To address small public housing agency paperwork reduction.

SA 4999. Mr. SUNUNU (for himself and Ms. Snowe) proposed an amendment
to amendment SA 4983 proposed by Mr. Reid (for Mr. Dodd (for himself
and Mr. Shelby)) to the bill H.R. 3221, moving the United States toward
greater energy independence and security, developing innovative new
technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs,
protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, and
modernizing our energy infrastructure, and to amend

[[Page S5910]]

the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for the
production of renewable energy and energy conservation; as follows:

At the end of Division B, insert the following:

TITLE VII--SMALL PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

SEC. 2701. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Small Public Housing
Authorities Paperwork Reduction Act''.

SEC. 2702. PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY PLANS FOR CERTAIN QUALIFIED
PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES.

(a) In General.--Section 5A(b) of the United States Housing
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1(b)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(3) Exemption of certain phas from filing requirement.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) or any
other provision of this Act--
``(i) the requirement under paragraph (1) shall not apply
to any qualified public housing agency; and
``(ii) except as provided in subsection (e)(4)(B), any
reference in this section or any other provision of law to a
`public housing agency' shall not be considered to refer to
any qualified public housing agency, to the extent such
reference applies to the requirement to submit an annual
public housing agency plan under this subsection.
``(B) Civil rights certification.--Notwithstanding that
qualified public housing agencies are exempt under
subparagraph (A) from the requirement under this section to
prepare and submit an annual public housing plan, each
qualified public housing agency shall, on an annual basis,
make the certification described in paragraph (16) of
subsection (d), except that for purposes of such qualified
public housing agencies, such paragraph shall be applied by
substituting `the public housing program of the agency' for
`the public housing agency plan'.
``(C) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
`qualified public housing agency' means a public housing
agency that meets the following requirements:
``(i) The sum of (I) the number of public housing dwelling
units administered by the agency, and (II) the number of
vouchers under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) administered by the agency, is
750 or fewer.
``(ii) The agency is not designated under section 6(j)(2)
as a troubled public housing agency.''.
(b) Resident Participation.--Section 5A of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (e), by inserting after paragraph (3) the
following:
``(4) Qualified public housing agencies.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
nothing in this section may be construed to exempt a
qualified public housing agency from the requirement under
paragraph (1) to establish 1 or more resident advisory
boards. Notwithstanding that qualified public housing
agencies are exempt under subsection (b)(3)(A) from the
requirement under this section to prepare and submit an
annual public housing plan, each qualified public housing
agency shall consult with, and consider the recommendations
of the resident advisory boards for the agency, at the annual
public hearing required under subsection (f)(5), regarding
any changes to the goals, objectives, and policies of that
agency.
``(B) Applicability of waiver authority.--Paragraph (3)
shall apply to qualified public housing agencies, except that
for purposes of such qualified public housing agencies,
subparagraph (B) of such paragraph shall be applied by
substituting `the functions described in the second sentence
of paragraph (4)(A)' for `the functions described in
paragraph (2)'.
``(f) Public Hearings.--''; and
(2) in subsection (f) (as so designated by the amendment
made by paragraph (1)), by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Qualified public housing agencies.--
``(A) Requirement.--Notwithstanding that qualified public
housing agencies are exempt under subsection (b)(3)(A) from
the requirement under this section to conduct a public
hearing regarding the annual public housing plan of the
agency, each qualified public housing agency shall annually
conduct a public hearing--
``(i) to discuss any changes to the goals, objectives, and
policies of the agency; and
``(ii) to invite public comment regarding such changes.
``(B) Availability of information and notice.--Not later
than 45 days before the date of any hearing described in
subparagraph (A), a qualified public housing agency shall--
``(i) make all information relevant to the hearing and any
determinations of the agency regarding changes to the goals,
objectives, and policies of the agency to be considered at
the hearing available for inspection by the public at the
principal office of the public housing agency during normal
business hours; and
``(ii) publish a notice informing the public that--

``(I) the information is available as required under clause
(i); and
``(II) a public hearing under subparagraph (A) will be
conducted.''.

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