110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1227
AN ACT 
To assist in the provision of affordable housing to low-income 
families affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gulf Coast Hurricane 
Housing Recovery Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF AUTHORIZED AMOUNTS. 
None of the amounts authorized by this Act may be 
used to lobby or retain a lobbyist for the purpose of influ-
encing a Federal, State, or local governmental entity or 
officer. 
TITLE I—COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS 
SEC. 101. FLEXIBILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR ROAD 
HOME PROGRAM. 
(a) PROHIBITION
OF RESTRICTION
ON USE
OF 
AMOUNTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) 
and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Director of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency may not prohibit or restrict the use, by the 
State of Louisiana under the Road Home Program 
of such State, of any amounts specified in paragraph 
(3) based upon the existence or extent of any re-
quirement or condition under such program that—
(A) limits or reduces the amount made 
available to an eligible homeowner who does not 
agree to remain an owner and occupant of a 
home in Louisiana; or
(B) waives the applicability of any limita-
tion or reduction referred to in subparagraph 
(A) for homeowners who are elderly or senior 
citizens. 
(2) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Except as provided 
in paragraph (1), all other provisions of section 404 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) shall apply 
to amounts specified in paragraph (3) that are used 
by the State of Louisiana under the Road Home 
Program of such State. 
(3) COVERED AMOUNTS.—The amounts speci-
fied in this paragraph are any amounts provided for 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita under the Hazard 
Mitigation Grant program of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to the State of Louisiana. 
(b) REPORTS.—
(1) LOUISIANA
ROAD
HOME
PROGRAM.—The 
State of Louisiana shall submit reports under this 
subsection regarding the Road Home Program of 
such State to the Committees identified in para-
graph (5). Each such report under this subsection 
shall describe and analyze the implementation, sta-
tus, and effectiveness of the Road Home Program 
and shall include the information described in para-
graph (3) regarding such program, for the applicable 
reporting period and for the entire period of the pro-
gram. 
(2) OTHER STATES’ HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS FUNDED WITH CDBG DISASTER ASSIST-
ANCE.—Each State that received amounts made 
available under the heading ‘‘Department of Hous-
ing and Urban Development—Community Planning 
and Development—Community Development Fund’’ 
in chapter 9 of title I of division B of Public Law 
109-148 (119 Stat. 2779) or under such heading in 
chapter 9 of title II of Public Law 109-234 (120 
Stat. 472) shall submit reports under this subsection 
regarding each grant program of the State for as-
sistance for individual households funded in whole or 
in part with such amounts to the Committees identi-
fied in paragraph (5). Each such report under this 
subsection shall describe and analyze the implemen-
tation, status, and effectiveness of each such grant 
program and shall include the information described 
in paragraph (3) regarding each such program, for 
the applicable reporting period and for the entire pe-
riod of such program.
(3) CONTENTS.—The information described in 
this paragraph with respect to a program is the fol-
lowing information: 
(A) The number of applications submitted 
for assistance under the program. 
(B) The number of households for which 
assistance has been provided under the pro-
gram. 
(C) The average amount of assistance pro-
vided for each household under the program 
and the total amount of assistance provided 
under the program. 
(D) The number of personnel involved in 
executing all aspects of the program. 
(E) Actions taken to improve the program 
and recommendations for further such improve-
ments. 
(4) REPORTING PERIODS.—With respect to any 
program described in paragraph (1) or (2), the first 
report under this subsection shall be submitted not 
later than the expiration of the 30-day period that 
begins upon the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Reports shall be submitted, during the term of each 
such program, not later than the expiration of each 
successive: (A) 30-day period thereafter, in the case
of the program described in paragraph (1); and (B) 
calendar quarter thereafter, in the case of the pro-
grams described in paragraph (2). 
(5) RECEIVING COMMITTEES.—The Committees 
specified in this paragraph are—
(A) the Committees on Financial Services 
and Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committees on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs and Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
(c) NEW ORLEANS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 
PILOT PROGRAM.—
(1) AVAILABILITY
OF
AMOUNTS.—The Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development shall re-
quire the State of Louisiana to make available, from 
any amounts made available for such State under 
the heading ‘‘Department of Housing and Urban 
Development—Community Planning and Develop-
ment—Community Development Fund’’ in chapter 9 
of title I of division B of Public Law 109–148 (119 
Stat. 2779) or under such heading in chapter 9 of 
title II of Public Law 109–234 (120 Stat. 472) and 
that remain unexpended, $15,000,000 to the New 
Orleans Redevelopment Authority (in this subsection
referred to as the ‘‘Redevelopment Authority’’), sub-
ject to paragraph (3), only for use to carry out the 
pilot program under this subsection. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The pilot program under this 
subsection shall fund, through the combination of 
amounts provided under this subsection with public 
and private capital from other sources, the purchase 
or costs associated with the acquisition or disposition 
of individual parcels of land in New Orleans, Lou-
isiana, by the Redevelopment Authority to be aggre-
gated, assembled, and sold for the purpose of devel-
opment by private entities only in accordance with, 
and subject to, the Orleans Parish Recovery Plan, 
developed and adopted by the City of New Orleans. 
The costs associated with acquisition or disposition 
of a parcel of land may include costs for activities 
described paragraph (3)(C) with respect to such par-
cel and costs described in paragraph (3)(F). 
(3) CERTIFICATIONS.—The Secretary of Hous-
ing and Urban Development may make amounts 
available pursuant to paragraph (1) to the Redevel-
opment Authority only upon the submission to the 
Secretary of certifications, sufficient in the deter-
mination of the Secretary to ensure that the Rede-
velopment Authority—
(A) has the authority to purchase land for 
resale for the purpose of development in accord-
ance with the pilot program under this sub-
section; 
(B) has bonding authority (either on its 
own or through a State bonding agency) or has 
credit enhancements sufficient to support pub-
lic/private financing to acquire land for the pur-
poses of the pilot program under this sub-
section; 
(C) has the authority and capacity to en-
sure clean title to land sold under the pilot pro-
gram and to reduce the risk attributable to and 
indemnify against environmental, flood, and 
other liabilities; 
(D) will provide a first right to purchase 
any land acquired by the Redevelopment Au-
thority to the seller who sold the land to the 
Redevelopment Authority; 
(E) has in place sufficient internal controls 
to ensure that funds made available under this 
subsection may not be used to fund salaries or 
other administrative costs of the employees of 
the Redevelopment Authority; and
(F) will, in carrying out the pilot program 
under this subsection, consult with the Office of 
Recovery Management of the City of New Orle-
ans regarding coordination of activities under 
the program with the Recovery Plan referred to 
in paragraph (2), reimbursement of such City 
for costs incurred in support of the program, 
and use of program income and other amounts 
generated through the program. 
(4) DEVELOPMENT
REQUIREMENTS.—In car-
rying out the pilot program under this subsection, 
the Redevelopment Authority shall—
(A) sell land acquired under the pilot pro-
gram only as provided in paragraph (2); 
(B) use any proceeds from the sale of such 
land to replenish funds available for use under 
the pilot program for the purpose of acquiring 
new parcels of land or to repay any private fi-
nancing for such purchases; 
(C) sell land only—
(i) to purchasers who agree to develop 
such sites for sale to the public; or 
(ii) to purchasers pursuant to para-
graph (3)(D); and
(D) in the case of a purchaser of land pur-
suant to paragraph (3)(D), ensure that the de-
veloper of any adjacent parcels sold by the Re-
development Authority makes an offer to the 
purchaser to develop such land for a fee. 
(5) INAPPLICABILITY OF STAFFORD ACT LIMI-
TATIONS.—Any requirements or limitations under or 
pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act relating to use of 
properties acquired with amounts made available 
under such Act for certain purposes, restricting de-
velopment of such properties, or limiting subsequent 
alienation of such properties shall not apply to 
amounts provided under this subsection or prop-
erties acquired under the pilot program with such 
amounts. 
(6) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.—Upon the expi-
ration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall conduct a study of the 
pilot program carried out under this subsection to 
determine the effectiveness and limitations of, and 
potential improvements for, such program. Not later 
than 90 days after the expiration of such period, the 
Comptroller General shall submit a report to the
Committees on Financial Services and Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs and Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate regarding the re-
sults of the study. 
(d) 
ONGOING
GAO 
REPORTS
ON
USE
OF 
AMOUNTS.—
(1) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—During the period 
that amounts referred to in subsection (a)(3) are 
being expended under the Road Home Program of 
the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit reports on 
a quarterly basis to the Committees on Financial 
Services and Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committees 
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Home-
land Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate. Such reports shall describe and account for the 
use of all such amounts expended during the appli-
cable quarterly period and identify any waste, fraud, 
or abuse involved in the use of such amounts. 
(2) MONITORING.—The Comptroller General 
shall monitor the total amount referred to in sub-
section (a)(3) that has been expended by such Au-
thority and, pursuant to such monitoring—
(A) upon determining that at least two 
percent of such amount has been expended, 
shall include in the first quarterly report there-
after a written determination of such expendi-
ture; and 
(B) upon determining, at any time after 
the determination under subparagraph (A), that 
the portion of such total amount expended at 
such time that was subject to waste, fraud, or 
abuse exceeds 10 percent, shall include in the 
first quarterly report thereafter a certification 
to that effect. 
(3) ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO WASTE, FRAUD, 
AND ABUSE.—If at any time the Comptroller Gen-
eral submits a report under paragraph (1) that in-
cludes a certification under paragraph (2)(B)—
(A) the Committee on Financial Services 
of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs 
of the Senate shall each hold hearings within 60 
days to identify the reasons for such waste, 
fraud, and abuse; and
(B) the Comptroller General shall submit a 
report to the Committees referred to in para-
graph (1) within 90 days recommending actions 
to be taken to prevent further waste fraud and 
abuse in expenditure of such amounts. 
SEC. 102. TREATMENT OF BENEFITS FROM OTHER PRO-
GRAMS UNDER ROAD HOME PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b) and not-
withstanding any other provision of law, to the extent that 
amounts made available under the heading ‘‘Department 
of Housing and Urban Development-Community Planning 
and Development—Community Development Fund’’ in 
chapter 9 of title I of division B of Public Law 109–148 
(119 Stat. 2779), under such heading in chapter 9 of title 
II of Public Law 109–234 (120 Stat. 472), and under sec-
tion 101 of this title, are used by the State of Louisiana 
under the Road Home program, the procedures preventing 
duplication of benefits established pursuant to the penul-
timate proviso under such heading in Public Law 109–
148 (119 Stat. 2781) and the 15th proviso under such 
heading in Public Law 109–234 (120 Stat. 473) shall not 
apply with respect to any benefits received from hazard 
insurance, flood insurance, or disaster payments from the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, except to the ex-
tent that the inapplicability of such procedures would re-
sult in a windfall gain under the Road Home Program 
to any person. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—During the period consisting of 
fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development shall monitor the expenditure, 
under the Road Home Program, of amounts referred to 
in subsection (a) that were made available from Public 
Laws 109–148 and 109–234. If at any time during such 
period the cumulative outlays resulting from the inapplica-
bility, pursuant to subsection (a), of the procedures re-
ferred to in such subsection preventing duplication of ben-
efits exceed $1,250,000,000, the Secretary shall suspend 
the applicability of subsection (a) for the remainder of 
such period. 
SEC. 103. ELIMINATION OF PROHIBITION OF USE FOR 
MATCH REQUIREMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, any amounts made available before the date 
of the enactment of this Act for activities under the com-
munity development block grant program under title I of 
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) for expenses related to disaster 
relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastruc-
ture in the areas impacted or distressed by the con-
sequences of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma in States
for which the President declared a major disaster, or made 
available before such date of enactment for such activities 
for such expenses in the areas impacted or distressed by 
the consequences of Hurricane Dennis, may be used by 
a State or locality as a matching requirement, share, or 
contribution for any other Federal program. 
(b) EFFICIENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, when a State, 
unit of general local government, or Indian tribe, or De-
partment of Hawaiian Home Lands uses amounts referred 
to in subsection (a), the release of which would otherwise 
be subject to environmental reviews under the procedures 
authorized under section 104(g) of the Housing and Com-
munity Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304(g)), to 
match or supplement the federal assistance provided under 
section 402, 403, 406, 407, or 502 of Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and the 
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
conducts an environmental review that encompasses all ac-
tivities assisted by such matching funds, the Director’s en-
vironmental review shall satisfy all of the environmental 
responsibilities that would otherwise be assumed by the 
State, unit of general local government, Indian tribe, or 
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands under such section 
104(g), and the requirements and procedures of such pro-
vision, including assumption of environmental review re-
sponsibilities and submission and approval of a request for 
release of funds and certification, shall be inapplicable, if, 
prior to its commitment of any matching funds for such 
activities, the State, unit of general local government, In-
dian tribe, or Department of Hawaiian Home Lands noti-
fies the Director and the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development that it elects to defer to the Director’s envi-
ronmental review responsibilities. If a deferral is elected 
under this subsection, the Director shall be the responsible 
party for any liability under the applicable law if the envi-
ronmental review as described in the preceding sentence 
is deficient in any manner. 
SEC. 104. REIMBURSEMENT OF CDBG AMOUNTS USED FOR 
RENTAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE. 
There are authorized to be appropriated, from any 
amounts made available before the date of the enactment 
of this Act under any provision of law to the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency for disaster relief under 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency As-
sistance Act relating to the consequences of Hurricane 
Katrina, Rita, or Wilma that remain unobligated, and 
from any amounts made available before such date of en-
actment under any provision of law to such Agency for 
such disaster relief relating to the consequences of Hurri-