Tornado Shelters Act
PL 108-146 (H.R.23), enacted 12/03/2003

117 STAT. 1883
PUBLIC LAW 108–146—DEC. 3, 2003
Public Law 108–146
108th Congress
An Act
To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize
communities to use community development block grant funds for construction
of tornado-safe shelters in manufactured home parks.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tornado Shelters Act’’.
SEC. 2. CDBG ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (22), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end;
(2) in paragraph (23), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (23) the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(24) the construction or improvement of tornado-safe shel-
ters for residents of manufactured housing, and the provision
of assistance (including loans and grants) to nonprofit and
for-profit entities (including owners of manufactured housing
parks) for such construction or improvement, except that—
‘‘(A) a shelter assisted with amounts provided pursuant
to this paragraph may be located only in a neighborhood
(including a manufactured housing park) that—
‘‘(i) contains not less than 20 manufactured
housing units that are within such proximity to the
shelter that the shelter is available to the residents
of such units in the event of a tornado;
‘‘(ii) consists predominantly of persons of low and
moderate income; and
‘‘(iii) is located within a State in which a tornado
has occurred during the fiscal year for which the
amounts to be used under this paragraph were made
available or any of the 3 preceding fiscal years, as
determined by the Secretary after consultation with
the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency;
‘‘(B) such a shelter shall comply with standards for
construction and safety as the Secretary, after consultation
with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, shall provide to ensure protection from tornadoes;
42 USC 5301
note.
Tornado Shelters
Act.
Dec. 3, 2003
[H.R. 23]
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117 STAT. 1884
PUBLIC LAW 108–146—DEC. 3, 2003
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 23:
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 108–151 (Comm. on Financial Services).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
July 21, considered and passed House.
Nov. 18, considered and passed Senate.
‘‘(C) such a shelter shall be of a size sufficient to
accommodate, at a single time, all occupants of manufac-
tured housing units located within the neighborhood in
which the shelter is located; and
‘‘(D) amounts may not be used for a shelter as provided
under this paragraph unless there is located, within the
neighborhood in which the shelter is located (or, in the
case of a shelter located in a manufactured housing park,
within 1,500 feet of such park), a warning siren that is
operated in accordance with such local, regional, or national
disaster warning programs or systems as the Secretary,
after consultation with the Director of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency, considers appropriate to ensure
adequate notice of occupants of manufactured housing
located in such neighborhood or park of a tornado; and’’.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
In addition to any amounts otherwise made available for grants
under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act
of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), there is authorized to be appro-
priated for assistance only for activities pursuant to section
105(a)(24) of such Act $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
Approved December 3, 2003.
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