Manufactured Housing Program Fee: Final Fee Increase, 47373-47377 [2014-19173]
Download as PDF
47373
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
Vol. 79, No. 156
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains regulatory documents having general
applicability and legal effect, most of which
are keyed to and codified in the Code of
Federal Regulations, which is published under
50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by
the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of
new books are listed in the first FEDERAL
REGISTER issue of each week.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
24 CFR Part 3284
[Docket No. FR–5721–F–02]
RIN 2502–AJ19
Manufactured Housing Program Fee:
Final Fee Increase
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing
Commissioner, HUD.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
This final rule amends HUD’s
Manufactured Housing Program Fee
regulations to raise the fee for each
transportable section of a manufactured
home that the manufacturer produces in
accordance with HUD’s Manufactured
Home Construction and Safety
Standards. This fee is referred to as a
label fee. After considering public
comments on HUD’s May 2, 2014,
proposed rule, this final rule raises the
label fee to $100.
DATES: Effective Date: September 12,
2014.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Pamela B. Danner, Administrator, Office
of Manufactured Housing Programs,
Room 9168, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street
SW., Washington, DC 20410; telephone
number 202–708–6423 (this is not a toll
free number). Persons with hearing or
speech impairments may access this
number via TTY by calling the toll free
Federal Relay Service at 1–800–877–
8389.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
HUD initiated this rulemaking to
amend the amount of the fee collected
from manufactured home manufacturers
in accordance with section 620 (42
U.S.C. 5419) of the National
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:22 Aug 12, 2014
Jkt 232001
Manufactured Housing Construction
and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as
amended by the Manufactured Housing
Improvement Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.
5401 et seq.) (the Act). Under this
authority, HUD collects these fees
through the sale of labels which the
manufactured home manufacturer must
apply to each transportable section of a
manufactured housing unit that it
produces as evidence that the unit(s)
conform to HUD’s Manufactured Home
Construction and Safety Standards
regulations, codified at 24 CFR part
3280. HUD establishes and collects
these fees to offset its expenses for
carrying out its responsibilities under
the Act, including carrying out
inspections, developing manufactured
home construction and safety standards
under 42 U.S.C. 5403, and making
payments to states as required by statute
and HUD’s regulations (see § 3284.10).
On May 2, 2014, at 79 FR 25035, HUD
published a proposed rule for public
comment proposing to increase the fee
to an amount between $95 and $105 per
transportable section of manufactured
housing unit produced. In proposing
this increase, HUD stated that while it
has had authority to modify the fee in
order to collect the overall amount of
the fee established by HUD’s
appropriation for the applicable fiscal
year, HUD has not exercised this
authority since 2002. Given the
increased costs related to overseeing the
quality, safety, and durability of
manufactured housing, the substantial
reduction in fee collections since 2002
and, based on HUD’s projected
production levels of between 95,000 and
105,000 sections, HUD proposed raising
the fee to an amount between $95 and
$105 per transportable unit.
II. The Commenters
The public comment period for the
May 2, 2014 (79 FR 25035), proposed
rule closed June 2, 2014. HUD received
two public comments in response to this
proposed rule. The comments were
submitted by national trade associations
representing the manufactured housing
industry. One commenter questioned
the magnitude of the increase of the
proposed fee but stated that it did not
oppose the proposed fee modification,
provided that additional revenues
derived from the change were utilized to
fund legitimate program functions in a
manner proportionate to current and
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
projected production levels, and are
targeted and utilized to provide
enhanced funding for State
Administrative Agencies (SAAs). The
second commenter also expressed
concern regarding the magnitude of the
increase of the proposed fee and stated
that the proposed fee is not reflective of
current production levels. The
commenter also recommended that
HUD withdraw the proposed rule and
develop a formula for establishing a fee
based on production. The following
section of this preamble summarizes the
significant issues raised by the
commenters on the May 2, 2014,
proposed rule and HUD’s responses to
these comments.
Comment: A commenter stated that
HUD’s proposed fee was an 143 to 169
percent increase over the current fee
and, according to HUD, based on
increased program expenses over the
last 12 years. The commenter
questioned, however, how program
expenses could require such a
significant increase in the fee when
industry production over the same
period decreased by 64 percent.
Response: Program operating
expenses do not have a direct
correlation to production levels since
monitoring is an ongoing expense.
Nevertheless, HUD recognizes the
magnitude of the increase. As discussed
in the preamble to this rule, however,
HUD has not increased the label fee
since 2002. Moreover, beginning in
fiscal year (FY) 2014 and continuing
through FY 2015, HUD plans to improve
implementation of two key
requirements of the Act. First, HUD
plans to obtain contractual support to
assist in the administration of the
installation standards program in states
that have not established approved
programs and to assist in administering
the dispute resolution program in states
that have not established approved
dispute resolution programs. HUD
through its monitoring contractor also
requires services to perform the design
monitoring reviews of third party
agencies as required by § 3282.452(e).
Second, HUD is responsible for
updating the construction and safety
standards on a 2-year cycle, but has not
been able to schedule a meeting of the
Manufactured Housing Consensus
Committee (MHCC) since October, 2012.
To address this, HUD recently awarded
a contract to an Administering
E:\FR\FM\13AUR1.SGM
13AUR1
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
47374
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 156 / Wednesday, August 13, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
Organization as required by the Act and
will begin holding regular meetings of
the MHCC. Finally, beginning in FY 15,
HUD plans to structure the
Manufactured Housing Program to be
self-supporting. This means that unlike
most prior years, HUD will not receive
a direct appropriation of funds from
Congress but will be dependent on label
fees for administering the program. As
a result, HUD has and will continue to
incur increased costs to administer the
program and must establish a label at a
level that will allow it to administer the
program operations while relying less
on additional appropriations from
Congress.
Comment: The second commenter
stated that HUD’s proposed label fee
represents an increase of between 243
and 269 percent over the current fee and
fails to consider the overall cost of
regulation under the Manufactured
Housing program. According to the
commenter, the industry pays
approximately $6.4 million per year in
fees to Production Inspection Primary
Inspection Agencies (IPIAs) and Design
Approval Primary Inspection Agencies
(DAPIAs) in order to comply with the
Manufactured Housing Construction
and Safety Standards and Regulations.
This is in addition to $10 million HUD
estimates would be collected in label
fees if the fee is increased to $100 per
label. While the label fee is an important
component of the HUD program, the
commenter stated that HUD should
consider the overall cost of regulation
that is passed to the consumer and the
impact on the affordability of
manufactured housing prior to
establishing a new label fee.
Response: HUD is cognizant of the
fees paid to IPIAs and DAPIAs by
manufactured housing manufacturers
for design reviews and inspections.
However, these fees are a cost of doing
business, established by contract or
other agreement as agreed upon between
the manufacturer and the primary
inspection agency or, in the case of a
state acting as an exclusive IPIA, by the
state. The manufactured housing
program fee, on the other hand,
represents the fee necessary to offset
HUD’s expenses in connection with
carrying out its responsibilities under
the Act.
Comment: One commenter
recommended, given the magnitude of
the increase of the proposed fee, that it
be phased in over several years.
Response: Phasing in the increase
over several years is not contemplated
by the Act which provides that the
amount of the fee may only be modified
‘‘as specifically authorized in advance
of an annual appropriation.’’ (Emphasis
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:22 Aug 12, 2014
Jkt 232001
added). In addition, phasing in the
increase would be difficult to
administer and, more importantly,
would not provide the funding required
by HUD to meet the program’s operating
expenses for the balance of FY 2014 and
FY 2015.
Comment: A commenter stated that
manufacture home production has been
slowly increasing from 50,000 homes in
2010 to just over 60,000 in 2013, and
that the proposed label fee increase does
not consider likely production
increases. According to the commenter,
while HUD supervision goes up as
production rises, the relationship is not
linear and that if the fee becomes fixed
at $95 to $105, a strong recovery by the
industry could result in a windfall for
HUD that has not been justified in the
proposal.
Response: In estimating the amount of
the fee, HUD included a 5 percent per
year production increase based on
historic data. However, if there is an
unpredicted increase in production,
HUD would consider reducing the label
fee.
Comment: A commenter stated that
HUD reported in its FY 2012
Congressional Budget Justifications that
the responsibilities of its manufactured
housing program have remained
unchanged. The commenter questioned
why the decline in industry production
has not resulted in reduced program
responsibilities and lower program
expenses. The commenter questioned
whether the increase in program
expenditures might result from factors
other than those which justify an
increased label fee and must be
addressed and corrected by the program
going forward.
Response: As discussed in response to
a previous comment, program operating
expenses do not have a direct
correlation to production levels since
monitoring is an ongoing expense.
Moreover, the Manufactured Housing
Improvement Act of 2000 increased
HUD’s responsibilities to carry out the
requirements of the Act. For example, it
established the MHCC and requires that
HUD contract with an Administering
Organization, hold regular MHCC and
subcommittee meetings, and update the
standards on a 2-year cycle. In addition,
the Manufactured Housing
Improvement Act of 2000 requires that
HUD establish and revise model
installation standards, implement an
installation program in states without
this program; and approve installation
programs in the states that adopted
installation standards based on the
federal model installation standards and
HUD’s requirements for an approved
installation program. HUD’s
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
responsibilities will be increasing as
implementation of an installation
program in the states without this
program will be completed in FY 2015.
Finally, HUD was required to establish
a model dispute resolution program,
administer the program in states that
have not adopted such a program, and
approve state dispute resolution
programs based on the requirements
established by HUD for such programs.
HUD is also planning to obtain a
contractor to fully implement a dispute
resolution program in states that did not
adopt such a program in FY 2015.
Comment: A commenter stated, based
on its review, that HUD’s payments to
the program’s monitoring contractor
have remained constant or increased
even as production levels have
decreased. According to the commenter,
these sustained and increased contractor
funding levels, during a period of
decline in industry production and a
falling number of consumer complaints
and referrals to the federal dispute
resolution system, is attributable to a
major expansion of in-plant regulation
with significant ‘‘make-work’’ activities
for the program contractor and should
be eliminated. According to the
commenter, eliminating these
unnecessary functions would realize
significant cost savings that could be
used to fund the functions and
operations of the SAAs and properly
fund the responsibilities of the
Secretary.
Response: HUD’s overall monitoring
costs have remained constant or
gradually increased over the last few
years due to inflation and efforts to
enhance quality and reduce nonconformances and the number of
consumer complaints. The
improvements in overall home quality
and reduced levels of consumer
complaints are not ‘‘make-work’’
activities as suggested by the
commenter. Rather, they are the direct
result of the focus of HUD’s cooperative
monitoring activities and training over
the past four years with manufacturers
and their inspection agencies to
improve overall construction quality.
The goals of such monitoring are to
reduce the number of consumer
complaints and service calls for
manufacturers, and enhance the
manufacturer’s quality assurance
programs. While HUD believes that such
goals are being achieved, without a
similar level of monitoring, these
improvements may not be sustained.
For these reasons, HUD will be
conducting oversight and evaluation of
its inspection agencies performance to
determine if the improvements put in
place over the past four years are being
E:\FR\FM\13AUR1.SGM
13AUR1
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 156 / Wednesday, August 13, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
sustained. HUD will consider future
reductions in its in-plant monitoring if
the results warrant changes in the level
of current monitoring activities and may
use the savings to fund SAA operations
as discussed elsewhere in HUD’s
responses to the comments.
Comment: The second commenter
echoed these concerns stating that the
amount paid to the monitoring
contractor has increased to $5 million in
2013 from $3.2 million in 2011.
According to the commenter, the costs
for the monitoring contractor should be
going down, not up. The commenter
stated that while ensuring quality
assurance in plants has been generally
successful, it has also resulted in
reduced service calls, fewer consumer
complaints, and higher quality homes.
According to the commenter, it is
logical to conclude that the need for
time consuming and costly audits
should be reduced.
Response: HUD agrees with the
commenter that quality assurance
monitoring has generally been
successful. However, this shift in
monitoring has been instituted using a
training approach at manufacturer
facilities over a period of 4 years. While
the process appears successful in
reducing the number of consumer
complaints, the process is more time
consuming for auditors and therefore,
more expensive. As stated in a prior
response, HUD believes that without
continuing this level of monitoring,
these improvements may not be
sustained.
Comment: A commenter stated that
last year annual audits in each plant
lasted 3 days. According to the
commenter, audits could be shortened
by at least one day, saving substantial
sums. The commenter also stated cost
savings could be realized if audits were
conducted with regional planning in
mind, so that auditors could visit plants
within the same region and save money
on air fare. The commenter also stated
that the same logic holds for HUD’s
oversight of the Primary Inspection
Agencies and that over time, monitoring
and review of the activities of DAPIAs
and IPIAs should improve performance
and reduce the need for monitoring.
Response: HUD’s current 3-day audit
approach is required to conduct an
overall and thorough evaluation and
quality audit of each inspection
agency’s performance in each factory. In
scheduling audits, HUD travel costs and
locations are considered as factors in
current contract administration. As
previously indicated, HUD agrees that
over time, its current monitoring
activities could be reduced if supported
by inspection agency performance in
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:22 Aug 12, 2014
Jkt 232001
sustaining improvements in their
oversight of manufacturers and their
quality assurance programs and
reductions in non-conformances and by
declines in the levels of consumer
complaints.
Comment: A commenter stated that
HUD could reduce its cost estimates for
regulation and enforcement of
installation programs in each of the 15
states that do not have their own
approved program by partnering with
the industry. Specifically, the
commenter recommended that HUD
partner with the Manufactured Housing
Educational Institute which has an
effective training program that has been
used since 2006 in over 15 states for
installers. The commenter also
recommended that HUD consider
collecting license and inspection fees
from installers as an alternative to label
fees for activities related to
administering installation programs in
the 15 default states.
Response: HUD is currently planning
to contract with qualified entities to
perform this function and will be
looking to use resources currently in
place. HUD will also examine the
viability of collecting license and
inspection fees from installers in the
future.
Comment: A commenter stated that
HUD’s expansion of in-plant monitoring
from contractor scrutiny of the home to
assess the IPIA to contractor inspections
and analyses of the manufacturer’s
quality assurance systems should have
been first considered by the MHCC for
prior review and comment and should
be eliminated.
Response: HUD’s emphasis over the
past years on examining the quality
assurance programs of the
manufacturers and the third party
agencies inspection of these programs is
consistent with the Program’s overall
monitoring policies and the Program’s
regulations. The purpose of this
education and monitoring approach has
been to assure compliance with the
Federal standards and to reduce
consumer complaints. HUD does not
believe that it requires prior review by
the MHCC to implement current
modified monitoring procedures which
are part of HUD’s responsibilities under
the Act.
Comment: The commenter, citing data
from HUD’s Congressional Budget
Justifications since 2005, stated that
payments to SAAs have decreased.
According to the commenter, with a
substantial number of states facing
critical difficulties providing funding
for SAA operations, it is essential that
additional HUD funding of SAAs be
provided. The commenter
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
47375
recommended that any additional
program revenues resulting from HUD’s
proposed fee increase be utilized to
increase payments to the SAAs, and
thereby preserve the federal-state
partnership that is the bedrock of the
manufactured housing program.
Response: SAA funding has not
decreased. In fact, SAAs that were fully
approved as of December 27, 2000,
receive funding at the same production
levels and siting as in 2000. HUD will
consider future modifications to the
current fee distribution formula to
ensure states are provided with
adequate funding to perform the
required SAA functions.
Comment: The second commenter
also stated that it has serious concerns
that the fees paid to SAAs are not
reflective of current production and
shipment levels and that HUD should
adjust its budget and consider a fee
increase based on more realistic
payments to SAAs. The commenter also
stated that a flaw in the federal law
mandates that fees be based on
shipment and production levels in effect
in the year 2000 but that production and
shipments levels have declined
significantly during the last 14 years.
Some states have increased production
and shipments since 2000 yet they
continue to receive payments based on
lower production levels in 2000. Most
states, however, have shipments and
production levels substantially lower
than they were in 2000, yet these states
continue to receive payments at the
higher rate calculated according to
production and shipments in 2000.
Response: HUD will review the basis
supporting the amount of fees paid to
SAAs and the adequacy of funding to
the approved SAAs.
Comment: One commenter
recommended that HUD consider
withdrawing the proposed rule and
develop a formula for establishing fees
based on production. According to the
commenter, the fee could be raised or
lowered depending on the annual
number of homes produced, perhaps
over a two year cycle.
Response: HUD does not have the
legal authority to develop a formula to
establish fees based on production. As
already noted, the Act provides that the
amount of the fee may only be modified
‘‘as specifically authorized in advance
of an annual appropriation’’ and is tied,
therefore to annual appropriations. As
also discussed, the establishment of an
appropriate fee also needs to take into
consideration several factors, including
but not limited to production levels,
such as ongoing program operating
expenses. HUD is moving forward with
this rule since the fee increase is
E:\FR\FM\13AUR1.SGM
13AUR1
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
47376
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 156 / Wednesday, August 13, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
required for HUD to carry out the
Program’s basic responsibilities under
the Act.
Comment: Both commenters objected
to a comment made in HUD’s FY 2015
Congressional Justification that it is
seeking authority to allow future fee
modification to be implemented via
notice, rather than rulemaking. One
commenter stated that such authority
would further erode the goal of the
Manufactured Housing Improvement
Act of 2000 to ensure accountability and
transparency in the fee adjustment
process, including a full opportunity for
all stakeholders to participate in that
process through the informal
rulemaking requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act. The
commenter also stated that the history
of HUD’s modifications to the program
fee, and specifically the fact that HUD
has not changed the fee since 2002, does
not support the basis HUD identifies for
such a provision; specifically, the need
for HUD to make timely adjustments to
the fee. The second commenter stated it
is essential for the MHCC to review and
comment on future fee increases and
that it believes that HUD has the ability
to expedite rulemaking if needed. Both
commenters recommended that HUD
discontinue efforts to seek this
authority.
Response: HUD appreciates the
opportunity to clarify its position
regarding seeking authority to modify
the fee by notice. Based on the
comments received, HUD has not
decided whether to pursue efforts to
seek the legal authority to modify the
manufactured housing program fee by
notice. Nevertheless, should HUD
pursue such authority it has been and
continues to be HUD’s position that
modifying the fee would require
publishing a notice in the Federal
Register announcing the proposed fee
and providing a 30-day public comment
period for the purpose of inviting
comment. After consideration of the
public comments received on the
proposal, HUD would publish a final
notice in the Federal Register
announcing the modified fee, any other
necessary information regarding
payment of the fee, and provide at least
a 30-day delayed effective date. In
addition, prior to implementing this
change, HUD would be required to
publish a final rule revising § 3284.5 to
accommodate the authority to revise the
fee by notice. HUD notes that such a
procedure could be used to both
increase and decrease the fee.
Nevertheless, HUD believes that such a
procedure is consistent with section 620
of the Act and, notwithstanding the
description in HUD’s Congressional
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:22 Aug 12, 2014
Jkt 232001
Justification, is rulemaking under
section 553 of the Administrative
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). As stated,
however, HUD has not decided whether
to pursue this authority.
III. This Final Rule
This final rule raises the amount of
the fee to $100 per transportable unit.
When HUD last modified the amount of
the fee per transportable section in 2002
(67 FR 52832, August 13, 2002), HUD
divided the annual projected number of
manufactured housing transportable
units (350,000) into the amount
appropriated by Congress for the
manufactured housing program for the
fiscal year. (See 67 FR at 52832.) As
described in the May 2, 2014, proposed
rule, HUD believes that a similar
formula should form the basis of this
revised fee. This approach is also
consistent with the method and formula
used to determine the monitoring
inspection fee in § 3282.307(e). In this
regard, HUD has determined, based on
the current projected production levels,
that the number of manufactured
housing transportable units will be
approximately 100,000 sections. This is
the average of the range of production
levels discussed in the proposed rule.
Additionally, as stated in HUD’s 2015
budget justification, HUD has estimated
that, at current production levels,
approximately $10 million annually is
required to administer the
Manufactured Housing Program in a
manner that fulfills HUD’s statutory
oversight responsibilities. This is
consistent with HUD’s budget requests
for FY 2015 which stated that HUD
would through rulemaking increase the
fee to an amount of up to $100 per label.
HUD recognizes that the Federal
government is nearly through FY 2014,
and that application of a new fee may
only apply to a limited portion of FY
2014, or may not be feasible until FY
2015. Nevertheless, the fee is important
to sustain the program. The increase in
fee implemented in this rule is one that
HUD believes is appropriate for
succeeding fiscal years barring
subsequent appropriations that require
further changes.
IV. Findings and Certifications
Impact on Small Entities
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
(5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) generally requires
an agency to conduct a regulatory
flexibility analysis of any rule subject to
notice and comment rulemaking
requirements, unless the agency certifies
that the rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. As discussed
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
in the May 2, 2014, proposed rule, this
final rule would not have a total
economic impact of more than $6.1
million, which the maximum additional
amount of fees that HUD has
determined would be collected if the fee
is raised to $100 per label.
By annual appropriations acts,
Congress requires HUD to collect fees
from manufacturers of manufactured
housing to ensure the annual
appropriation that HUD provides in a
given fiscal year. In addition to the
authority to set label fees, the reports
accompanying HUD’s recent annual
appropriations acts reflect strong
Congressional encouragement for HUD
to respond to the annual appropriations
act authority to modify the label fees to
obtain additional funding to support the
manufactured housing program. The
per-unit fee would remain as has always
been the case to be proportional in its
impact, with greater collections from
larger manufacturers and less
collections from smaller manufacturers.
HUD has concluded, generally, that,
as is often the case with increased fees
placed on manufacturers of products
used by consumers, the fee increase will
be passed through to consumers,
thereby minimizing the impact on
manufacturers large and small. If the
cost of the fee is passed on to the
consumer, the purchase price of a
manufactured home would increase,
and placements of new manufactured
homes would decrease slightly below
currently forecasted levels. If
manufacturers absorb the cost, however,
the effect of the increase would result in
lower profits for the manufacturers and
sales would remain unchanged. In
either scenario, this change in fee
collections would represent a transfer to
tax payers from manufacturers of
manufactured housing or consumers
purchasing new manufactured housing,
since the increased fee collections will
replace funds collected through federal
tax collections.
For these reasons, HUD submits that
this rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531–
1538) (UMRA) establishes requirements
for Federal agencies to assess the effects
of their regulatory actions on State,
local, and tribal governments and the
private sector. This final rule does not
impose any Federal mandates on any
State, local, or tribal governments or the
private sector within the meaning of the
UMRA.
E:\FR\FM\13AUR1.SGM
13AUR1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 156 / Wednesday, August 13, 2014 / Rules and Regulations
Environmental Impact
This final rule involves a rate or cost
determination and a related fiscal
requirement that do not constitute a
development decision affecting the
physical condition of specific project
areas or building sites. Accordingly,
under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(6), this final rule
is categorically excluded from
environmental review under the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).
Federalism Impact
Executive Order 13132 (entitled
‘‘Federalism’’) prohibits, to the extent
practicable and permitted by law, an
agency from promulgating a regulation
that has federalism implications and
either imposes substantial direct
compliance costs on State and local
governments and is not required by
statute, or preempts State law, unless
the relevant requirements of section 6 of
the Executive Order are met. This rule
does not have federalism implications
and does not impose substantial direct
compliance costs on State and local
governments or preempt State law
within the meaning of the Executive
Order.
List of Subjects in 24 CFR Part 3284
Consumer protection, Manufactured
homes.
Accordingly, for the reasons
discussed in this preamble, HUD
amends 24 CFR part 3284 as follows:
PART 3284—MANUFACTURED
HOUSING PROGRAM FEE
1. The authority citation for 24 CFR
part 3284 continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 3535(d), 5419, and
5424.
■
2. Revise § 3284.5 to read as follows:
§ 3284.5
Amount of fee.
wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Each manufacturer, as defined in
§ 3282.7 of this chapter, must pay a fee
of $100 per transportable section of each
manufactured housing unit that it
manufactures under the requirements of
part 3280 of this chapter.
Dated: August 8, 2014.
Carol J. Galante,
Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal
Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2014–19173 Filed 8–12–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:22 Aug 12, 2014
Jkt 232001
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R05–OAR–2013–0046; FRL–9913–15–
Region 5]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois;
Amendments to Vehicle Inspection and
Maintenance Program for Illinois
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is approving a state
implementation plan (SIP) revision
submitted by the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency on November 29,
2012, concerning the state’s vehicle
inspection and maintenance (I/M)
program in the Chicago and Metro-East
St. Louis ozone nonattainment areas in
Illinois. The revision amends I/M
program requirements in the active
control measures portion of the ozone
SIP to reflect changes that have been
implemented at the state level since
EPA fully approved the I/M program on
February 22, 1999. The submittal also
includes a demonstration under section
110(l) of the Clean Air Act (CAA)
addressing lost emission reductions
associated with the program changes.
DATES: This final rule is effective on
September 12, 2014.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R05–OAR–2013–0046. All
documents in the docket are listed in
the www.regulations.gov Web site.
Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
e.g., Confidential Business Information
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
is not placed on the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically through
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. This facility is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays. We
recommend that you telephone
Francisco J. Acevedo, Mobile Source
Program Manager, at (312) 886–6061,
before visiting the Region 5 office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Francisco J. Acevedo, Mobile Source
Program Manager, Control Strategies
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
47377
Section, Air Programs Branch (AR–18J),
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–6061,
acevedo.francisco@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA. This SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section is arranged as follows:
I. What is being addressed by this document?
II. What is our response to comments
received on the notice of proposed
rulemaking?
III. What action is EPA taking?
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What is being addressed by this
document?
On November 14, 2013, at 78 FR
68378, EPA proposed to approve into
the state’s Federally-approved SIP
several regulatory changes to the
previously approved I/M program
operating in the Chicago and Metro-East
St. Louis ozone nonattainment areas in
Illinois. The most significant changes to
the Illinois I/M program took effect
beginning on February 1, 2007 and
include:
• The elimination of the IM240
transient mode exhaust test for all
vehicles beginning February 1, 2007.
• The elimination of the evaporative
system integrity (gas cap pressure) test
for all on-board diagnostics (OBD)
compliant vehicles beginning February
1, 2007.
• The replacement of the computermatching enforcement mechanism with
a registration denial based system
beginning January 1, 2008.
• The elimination of the steady-state
idle exhaust and evaporative integrity
(gas cap pressure) testing for all vehicles
beginning February 1, 2012.
• The exemption of pre-2007 model
year (MY) heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs)
with gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) between 8,501 and 14,000
pounds beginning February 1, 2012.
• The exemption of all HDVs with a
GVWR greater than 14,000 pounds as of
February 1, 2012.
• The requirement of OBD pass/fail
testing for all 2007 and newer OBDcompliant HDVs.
In addition to the changes discussed
above, the November 29, 2012,
submittal included a number of minor
revisions to the program that do not
have a significant impact on overall
program operations or the emissions
reductions associated with it. A full list
of the regulatory changes submitted by
Illinois for EPA approval includes:
• VEIL of 2005, as amended, 625 ILCS
5/13C (Public Act 94–526 enacted on
E:\FR\FM\13AUR1.SGM
13AUR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 156 (Wednesday, August 13, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47373-47377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19173]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 156 / Wednesday, August 13, 2014 /
Rules and Regulations
[[Page 47373]]
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
24 CFR Part 3284
[Docket No. FR-5721-F-02]
RIN 2502-AJ19
Manufactured Housing Program Fee: Final Fee Increase
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing
Commissioner, HUD.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This final rule amends HUD's Manufactured Housing Program Fee
regulations to raise the fee for each transportable section of a
manufactured home that the manufacturer produces in accordance with
HUD's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. This fee is
referred to as a label fee. After considering public comments on HUD's
May 2, 2014, proposed rule, this final rule raises the label fee to
$100.
DATES: Effective Date: September 12, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela B. Danner, Administrator,
Office of Manufactured Housing Programs, Room 9168, Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC
20410; telephone number 202-708-6423 (this is not a toll free number).
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via
TTY by calling the toll free Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8389.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
HUD initiated this rulemaking to amend the amount of the fee
collected from manufactured home manufacturers in accordance with
section 620 (42 U.S.C. 5419) of the National Manufactured Housing
Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as amended by the
Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.)
(the Act). Under this authority, HUD collects these fees through the
sale of labels which the manufactured home manufacturer must apply to
each transportable section of a manufactured housing unit that it
produces as evidence that the unit(s) conform to HUD's Manufactured
Home Construction and Safety Standards regulations, codified at 24 CFR
part 3280. HUD establishes and collects these fees to offset its
expenses for carrying out its responsibilities under the Act, including
carrying out inspections, developing manufactured home construction and
safety standards under 42 U.S.C. 5403, and making payments to states as
required by statute and HUD's regulations (see Sec. 3284.10).
On May 2, 2014, at 79 FR 25035, HUD published a proposed rule for
public comment proposing to increase the fee to an amount between $95
and $105 per transportable section of manufactured housing unit
produced. In proposing this increase, HUD stated that while it has had
authority to modify the fee in order to collect the overall amount of
the fee established by HUD's appropriation for the applicable fiscal
year, HUD has not exercised this authority since 2002. Given the
increased costs related to overseeing the quality, safety, and
durability of manufactured housing, the substantial reduction in fee
collections since 2002 and, based on HUD's projected production levels
of between 95,000 and 105,000 sections, HUD proposed raising the fee to
an amount between $95 and $105 per transportable unit.
II. The Commenters
The public comment period for the May 2, 2014 (79 FR 25035),
proposed rule closed June 2, 2014. HUD received two public comments in
response to this proposed rule. The comments were submitted by national
trade associations representing the manufactured housing industry. One
commenter questioned the magnitude of the increase of the proposed fee
but stated that it did not oppose the proposed fee modification,
provided that additional revenues derived from the change were utilized
to fund legitimate program functions in a manner proportionate to
current and projected production levels, and are targeted and utilized
to provide enhanced funding for State Administrative Agencies (SAAs).
The second commenter also expressed concern regarding the magnitude of
the increase of the proposed fee and stated that the proposed fee is
not reflective of current production levels. The commenter also
recommended that HUD withdraw the proposed rule and develop a formula
for establishing a fee based on production. The following section of
this preamble summarizes the significant issues raised by the
commenters on the May 2, 2014, proposed rule and HUD's responses to
these comments.
Comment: A commenter stated that HUD's proposed fee was an 143 to
169 percent increase over the current fee and, according to HUD, based
on increased program expenses over the last 12 years. The commenter
questioned, however, how program expenses could require such a
significant increase in the fee when industry production over the same
period decreased by 64 percent.
Response: Program operating expenses do not have a direct
correlation to production levels since monitoring is an ongoing
expense. Nevertheless, HUD recognizes the magnitude of the increase. As
discussed in the preamble to this rule, however, HUD has not increased
the label fee since 2002. Moreover, beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2014
and continuing through FY 2015, HUD plans to improve implementation of
two key requirements of the Act. First, HUD plans to obtain contractual
support to assist in the administration of the installation standards
program in states that have not established approved programs and to
assist in administering the dispute resolution program in states that
have not established approved dispute resolution programs. HUD through
its monitoring contractor also requires services to perform the design
monitoring reviews of third party agencies as required by Sec.
3282.452(e). Second, HUD is responsible for updating the construction
and safety standards on a 2-year cycle, but has not been able to
schedule a meeting of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee
(MHCC) since October, 2012. To address this, HUD recently awarded a
contract to an Administering
[[Page 47374]]
Organization as required by the Act and will begin holding regular
meetings of the MHCC. Finally, beginning in FY 15, HUD plans to
structure the Manufactured Housing Program to be self-supporting. This
means that unlike most prior years, HUD will not receive a direct
appropriation of funds from Congress but will be dependent on label
fees for administering the program. As a result, HUD has and will
continue to incur increased costs to administer the program and must
establish a label at a level that will allow it to administer the
program operations while relying less on additional appropriations from
Congress.
Comment: The second commenter stated that HUD's proposed label fee
represents an increase of between 243 and 269 percent over the current
fee and fails to consider the overall cost of regulation under the
Manufactured Housing program. According to the commenter, the industry
pays approximately $6.4 million per year in fees to Production
Inspection Primary Inspection Agencies (IPIAs) and Design Approval
Primary Inspection Agencies (DAPIAs) in order to comply with the
Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards and Regulations.
This is in addition to $10 million HUD estimates would be collected in
label fees if the fee is increased to $100 per label. While the label
fee is an important component of the HUD program, the commenter stated
that HUD should consider the overall cost of regulation that is passed
to the consumer and the impact on the affordability of manufactured
housing prior to establishing a new label fee.
Response: HUD is cognizant of the fees paid to IPIAs and DAPIAs by
manufactured housing manufacturers for design reviews and inspections.
However, these fees are a cost of doing business, established by
contract or other agreement as agreed upon between the manufacturer and
the primary inspection agency or, in the case of a state acting as an
exclusive IPIA, by the state. The manufactured housing program fee, on
the other hand, represents the fee necessary to offset HUD's expenses
in connection with carrying out its responsibilities under the Act.
Comment: One commenter recommended, given the magnitude of the
increase of the proposed fee, that it be phased in over several years.
Response: Phasing in the increase over several years is not
contemplated by the Act which provides that the amount of the fee may
only be modified ``as specifically authorized in advance of an annual
appropriation.'' (Emphasis added). In addition, phasing in the increase
would be difficult to administer and, more importantly, would not
provide the funding required by HUD to meet the program's operating
expenses for the balance of FY 2014 and FY 2015.
Comment: A commenter stated that manufacture home production has
been slowly increasing from 50,000 homes in 2010 to just over 60,000 in
2013, and that the proposed label fee increase does not consider likely
production increases. According to the commenter, while HUD supervision
goes up as production rises, the relationship is not linear and that if
the fee becomes fixed at $95 to $105, a strong recovery by the industry
could result in a windfall for HUD that has not been justified in the
proposal.
Response: In estimating the amount of the fee, HUD included a 5
percent per year production increase based on historic data. However,
if there is an unpredicted increase in production, HUD would consider
reducing the label fee.
Comment: A commenter stated that HUD reported in its FY 2012
Congressional Budget Justifications that the responsibilities of its
manufactured housing program have remained unchanged. The commenter
questioned why the decline in industry production has not resulted in
reduced program responsibilities and lower program expenses. The
commenter questioned whether the increase in program expenditures might
result from factors other than those which justify an increased label
fee and must be addressed and corrected by the program going forward.
Response: As discussed in response to a previous comment, program
operating expenses do not have a direct correlation to production
levels since monitoring is an ongoing expense. Moreover, the
Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 increased HUD's
responsibilities to carry out the requirements of the Act. For example,
it established the MHCC and requires that HUD contract with an
Administering Organization, hold regular MHCC and subcommittee
meetings, and update the standards on a 2-year cycle. In addition, the
Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 requires that HUD
establish and revise model installation standards, implement an
installation program in states without this program; and approve
installation programs in the states that adopted installation standards
based on the federal model installation standards and HUD's
requirements for an approved installation program. HUD's
responsibilities will be increasing as implementation of an
installation program in the states without this program will be
completed in FY 2015. Finally, HUD was required to establish a model
dispute resolution program, administer the program in states that have
not adopted such a program, and approve state dispute resolution
programs based on the requirements established by HUD for such
programs. HUD is also planning to obtain a contractor to fully
implement a dispute resolution program in states that did not adopt
such a program in FY 2015.
Comment: A commenter stated, based on its review, that HUD's
payments to the program's monitoring contractor have remained constant
or increased even as production levels have decreased. According to the
commenter, these sustained and increased contractor funding levels,
during a period of decline in industry production and a falling number
of consumer complaints and referrals to the federal dispute resolution
system, is attributable to a major expansion of in-plant regulation
with significant ``make-work'' activities for the program contractor
and should be eliminated. According to the commenter, eliminating these
unnecessary functions would realize significant cost savings that could
be used to fund the functions and operations of the SAAs and properly
fund the responsibilities of the Secretary.
Response: HUD's overall monitoring costs have remained constant or
gradually increased over the last few years due to inflation and
efforts to enhance quality and reduce non-conformances and the number
of consumer complaints. The improvements in overall home quality and
reduced levels of consumer complaints are not ``make-work'' activities
as suggested by the commenter. Rather, they are the direct result of
the focus of HUD's cooperative monitoring activities and training over
the past four years with manufacturers and their inspection agencies to
improve overall construction quality. The goals of such monitoring are
to reduce the number of consumer complaints and service calls for
manufacturers, and enhance the manufacturer's quality assurance
programs. While HUD believes that such goals are being achieved,
without a similar level of monitoring, these improvements may not be
sustained. For these reasons, HUD will be conducting oversight and
evaluation of its inspection agencies performance to determine if the
improvements put in place over the past four years are being
[[Page 47375]]
sustained. HUD will consider future reductions in its in-plant
monitoring if the results warrant changes in the level of current
monitoring activities and may use the savings to fund SAA operations as
discussed elsewhere in HUD's responses to the comments.
Comment: The second commenter echoed these concerns stating that
the amount paid to the monitoring contractor has increased to $5
million in 2013 from $3.2 million in 2011. According to the commenter,
the costs for the monitoring contractor should be going down, not up.
The commenter stated that while ensuring quality assurance in plants
has been generally successful, it has also resulted in reduced service
calls, fewer consumer complaints, and higher quality homes. According
to the commenter, it is logical to conclude that the need for time
consuming and costly audits should be reduced.
Response: HUD agrees with the commenter that quality assurance
monitoring has generally been successful. However, this shift in
monitoring has been instituted using a training approach at
manufacturer facilities over a period of 4 years. While the process
appears successful in reducing the number of consumer complaints, the
process is more time consuming for auditors and therefore, more
expensive. As stated in a prior response, HUD believes that without
continuing this level of monitoring, these improvements may not be
sustained.
Comment: A commenter stated that last year annual audits in each
plant lasted 3 days. According to the commenter, audits could be
shortened by at least one day, saving substantial sums. The commenter
also stated cost savings could be realized if audits were conducted
with regional planning in mind, so that auditors could visit plants
within the same region and save money on air fare. The commenter also
stated that the same logic holds for HUD's oversight of the Primary
Inspection Agencies and that over time, monitoring and review of the
activities of DAPIAs and IPIAs should improve performance and reduce
the need for monitoring.
Response: HUD's current 3-day audit approach is required to conduct
an overall and thorough evaluation and quality audit of each inspection
agency's performance in each factory. In scheduling audits, HUD travel
costs and locations are considered as factors in current contract
administration. As previously indicated, HUD agrees that over time, its
current monitoring activities could be reduced if supported by
inspection agency performance in sustaining improvements in their
oversight of manufacturers and their quality assurance programs and
reductions in non-conformances and by declines in the levels of
consumer complaints.
Comment: A commenter stated that HUD could reduce its cost
estimates for regulation and enforcement of installation programs in
each of the 15 states that do not have their own approved program by
partnering with the industry. Specifically, the commenter recommended
that HUD partner with the Manufactured Housing Educational Institute
which has an effective training program that has been used since 2006
in over 15 states for installers. The commenter also recommended that
HUD consider collecting license and inspection fees from installers as
an alternative to label fees for activities related to administering
installation programs in the 15 default states.
Response: HUD is currently planning to contract with qualified
entities to perform this function and will be looking to use resources
currently in place. HUD will also examine the viability of collecting
license and inspection fees from installers in the future.
Comment: A commenter stated that HUD's expansion of in-plant
monitoring from contractor scrutiny of the home to assess the IPIA to
contractor inspections and analyses of the manufacturer's quality
assurance systems should have been first considered by the MHCC for
prior review and comment and should be eliminated.
Response: HUD's emphasis over the past years on examining the
quality assurance programs of the manufacturers and the third party
agencies inspection of these programs is consistent with the Program's
overall monitoring policies and the Program's regulations. The purpose
of this education and monitoring approach has been to assure compliance
with the Federal standards and to reduce consumer complaints. HUD does
not believe that it requires prior review by the MHCC to implement
current modified monitoring procedures which are part of HUD's
responsibilities under the Act.
Comment: The commenter, citing data from HUD's Congressional Budget
Justifications since 2005, stated that payments to SAAs have decreased.
According to the commenter, with a substantial number of states facing
critical difficulties providing funding for SAA operations, it is
essential that additional HUD funding of SAAs be provided. The
commenter recommended that any additional program revenues resulting
from HUD's proposed fee increase be utilized to increase payments to
the SAAs, and thereby preserve the federal-state partnership that is
the bedrock of the manufactured housing program.
Response: SAA funding has not decreased. In fact, SAAs that were
fully approved as of December 27, 2000, receive funding at the same
production levels and siting as in 2000. HUD will consider future
modifications to the current fee distribution formula to ensure states
are provided with adequate funding to perform the required SAA
functions.
Comment: The second commenter also stated that it has serious
concerns that the fees paid to SAAs are not reflective of current
production and shipment levels and that HUD should adjust its budget
and consider a fee increase based on more realistic payments to SAAs.
The commenter also stated that a flaw in the federal law mandates that
fees be based on shipment and production levels in effect in the year
2000 but that production and shipments levels have declined
significantly during the last 14 years. Some states have increased
production and shipments since 2000 yet they continue to receive
payments based on lower production levels in 2000. Most states,
however, have shipments and production levels substantially lower than
they were in 2000, yet these states continue to receive payments at the
higher rate calculated according to production and shipments in 2000.
Response: HUD will review the basis supporting the amount of fees
paid to SAAs and the adequacy of funding to the approved SAAs.
Comment: One commenter recommended that HUD consider withdrawing
the proposed rule and develop a formula for establishing fees based on
production. According to the commenter, the fee could be raised or
lowered depending on the annual number of homes produced, perhaps over
a two year cycle.
Response: HUD does not have the legal authority to develop a
formula to establish fees based on production. As already noted, the
Act provides that the amount of the fee may only be modified ``as
specifically authorized in advance of an annual appropriation'' and is
tied, therefore to annual appropriations. As also discussed, the
establishment of an appropriate fee also needs to take into
consideration several factors, including but not limited to production
levels, such as ongoing program operating expenses. HUD is moving
forward with this rule since the fee increase is
[[Page 47376]]
required for HUD to carry out the Program's basic responsibilities
under the Act.
Comment: Both commenters objected to a comment made in HUD's FY
2015 Congressional Justification that it is seeking authority to allow
future fee modification to be implemented via notice, rather than
rulemaking. One commenter stated that such authority would further
erode the goal of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 to
ensure accountability and transparency in the fee adjustment process,
including a full opportunity for all stakeholders to participate in
that process through the informal rulemaking requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act. The commenter also stated that the
history of HUD's modifications to the program fee, and specifically the
fact that HUD has not changed the fee since 2002, does not support the
basis HUD identifies for such a provision; specifically, the need for
HUD to make timely adjustments to the fee. The second commenter stated
it is essential for the MHCC to review and comment on future fee
increases and that it believes that HUD has the ability to expedite
rulemaking if needed. Both commenters recommended that HUD discontinue
efforts to seek this authority.
Response: HUD appreciates the opportunity to clarify its position
regarding seeking authority to modify the fee by notice. Based on the
comments received, HUD has not decided whether to pursue efforts to
seek the legal authority to modify the manufactured housing program fee
by notice. Nevertheless, should HUD pursue such authority it has been
and continues to be HUD's position that modifying the fee would require
publishing a notice in the Federal Register announcing the proposed fee
and providing a 30-day public comment period for the purpose of
inviting comment. After consideration of the public comments received
on the proposal, HUD would publish a final notice in the Federal
Register announcing the modified fee, any other necessary information
regarding payment of the fee, and provide at least a 30-day delayed
effective date. In addition, prior to implementing this change, HUD
would be required to publish a final rule revising Sec. 3284.5 to
accommodate the authority to revise the fee by notice. HUD notes that
such a procedure could be used to both increase and decrease the fee.
Nevertheless, HUD believes that such a procedure is consistent with
section 620 of the Act and, notwithstanding the description in HUD's
Congressional Justification, is rulemaking under section 553 of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). As stated, however, HUD
has not decided whether to pursue this authority.
III. This Final Rule
This final rule raises the amount of the fee to $100 per
transportable unit. When HUD last modified the amount of the fee per
transportable section in 2002 (67 FR 52832, August 13, 2002), HUD
divided the annual projected number of manufactured housing
transportable units (350,000) into the amount appropriated by Congress
for the manufactured housing program for the fiscal year. (See 67 FR at
52832.) As described in the May 2, 2014, proposed rule, HUD believes
that a similar formula should form the basis of this revised fee. This
approach is also consistent with the method and formula used to
determine the monitoring inspection fee in Sec. 3282.307(e). In this
regard, HUD has determined, based on the current projected production
levels, that the number of manufactured housing transportable units
will be approximately 100,000 sections. This is the average of the
range of production levels discussed in the proposed rule.
Additionally, as stated in HUD's 2015 budget justification, HUD has
estimated that, at current production levels, approximately $10 million
annually is required to administer the Manufactured Housing Program in
a manner that fulfills HUD's statutory oversight responsibilities. This
is consistent with HUD's budget requests for FY 2015 which stated that
HUD would through rulemaking increase the fee to an amount of up to
$100 per label.
HUD recognizes that the Federal government is nearly through FY
2014, and that application of a new fee may only apply to a limited
portion of FY 2014, or may not be feasible until FY 2015. Nevertheless,
the fee is important to sustain the program. The increase in fee
implemented in this rule is one that HUD believes is appropriate for
succeeding fiscal years barring subsequent appropriations that require
further changes.
IV. Findings and Certifications
Impact on Small Entities
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
generally requires an agency to conduct a regulatory flexibility
analysis of any rule subject to notice and comment rulemaking
requirements, unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
As discussed in the May 2, 2014, proposed rule, this final rule would
not have a total economic impact of more than $6.1 million, which the
maximum additional amount of fees that HUD has determined would be
collected if the fee is raised to $100 per label.
By annual appropriations acts, Congress requires HUD to collect
fees from manufacturers of manufactured housing to ensure the annual
appropriation that HUD provides in a given fiscal year. In addition to
the authority to set label fees, the reports accompanying HUD's recent
annual appropriations acts reflect strong Congressional encouragement
for HUD to respond to the annual appropriations act authority to modify
the label fees to obtain additional funding to support the manufactured
housing program. The per-unit fee would remain as has always been the
case to be proportional in its impact, with greater collections from
larger manufacturers and less collections from smaller manufacturers.
HUD has concluded, generally, that, as is often the case with
increased fees placed on manufacturers of products used by consumers,
the fee increase will be passed through to consumers, thereby
minimizing the impact on manufacturers large and small. If the cost of
the fee is passed on to the consumer, the purchase price of a
manufactured home would increase, and placements of new manufactured
homes would decrease slightly below currently forecasted levels. If
manufacturers absorb the cost, however, the effect of the increase
would result in lower profits for the manufacturers and sales would
remain unchanged. In either scenario, this change in fee collections
would represent a transfer to tax payers from manufacturers of
manufactured housing or consumers purchasing new manufactured housing,
since the increased fee collections will replace funds collected
through federal tax collections.
For these reasons, HUD submits that this rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C.
1531-1538) (UMRA) establishes requirements for Federal agencies to
assess the effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and
tribal governments and the private sector. This final rule does not
impose any Federal mandates on any State, local, or tribal governments
or the private sector within the meaning of the UMRA.
[[Page 47377]]
Environmental Impact
This final rule involves a rate or cost determination and a related
fiscal requirement that do not constitute a development decision
affecting the physical condition of specific project areas or building
sites. Accordingly, under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(6), this final rule is
categorically excluded from environmental review under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).
Federalism Impact
Executive Order 13132 (entitled ``Federalism'') prohibits, to the
extent practicable and permitted by law, an agency from promulgating a
regulation that has federalism implications and either imposes
substantial direct compliance costs on State and local governments and
is not required by statute, or preempts State law, unless the relevant
requirements of section 6 of the Executive Order are met. This rule
does not have federalism implications and does not impose substantial
direct compliance costs on State and local governments or preempt State
law within the meaning of the Executive Order.
List of Subjects in 24 CFR Part 3284
Consumer protection, Manufactured homes.
Accordingly, for the reasons discussed in this preamble, HUD amends
24 CFR part 3284 as follows:
PART 3284--MANUFACTURED HOUSING PROGRAM FEE
0
1. The authority citation for 24 CFR part 3284 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 3535(d), 5419, and 5424.
0
2. Revise Sec. 3284.5 to read as follows:
Sec. 3284.5 Amount of fee.
Each manufacturer, as defined in Sec. 3282.7 of this chapter, must
pay a fee of $100 per transportable section of each manufactured
housing unit that it manufactures under the requirements of part 3280
of this chapter.
Dated: August 8, 2014.
Carol J. Galante,
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2014-19173 Filed 8-12-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P