II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1905

To provide habitable living quarters for teachers, administrators, other school 

staff, and their households in rural areas of Alaska located in or near 

Alaska Native Villages. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 20, 2003

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. CAMPBELL) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL

To provide habitable living quarters for teachers, administrators, other school staff, and their households in rural 

areas of Alaska located in or near Alaska Native Villages.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Teacher Hous5 ing Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

8 (1) housing for teachers, administrators, other 

9 school staff, and their households in remote and 
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1 rural areas of Alaska is often substandard, if avail2 able at all; 

3 (2) as a consequence, teachers, administrators, 

4 other school staff, and their households are often 

5 forced to find alternate shelter, sometimes even in 

6 school buildings; and 

7 (3) rural school districts in Alaska are facing 

8 increased challenges, including meeting the man9 dates of the No Child Left Behind Act, in recruiting 

10 employees due to the lack of affordable, quality 

11 housing. 

12 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 

13 habitable living quarters for teachers, administrators, 

14 other school staff, and their households in rural areas of 

15 Alaska located in or near Alaska Native Villages. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act, the following definitions shall apply: 

18 (1) ALASKA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORA19 TION.—The term ‘‘Alaska Housing Finance Cor20 poration’’ means the State housing authority for the 

21 State of Alaska, created under the laws of the State 

22 of Alaska, or any successor thereto. 

23 (2) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘elemen24 tary school’’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
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1 tion 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu2 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

3 (3) ELIGIBLE SCHOOL DISTRICT.—The term 

4 ‘‘eligible school district’’ means a public school dis5 trict (as defined under the laws of the State of Alas6 ka) located in the State of Alaska that operates one 

7 or more schools in a qualified community. 

8 (4) NATIVE VILLAGE.—The term ‘‘Native Vil9 lage’’—

10 (A) has the meaning given that term in 

11 section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settle12 ment Act (43 U.S.C 1602); and 

13 (B) includes the Metlakatla Indian Com14 munity of the Annette Islands Reserve. 

15 (5) OTHER SCHOOL STAFF.—The term ‘‘other 

16 school staff’’ means pupil services personnel, librar17 ians, career guidance and counseling personnel, edu18 cation aides, and other instructional and administra19 tive school personnel. 

20 (6) QUALIFIED COMMUNITY.—

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘qualified 

22 community’’ means a home rule or general law 

23 city incorporated under the laws of the State of 

24 Alaska, or an unincorporated community (as 

25 defined under the laws of the State of Alaska) 
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1 in the State of Alaska situated outside the lim2 its of such a city, with respect to which, the 

3 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has deter4 mined that the city or unincorporated commu5 nity—

6 (i) has a population of 6,500 or fewer 

7 individuals; 

8 (ii) is situated within or near a Native 

9 Village, as determined by the Alaska Hous10 ing Finance Corporation; and 

11 (iii) is not connected by road or rail12 road to the municipality of Anchorage, 

13 Alaska. 

14 (B) CONNECTED BY ROAD.—In this para15 graph, the term ‘‘connected by road’’ does not 

16 include a connection by way of the Alaska Ma17 rine Highway System, created under the laws of 

18 the State of Alaska, or a connection that re19 quires travel by road through Canada. 

20 (7) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec21 ondary school’’ has the meaning given that term in 

22 section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu23 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

24 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

25 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
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1 (9) TEACHER.—The term ‘‘teacher’’ means an 

2 individual who is employed as a teacher in a public 

3 elementary or secondary school, and meets the 

4 teaching certification or licensure requirements of 

5 the State of Alaska. 

6 (10) TRIBALLY DESIGNATED HOUSING ENTI7 TY.—The term ‘‘tribally designated housing entity’’ 

8 has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 

9 Native American Housing Assistance and Self-De10 termination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103). 

11 (11) VILLAGE CORPORATION.—The term ‘‘Vil12 lage Corporation’’ has the meaning given that term 

13 in section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement 

14 Act (43 U.S.C. 1602), and includes urban and group 

15 corporations, as defined in that section. 

16 SEC. 4. RURAL TEACHER HOUSING PROGRAM. 

17 (a) GRANTS AND LOANS AUTHORIZED.—The Sec18 retary shall provide funds to the Alaska Housing Finance 

19 Corporation in accordance with the regulations promul20 gated under section 5, to be used as provided under sub21 section (b). 

22 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—Funds received pursuant to 

24 subsection (a) shall be used by the Alaska Housing 

25 Finance Corporation to make grants or loans to eli-
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1 gible school districts, to be used as provided in para2 graph (2). 

3 (2) USE OF FUNDS BY ELIGIBLE SCHOOL DIS4 TRICTS.—Grants or loans received by an eligible 

5 school district pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be 

6 used for—

7 (A) the construction of new housing units 

8 within a qualified community; 

9 (B) the purchase and rehabilitation of ex10 isting structures to be used as housing units 

11 within a qualified community; 

12 (C) the rehabilitation of housing units 

13 within a qualified community; 

14 (D) the leasing of housing units within a 

15 qualified community; 

16 (E) purchasing or leasing real property on 

17 which housing units will be constructed, pur18 chased, or rehabilitated within a qualified com19 munity; 

20 (F) the repayment of a loan used for the 

21 purposes of constructing, purchasing, or reha22 bilitating housing units, or for purchasing real 

23 property on which housing units will be con24 structed, purchased, or rehabilitated, within a 
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1 qualified community, or any activity under sub2 paragraph (G); 

3 (G) any other activities normally associ4 ated with the construction, purchase, or reha5 bilitation of housing units within a qualified 

6 community, including—

7 (i) connecting housing units to various 

8 utilities; 

9 (ii) preparation of construction sites; 

10 (iii) transporting all equipment and 

11 materials necessary for the construction or 

12 rehabilitation of housing units to and from 

13 the site on which such housing units exist 

14 or will be constructed; and 

15 (iv) environmental assessment and re16 mediation of construction sites or sites 

17 where housing units exist; and 

18 (H) the funding of any remaining costs for 

19 the construction, purchase, or rehabilitation of 

20 housing units within a qualified community, the 

21 purchase of real property within a qualified 

22 community, or any activity listed under sub23 paragraph (G) that is not financed by loans or 

24 other sources of funding. 

25 (c) OWNERSHIP OF HOUSING AND LAND.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—All housing units con2 structed, purchased, or rehabilitated, or real prop3 erty purchased, with grant or loan funds provided 

4 under this Act, or with respect to which funds under 

5 this Act have been expended, shall be owned by the 

6 relevant eligible school district, municipality (as de7 fined under the laws of the State of Alaska), Village 

8 Corporation, the Metlakatla Indian Community of 

9 the Annette Islands Reserve, or a tribally designated 

10 housing entity. Ownership of housing units and real 

11 property may be transferred between such entities. 

12 (d) OCCUPANCY OF HOUSING UNITS.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under 

14 paragraphs (2) and (3), each housing unit con15 structed, purchased, rehabilitated, or leased with 

16 grant or loan funds under this Act, or with respect 

17 to which funds awarded under this Act have been 

18 expended, shall be provided to teachers, administra19 tors, other school staff, and members of their house20 holds. 

21 (2) NON-SESSION MONTHS.—A housing unit 

22 constructed, purchased, rehabilitated, or leased with 

23 grant or loan funds under this Act, or with respect 

24 to which funds awarded under this Act have been 

25 expended, may be occupied by individuals other than 
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1 teachers, administrators, other school staff, or mem2 bers of their household, only during those times in 

3 which school is not in session. 

4 (3) TEMPORARY OCCUPANTS.—A vacant hous5 ing unit constructed, purchased, rehabilitated, or 

6 leased with grant or loan funds under this Act, or 

7 with respect to which funds awarded under this Act 

8 have been expended, may be occupied by a con9 tractor or guest of an eligible school district for a 

10 maximum period of time, to be determined by the 

11 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. 

12 (e) COMPLIANCE WITH LAW.—Each eligible school 

13 district receiving a grant or loan under this Act shall en14 sure that all housing units constructed, purchased, reha15 bilitated, or leased with such grant or loan funds, or with 

16 respect to which funds awarded under this Act have been 

17 expended, meet all applicable laws, regulations, and ordi18 nances. 

19 (f) PROGRAM POLICIES.—

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Alaska Housing Fi21 nance Corporation, after consulting with eligible 

22 school districts, shall establish policies governing the 

23 administration of grant and loan funds made avail24 able under this Act. Such policies shall include a 

25 methodology for ensuring that funds provided under 
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1 this Act are made available on an equitable basis to 

2 eligible school districts. 

3 (2) REVISIONS.—Not less than every 3 years, 

4 the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation shall, in 

5 consultation with eligible school districts, consider 

6 revisions to the policies established under paragraph 

7 (1). 

8 SEC. 5. REGULATIONS. 

9 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

10 of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate such regula11 tions as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

12 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro14 priated to the Department of Housing and Urban Devel15 opment such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal 

16 years 2005 through 2014, to carry out this Act. 

17 (b) LIMITATION.—The Secretary and the Alaska 

18 Housing Finance Corporation shall each use not more 

19 than 5 percent of the funds appropriated in any fiscal year 

20 to carry out this Act for administrative expenses associ21 ated with the implementation of this Act.

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