H.R. 4278House109th Congress (2005-2007)In Committee

Community Partners Next Door Act of 2005

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Housing and Insurance Subcommittee

January 5, 2006

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

November 9, 2005

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

November 9, 2005

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Housing and Insurance Subcommittee

January 5, 2006

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 4278 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Rush HoltD-NJ-12 · Jul 26, 2005

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted on July 26, 1990. The ADA occupies a unique place in our political and social history,…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted on July 26, 1990.

The ADA occupies a unique place in our political and social history, providing sweeping protections against discrimination for a group that had suffered legal inequities and indignities from time immemorial. The accommodations that ADA afforded to persons with disabilities, in employment, public and private services, transportation and telecommunications, demonstrated that all Americans are entitled to legal protection from discrimination.

Just as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was essential to eliminating legal justifications for denying equal rights to African Americans and others, the Americans with Disabilities Act constituted a step forward by prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities; and just as passage of the Civil Rights Act was a necessary precursor to the elimination of racism in practice, we still have some distance to go in order to eliminate popular prejudice and stigmatization of persons with disabilities.

In Congress, I have worked with the disability community to ensure that all Americans are afforded the full protection of the law. I have introduced legislation to require that staff working with developmentally disabled persons call emergency services in the event of a life-threatening situation. Danielle's Law would extend the New Jersey law to the rest of the country.

I have introduced the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act, legislation to amend the Help America Vote Act, to require a voter-verified paper audit trail and to ensure that any system of verification be fully accessible for all voters.

In the Committee on Education and Workforce, I successfully amended H.R. 4278, the Improving Access to Assistive Technology For Individuals With Disabilities Act of 2004, in order to allow protection and advocacy agencies to carry over program income, funds generated by program activities, that is, for 2 additional years. This change will enable these programs to reinvest the earned funds into additional services and assistance in the acquisition, utilization and maintenance of assistive technology.

I have opposed the Department of Education's efforts to gut the Rehabilitation Services Administration, a program that has literally changed people's lives, providing the tools for disabled persons to live and work independently and with dignity. I fought for a full 40 percent funding for Individuals With Disability Education Act, the IDEA, which the Federal Government neglects. We are underfunding it by at least a factor of two.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has allowed great gains in the past 15 years, but there is much yet to be done. We must continue to ensure that jobs are open to persons with disabilities and that these valuable employees have the necessary accommodations. We must continue to make accessible transportation and housing options and grant access to community-based supports and services that promote independence and integration. We must also commit to continued education and job training for all Americans.

Since the passage of the ADA, I have been concerned with the interpretation of the law by Federal courts with regard to protections offered and individuals protected. The Federal courts' narrow interpretation of ADA has prevented it from achieving all that it was designed to do. As the Senate considers the nomination of a new Supreme Court justice, I hope the Senate will fully inquire as to his views on the application of the ADA.

Again, I would like to recognize the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I value the advances that our country has achieved because of legal protections it extends, and I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of Americans with disabilities.

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Introduced in HouseIssued November 9, 2005

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4278

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 9, 2005

Ms. Lee (for herself, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Owens, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Carson, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. Clay) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To assist teachers and public safety officers in obtaining affordable housing.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Community Partners Next Door Act of 2005.

Community partners next door program

(a)

Discount and downpayment assistance for teachers and public safety officers

Section 204(h) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1710(h)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (10) as paragraphs (8) through (11), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraph:

(7)

50 percent discount for teachers and public safety officers purchasing properties that are eligible assets

(A)

Discount

A property that is an eligible asset and is sold to a teacher or public safety officer for use in accordance with subparagraph (B) shall be sold at a price that is equal to 50 percent of the appraised value of the eligible property (as determined in accordance with paragraph (6)(B)). In the case of a property eligible for both a discount under this paragraph and a discount under paragraph (6), the discount under paragraph (6) shall not apply.

(B)

Primary residence

An eligible property sold pursuant to a discount under this paragraph shall be used, for not less than the 3-year period beginning upon such sale, as the primary residence of a teacher or public safety officer.

(C)

Sale methods

The Secretary may sell an eligible property pursuant to a discount under this paragraph—

(i)

to a unit of general local government or nonprofit organization (pursuant to paragraph (4) or otherwise), for resale or transfer to a teacher or public safety officer; or

(ii)

directly to a purchaser who is a teacher or public safety officer.

(D)

Resale

In the case of any purchase by a unit of general local government or nonprofit organization of an eligible property sold at a discounted price under this paragraph, the sale agreement under paragraph (8) shall—

(i)

require the purchasing unit of general local government or nonprofit organization to provide the full benefit of the discount to the teacher or public safety officer obtaining the property; and

(ii)

in the case of a purchase involving multiple eligible assets, any of which is such an eligible property, designate the specific eligible property or properties to be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (B).

(E)

Mortgage downpayment assistance

If a teacher or public safety officer purchases an eligible property pursuant to a discounted sale price under this paragraph and finances such purchase through a mortgage insured under this title, notwithstanding any provision of section 203 the downpayment on such mortgage shall be $100.

(F)

Higher FHA loan limit for purchase of eligible properties in high-cost areas

(i)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of this title relating to the maximum amount of the principal obligation of a mortgage that may be insured under this title, in the case of an eligible property that is located in a high-cost area and is purchased pursuant to a discounted sale price under this paragraph, the Secretary may insure a mortgage for the purchase of such eligible property that involves a principal obligation (including such initial service charges, appraisal, inspection, and other fees as the Secretary shall approve) in an amount not exceeding 150 percent of the limitation on such principal obligation otherwise applicable under section 203(b)(2)(A).

(ii)

High-cost area

For purposes of this subparagraph, the term high-cost area means any area for which the median 1-family house price in the area exceeds the maximum amount limitation on the principal obligation of a mortgage determined at such time under section 203(b)(2)(A)(ii).

(G)

Prevention of undue profit

The Secretary shall issue regulations to prevent undue profit from the resale of eligible properties in violation of the requirement under subparagraph (B).

(H)

Definitions

For the purposes of this paragraph, the following definitions shall apply:

(i)

The term eligible property means an eligible asset described in paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection.

(ii)

The term public safety officer has the meaning given such term in section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b).

(iii)

The term teacher means an individual who is employed on a part- or full-time basis as a teacher, teacher assistant, or administrator in a public or private school that provides elementary or secondary education, as determined under State law, except that elementary education shall include pre-Kindergarten education, and except that secondary education shall not include any education beyond grade 12.

(I)

Program integrity

Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, the Secretary may suspend the applicability of this paragraph for such period as the Secretary considers appropriate if the Secretary determines such suspension is necessary because of fraud or other issues regarding program integrity.

(b)

Conforming amendments

Section 204(h) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1710(h)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), by striking paragraph (7) and inserting paragraph (8);

(2)

in paragraph (5)(B)(i), by striking paragraph (7) and inserting paragraph (8); and

(3)

in paragraph (6)(A), by striking paragraph (8) and inserting paragraph (9).

(c)

Regulations

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations to implement the amendments made by this section.

Teacher and public safety officer awareness campaign

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with the Secretary of Education and the Attorney General, shall carry out a program of activities to inform and educate teachers and public safety officers of the availability and terms of the program established by the amendments made by section 2.

(b)

Eligible activities

Amounts made available for the program under this section may be used only for activities designed to accomplish the purpose specified in subsection (a), which may include public service announcements, bus tours, advertising in teacher or public safety officer journals, development of web sites, establishment of toll-free telephone numbers for providing information, and such other activities as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may consider appropriate.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2013 such sums as may be necessary for carrying out the program under this section.