IIA
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 680
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL 30, 1997
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs
AN ACT
To amend the Federal Property and Administrative Services
Act of 1949 to authorize the transfer of surplus personal
property to States for donation to nonprofit providers
of necessaries to impoverished families and individuals,
and to authorize the transfer of surplus real property
to States, political subdivisions and instrumentalities of
States, and nonprofit organizations for providing housing
or housing assistance for low-income individuals or fami-
lies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY
FOR DONATION TO PROVIDERS OF NEC-
ESSARIES TO IMPOVERISHED FAMILIES AND
INDIVIDUALS.
Section 203(j)(3)(B) of the Federal Property and Ad-
ministrative 
Services 
Act 
of 
1949 
(40 
U.S.C.
484(j)(3)(B)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘homeless in-
dividuals’’ the following: ‘‘, providers of assistance to fami-
lies or individuals whose annual incomes are below the
poverty line (as that term is defined in section 673 of the
Community Services Block Grant Act),’’.
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF SURPLUS REAL PROPERTY FOR PRO-
VIDING HOUSING OR HOUSING ASSISTANCE
FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS OR FAMI-
LIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 203(k) of the Federal
Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40
U.S.C. 484(k)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph:
‘‘(6)(A) Under such regulations as the Administrator
may prescribe, the Administrator may, in the discretion
of the Administrator, assign to the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development for disposal such surplus real
property, including buildings, fixtures, and equipment sit-
uated thereon, as is recommended by the Secretary as
being needed for providing housing or housing assistance
for low-income individuals or families.
‘‘(B) Subject to the disapproval of the Administrator
within 30 days after notice to the Administrator by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of a pro-
posed transfer of property for the purpose of providing
such housing or housing assistance, the Secretary, through
such officers or employees of the Department of Housing
and Urban Development as the Secretary may designate,
may sell or lease such property for that purpose to any
State, any political subdivision or instrumentality of a
State, or any nonprofit organization that exists for the pri-
mary purpose of providing housing or housing assistance
for low-income individuals or families.
‘‘(C) The Administrator shall disapprove a proposed
transfer of property under this paragraph unless the Ad-
ministrator determines that the property will be used for
low-income housing opportunities through the construc-
tion, rehabilitation, or refurbishment of self-help housing,
under terms that require that—
‘‘(i) any individual or family receiving housing
or housing assistance constructed, rehabilitated, or
refurbished through use of the property shall con-
tribute a significant amount of labor toward the con-
struction, rehabilitation, or refurbishment; and
‘‘(ii) dwellings constructed, rehabilitated, or re-
furbished through use of the property shall be qual-
ity dwellings that comply with local building and
safety codes and standards and shall be available at
prices below prevailing market prices.
‘‘(D)(i) In fixing the sale or lease value of property
to be disposed of under this paragraph, the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development shall take into consider-
ation and discount the value with respect to any benefit
which has accrued or may accrue to the United States
from the use of such property by any such State, political
subdivision, instrumentality, or nonprofit organization.
‘‘(ii) The amount of the discount under clause (i)
shall be 75 percent of the market value of the property,
except that the Secretary may discount by a greater per-
centage if the Secretary, in consultation with the Adminis-
trator, determines that a higher percentage is justified.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 203(k)(4)
of such Act (40 U.S.C. 484(k)(4)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or’’ after
the semicolon;