REACH Act of 2013

Summary: Raising Employment in Affordable Communities and Homes Act of 2013 or REACH Act of 2013 - Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 with respect to providing economic opportunities for low- and very low-income persons, particularly recipients of federal assistance for housing. Prohibits any assistance to a public housing agency (PHA) under the United States Housing Act of 1937 for any fiscal year for low-income housing projects (development assistance), or assistance from the Operating Fund or Capital Fund under the same Act, unless the PHA prepares an action plan describing activities that will: (1) provide such individuals the training and employment opportunities generated by such assistance, and (2) award contracts for work in connection with such assistance to business concerns that also provide economic opportunities for such individuals. Waives this prohibition for any qualified PHA: (1) the sum of the public housing dwelling units it administers, and the number of tenant-based rental assistance vouchers it administers, is 550 or fewer; and (2) that is not a troubled PHA, and does not have a failing score under the Section 8 Management Assessment Program during the prior 12 months. Prohibits an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity (as defined in the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996) from providing any grant amounts under the Act for any program year unless the tribe or entity prepares an action plan meeting the same criteria. Waives this prohibition for any recipient of such grant amounts for which the sum of the affordable housing dwelling units it administers and the number of households provided tenant-based rental assistance with such grant amounts, is 550 or fewer. Requires incorporation of the yearly action plan in: (1) a PHA's annual plan for the fiscal year, or (2) an Indian tribe's (or designated entity's) Indian housing plan for the program year. Allows retroactive funding to any PHA, Indian tribe, or tribally designated entity upon the development and inclusion of an action plan in the PHA's annual plan or the tribe's or tribal entity's Indian housing plan. Directs the Secretary to require that each application for housing and community development assistance exceeding $200,000 include an action plan. Authorizes the Secretary to establish and impose penalties for PHAs, Indian tribes and tribally designated entities, and recipients of housing and community development assistance that do not comply with their action plans to the Secretary's satisfaction.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Raising Employment in Affordable 
Communities and Homes Act of 2013'' or the ``REACH Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. SECTION 3 ACTION PLANS.

    Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 
U.S.C. 1701u) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), and (g) as 
        subsections (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(e) Action Plans.--
            ``(1) Public housing and indian housing assistance.--
                    ``(A) Public housing agencies.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), a public housing agency may not be 
                        provided any development assistance pursuant to 
                        section 5 of the United States Housing Act of 
                        1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c), or assistance from the 
                        Operating Fund or Capital Fund under section 9 
                        of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
                        U.S.C. 1437g), for any fiscal year unless the 
                        agency prepares an action plan under this 
                        subsection that describes activities to be 
                        carried out in accordance subsections (c) and 
                        (d) of this section during such fiscal year.
                            ``(ii) Inapplicability to qualified public 
                        housing agencies.--Clause (i) shall not apply 
                        to any qualified public housing agency, as such 
                        term is defined in section 5A(b)(3)(C) of the 
                        United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
                        1437c-1(b)(3)(C)).
                    ``(B) Indian tribes.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), an Indian tribe or tribally 
                        designated housing entity (as such terms are 
                        defined in section 4 of the Native American 
                        Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act 
                        of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) may not be provided 
                        any grant amounts under such Act for any 
                        program year unless the tribe or entity 
                        prepares an action plan under this subsection 
                        that describes activities to be carried out in 
                        accordance subsections (c) and (d) of this 
                        section during such fiscal year.
                            ``(ii) Inapplicability.--Clause (i) shall 
                        not apply to any recipient of grant amounts 
                        under the Native American Housing Assistance 
                        and Self-Determination Act of 1996 for which 
                        the sum of--
                                    ``(I) the number of affordable 
                                housing dwelling units administered by 
                                such recipient and assisted with such 
                                grant amounts, and
                                    ``(II) the number of households 
                                provided tenant-based rental assistance 
                                with such grant amounts by such 
                                recipient,
                        is 550 or fewer.
                    ``(C) Incorporation in annual plan.--Such an action 
                plan for a year shall be incorporated--
                            ``(i) in the case of a public housing 
                        agency, in the annual plan under section 5A of 
                        such Act (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1) for the agency for 
                        such fiscal year; and
                            ``(ii) in the case of an Indian tribe or 
                        tribally designated housing entity, the Indian 
                        housing plan under section 102 of the Native 
                        American Housing Assistance and Self-
                        Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4112) for 
                        the tribe for the program year.
                    ``(D) Retroactive funding.--Funds may be provided 
                to any public housing agency, and to any Indian tribe 
                or tribally designated housing entity, retroactively 
                upon the development and inclusion of an action plan 
                under this subsection in an agency's annual plan, or 
                the tribe's or tribally designated housing entity's 
                Indian housing plan, respectively.
            ``(2) Other programs.--The Secretary shall require that 
        each application for housing and community development 
        assistance in an amount exceeding $200,000 shall include an 
        action plan under this subsection that describes activities to 
        be carried out in accordance subsections (c) and (d) of this 
        section.
            ``(3) Content.--An action plan under this subsection for a 
        public housing agency, for an Indian tribe or tribally 
        designated housing entity, or for a recipient of housing and 
        community development assistance, shall specify the agency's, 
        tribe's or entity's, or recipient's--
                    ``(A) intended outreach efforts under this section 
                within the community;
                    ``(B) planned training programs;
                    ``(C) relevant employment opportunities under this 
                section; and
                    ``(D) timeline for planned implementation under 
                this section.
            ``(4) Oversight.--The Secretary shall take such actions as 
        may be necessary to review the implementation of annual action 
        plans under this subsection.
            ``(5) Penalties.--The Secretary may establish and impose 
        penalties for public housing agencies, Indian tribes and 
        tribally designated housing entities, recipients of housing and 
        community development assistance that do not comply with their 
        action plans to the satisfaction of the Secretary. Such 
        penalties may include--
                    ``(A) in the case of a public housing agency, or 
                tribe or tribally designated housing entity, 
                withholding of assistance from the Department until 
                compliance is achieved; and
                    ``(B) in the case of recipients of housing and 
                community development assistance--
                            ``(i) enforcement actions through the 
                        Departmental Enforcement Center of the 
                        Department of Housing and Urban Development;
                            ``(ii) withholding future assistance 
                        payments;
                            ``(iii) a flag in the Active Partners 
                        Performance System; and
                            ``(iv) rejection of any further 
                        applications for assistance from the Department 
                        until compliance is achieved.
            ``(6) Authorization of appropriation.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
        this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment under section 2 shall take effect upon the expiration 
of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act.