Amends the Housing Act of 1949, with respect to financial assistance to farm owners through the Farmers Home Administration, to permit the Secretary of Agriculture to consider as rural or a rural area for farm housing purposes a place, town, village, or city with a population of 35,000 or less that demonstrates that it is experiencing economic distress from which such financial assistance would be of significant value in helping it recover.
Cites as evidence of economic distress: (1) an unemployment rate higher than the national average, or (2) an average wage or home sale price lower than the national wage.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2761 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2761
To amend section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 to provide flexibility
to the definition of rural areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 1, 2011
Mr. Manzullo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 to provide flexibility
to the definition of rural areas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA.
Section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``As used'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), as used''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Authority for Secretary To Include Other Areas.--
``(1) Authority.--The Secretary may provide that a place,
town, village, or city that does not meet the requirements
under subsection (a) for consideration as `rural' or a `rural
area' shall be considered `rural' or a `rural area' for
purposes of this title for the period provided in paragraph (3)
if such place, town, village, or city--
``(A) has a population not exceeding 35,000; and--
``(B) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
Secretary that--
``(i) such place, town, village, or city is
experiencing economic distress, which may be
evidenced by any factors of economic distress
as the Secretary may provide, which may include
factors such as--
``(I) an unemployment rate that is
higher than the national average;
``(II) an average wage that is
lower than the national wage;
``(III) an average home sale price
that is less than the national average;
or
``(IV) any other factor evidencing
economic distress as the Secretary may
provide; and
``(ii) eligibility of such place, town,
village, or city for the programs under this
title would be of significant value in helping
such place, town, village, or city recover from
such economic distress.
``(2) Request for treatment as rural; determination.--The
Secretary shall provide for communities to submit requests for
consideration of treatment as rural and a rural area pursuant
to this subsection and the Secretary shall make a determination
with respect to any such request not later that the expiration
of the 90-day period beginning upon receipt of such request.
``(3) Applicability.--A place, town, village, or city
treated as rural and a rural areas pursuant to this subsection
shall be so treated until the receipt of data from the first
decennial census occurring after the determination pursuant to
this subsection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
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