View all text of Part A [§ 6861 - § 6873]
§ 6863. Weatherization program
(a) Development and conduct of program by Secretary; grants to States and Indian tribal organizations
(b) Consultation by Secretary with other Federal departments and agencies on development and publication in Federal Register of proposed regulations; required regulatory provisions; standards and procedures; rental units
(1) The Secretary, after consultation with the Director, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the heads of such other Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary deems appropriate, shall develop and publish in the Federal Register for public comment, not later than 60 days after August 14, 1976, proposed regulations to carry out the provisions of this part. The Secretary shall take into consideration comments submitted regarding such proposed regulations and shall promulgate and publish final regulations for such purpose not later than 90 days after August 14, 1976. The development of regulations under this part shall be fully coordinated with the Director.
(2) The regulations promulgated pursuant to this section shall include provisions—
(A) prescribing, in coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce, for use in various climatic, structural, and human need settings, standards for weatherization materials, energy conservation techniques, and balance combinations thereof, which are designed to achieve a balance of a healthful dwelling environment and maximum practicable energy conservation;
(B) that provide guidance to the States in the implementation of this part, including guidance designed to ensure that a State establishes (i) procedures that provide protection under paragraph (5) to tenants paying for energy as a portion of their rent, and (ii) a process for monitoring compliance with its obligations pursuant to this part; and
(C) that secure the Federal investment made under this part and address the issues of eviction from and sale of property receiving weatherization materials under this part.
(3) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretaries and Director described in paragraph (2)(A) and the Secretary of Agriculture, shall develop and publish in the Federal Register for public comment, not later than 60 days after November 9, 1978, proposed amendments to the regulations prescribed under paragraph (1). Such amendments shall provide that the standards described in paragraph (2)(A) shall include a set of procedures to be applied to each dwelling unit to determine the optimum set of cost-effective measures, within the cost guidelines set for the program, to be installed in such dwelling unit. Such standards shall, in order to achieve such optimum savings of energy, take into consideration the following factors—
(A) the cost of the weatherization material;
(B) variation in climate; and
(C) the value of energy saved by the application of the weatherization material.
Such standards shall be utilized by the Secretary in carrying out this part, and by the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out the weatherization program under section 1474(c) of this title. The Secretary shall take into consideration comments submitted regarding such proposed amendment and shall promulgate and publish final amended regulations not later than 120 days after November 9, 1978.
(4) The Secretary may amend the regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) to provide that the standards described in paragraph (2)(A) take into consideration improvements in the health and safety of occupants of dwelling units, and other non-energy benefits, from weatherization.
(5) In carrying out paragraphs (2)(A) and (3), the Secretary shall establish the standards and procedures described in such paragraphs so that weatherization efforts being carried out under this part and under programs described in the fourth sentence of paragraph (3) will accomplish uniform results among the States in any area with a similar climatic condition.
(6) In any case in which a dwelling consists of a rental unit or rental units, the State, in the implementation of this part, shall ensure that—
(A) the benefits of weatherization assistance in connection with such rental units, including units where the tenants pay for their energy through their rent, will accrue primarily to the low-income tenants residing in such units;
(B) for a reasonable period of time after weatherization work has been completed on a dwelling containing a unit occupied by an eligible household, the tenants in that unit (including households paying for their energy through their rent) will not be subjected to rent increases unless those increases are demonstrably related to matters other than the weatherization work performed;
(C) the enforcement of subparagraph (B) is provided through procedures established by the State by which tenants may file complaints and owners, in response to such complaints, shall demonstrate that the rent increase concerned is related to matters other than the weatherization work performed; and
(D) no undue or excessive enhancement will occur to the value of such dwelling units.
(7) As a condition of having assistance provided under this part with respect to multifamily buildings, a State may require financial participation from the owners of such buildings.
(c) Failure of State to submit application; alternate application by any unit of general purpose local government or community action agency; submission of amended application by State
(d) Direct grants to low-income members of Indian tribal organizations or alternate service organizations; application for funds
(1) Reservation of amounts
(A) In general
(B) RestrictionsSubparagraph (A) shall apply only if—
(i) the tribal organization serving the low-income members of the applicable Indian tribe requests that the Secretary make a grant directly; and
(ii) the Secretary determines that the low-income members of the applicable Indian tribe would be equally or better served by making a grant directly than a grant made to the State in which the low-income members reside.
(C) Presumption
(2) Administration
(3) Application
(e) Transfer of funds
(Pub. L. 94–385, title IV, § 413, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1152; Pub. L. 95–619, title II, § 231(a)(2), (b)(1), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3224; Pub. L. 96–294, title V, §§ 573(b), 574, 577(2), June 30, 1980, 94 Stat. 759, 760; Pub. L. 98–479, title II, § 201(h), Oct. 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 2228; Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5115(c), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1433; Pub. L. 101–440, § 7(b), Oct. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 1012; Pub. L. 103–82, title IV, § 405(l), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 922; Pub. L. 115–325, title II, § 203, Dec. 18, 2018, 132 Stat. 4462; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, § 1011(c), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2442.)