requirements of the particular early childhood development programs to be established for the lower income housing projects for which applications are submitted under this section. (d) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—

(1) Applications for grants under this section shall be made by nonprofit organizations (in consultation with public housing agencies) in such form, and according to such procedures, as the Secretary may prescribe.

(2) Any nonprofit organization receiving a grant under this section may use such grant only for operating expenses and minor renovations of facilities necessary to the provision of early childhood development services under this section.

(3) The Secretary shall conduct periodic evaluations of each early childhood development program assisted under this section for purposes of

(A) determining the effectiveness of such program in providing early childhood development services and permitting the parents or guardians of children residing in public housing to obtain, retain, or train for employment; and

(B) ensuring compliance with the provisions of this section.

(4) No provision of this section may be construed to authorize the Secretary to establish any health, safety, educational, or other standards with respect to early childhood development services or facilities assisted with grants received under this section. Such services and facilities shall comply with all applicable State and local laws, regulations, and ordinances, and all requirements established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for early childhood development services and facilities.

(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.-Not later than the expiration of the 3year period following the date of the enactment of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987,1 the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Congress a detailed report setting forth the findings and conclusions of the Secretary as a result of carrying out the demonstration program established in this section. Such report shall include any recommendations of the Secretary with respect to the establishment of a permanent program of assisting early childhood development services in or near lower income housing projects. (f) DEFINITIONS.-For purposes of this section:

The date of enactment was February 5, 1988.