I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4874 
To authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide relief 
to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita by placing 
manufactured homes in flood plains, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 2, 2006 
Mr. ROSS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina 
and Hurricane Rita by placing manufactured homes in 
flood plains, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Hope Housing Act of 
2006’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
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(1) the term ‘‘authorized placement’’ means 
placing a covered manufactured home as authorized 
by subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 3(a)(1); 
(2) the term ‘‘base flood’’ means the flood 
which has a 1 percent chance of being equaled or ex-
ceeded in any given year; 
(3) the term ‘‘costal high hazard area’’ means 
an area subject to high velocity waters, including 
hurricane wave wash or a tsunami; 
(4) the term ‘‘covered civil action’’ means a civil 
action against the Federal Government for damages 
related to the flooding of a covered manufactured 
home that is the subject of an authorized placement; 
(5) the term ‘‘covered manufactured home’’ 
means a manufactured home purchased by the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency during the pe-
riod beginning on August 1, 2005, and ending on 
the date of enactment of this Act; 
(6) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency; 
(7) the term ‘‘flood’’ means a general and tem-
porary condition of partial or complete inundation of 
normally dry land areas from— 
(A) the overflow of inland or tidal waters; 
or 
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(B) the unusual and rapid accumulation or 
runoff of surface waters from any source; 
(8) the term ‘‘flood plain’’ means an area which 
has a .2 percent chance of being flooded in any given 
year; 
(9) the term ‘‘floodway’’ means that portion of 
the flood plain which— 
(A) provides for the discharge of the base 
flood so the cumulative increase in water sur-
face elevation is no more than 12 inches; and 
(B) is effective in carrying flow, within 
which this carrying capacity shall be preserved 
and where the flood hazard is generally highest; 
and 
(10) the term ‘‘manufactured home’’ has the 
same meaning as in section 603 of the National 
Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety 
Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5402). 
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR VICTIMS. 
(a) USE OF MANUFACTURED HOMES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, including section 9.13 of title 44, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding 
similar regulation or ruling), the Director may place 
a covered manufactured home— 
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(A) in a floodway or costal high hazard 
area; 
(B) in a flood plain, without elevating such 
home up to the base flood level; or 
(C) in a flood plain, without complying 
with— 
(i) the decision-making process re-
quired under section 9.6 of title 44, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any cor-
responding similar regulation or ruling); 
and 
(ii) the mitigation requirements under 
section 9.11 of title 44, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or any corresponding similar 
regulation or ruling). 
(2) TYPES OF USE.—Any authorized placement 
shall be used to house an individual displaced by 
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 or Hurricane Rita of 
2005. 
(3) PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.—The Director 
shall make appropriate changes to any promotional 
materials to reflect, and otherwise publicize, the au-
thorization in this subsection. 
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(4) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to prohibit any other 
lawful use of a covered manufactured home. 
(b) LIABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Director makes an au-
thorized placement, a covered civil action relating to 
the covered manufactured home involved in such au-
thorized placement may not be brought in any Fed-
eral or State court. 
(2) NOTICE.—The Director shall provide any 
person to whom the Director provides a covered 
manufactured home as part of an authorized place-
ment with written notice of— 
(A) the potential risks associated with such 
placement; and 
(B) the limitations on liability under para-
graph (1). 
Æ 
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