Special Bulletin
Earlier today, the House of representatives unanimously passed an amendment offered by Representative Ralph Norman (SC-5) to prohibit Department of Energy (DOE) funds to be used to implement the DOE’s rule for energy standards for manufactured housing. The amendment was offered during House consideration of the DOE funding bill for 2024. no member spoke in opposition to the amendment and it was one of only a few amendments passed by a voice vote. MHI strongly supported this amendment and thanks its state association partners for helping secure today’s overwhelming support by the House of Representatives.
MHI has worked diligently to bring the regulatory conflict created by the DOE rule to the attention of legislators on both sides of the aisle. Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee passed legislation to repeal Section 413 of the Energy Independent and Security Act (ELSA) of 2007 and nullify the DOE’s final energy standards rule.
While MHI is supportive of improving energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing, the message to Congress is that halting implementation of the DOE’s flawed approach and re-affirming HUD’s long-standing exclusive control over federal manufactured housing standards is the best way to ensure the timely adoption of improved energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing while preserving affordability. The passage of today’s amendment without opposition represents another step forward in achieving the regulatory clarity and a path forward for the industry that MHI is seeking.
A legislative fix is needed because the DOE standards were developed without any effective consultation with HUD, the federal agency with extensive experience and expertise in developing manufactured housing construction and safety standards. This problem with DOE was substantiated when HUD’s Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) recently considered the DOE standards and found numerous problems with the standards, including a failure by DOE to consider the unique characteristics of manufactured homes.
As the legislative process moves forward, MHI will continue working to secure exclusive HUD jurisdiction over all manufactured home construction and safety standards, including energy efficiency standards – as Congress established 50 years ago.
