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(3) in the case of a loan made to a purchaser or builder of a newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated residential or multifamily residential building, the purchaser or builder provides certification that the building meets or exceeds the costeffective energy conservation standards established by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, which are in effect on the date of the enactment of this subtitle and as such standards may be revised after such date by the Secretary after consultation with the Board, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Agriculture, the National Institute of Building Sciences, the National Bureau of Standards, and any other Federal agency which is responsible for developing such standards; and

(4) in the case of a loan made to an owner of an existing residential building after December 31, 1985, the income of such owner does not exceed an amount equal to 250 percent of the median area income.

(b)(1) In addition to the conditions contained in section 513 and subsection (a), financial assistance may be provided by a financial institution to a builder under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of a solar energy system in a residential building only if

(A) the Board determines that

(i) in order to encourage the construction or substantial rehabilitation of a greater number of residential buildings containing solar energy systems it is necessary to provide financial assistance under this subtitle directly to builders;

(ii) providing any financial assistance under this subtitle directly to builders is a more effective expenditure of such assistance to encourage the construction or substantial rehabilitation of residential buildings containing solar energy systems than providing such assistance only to the purchasers of such buildings; and

(iii) the Board, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury is able to establish a procedure which will prevent the purchaser (who buys the building from the builder) of a residential building for which a builder received financial assistance under this subtitle from receiving additional assistance under this subtitle for the same expenditures for which the builder received assistance and from being allowed a credit against taxes under section 38 or section 44C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 for such expenditures;

(B) the Board establishes a procedure which prevents the purchaser (who buys the building from the builder) of a residential building for which a builder received financial assistance under this subtitle from receiving additional assistance under this subtitle for the same expenditures for which the builder received assistance and from being allowed a credit against taxes under section 38 or section 44C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 for such expenditures;

(C) the builder agrees to, and does, disclose to the purchaser (who buys the building from the builder) in writing at the time of signing the sales contract for such building—

(i) the expenditures with respect to such building for which the builder received financial assistance under this subtitle; and

(ii) that the purchaser may not be allowed a credit against taxes for such expenditures under section 38 or section 44C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; and (D) in addition to any other information required by this subtitle to be provided, the builder agrees to, and does, provide to the Bank such information as the Board determines, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, is necessary to assure that the purchaser (who buys the building from the builder) is not allowed a credit against taxes for such expenditures under section 38, or section 44C, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

(2) Any expenditures, made by a builder for the purchase and installation of a solar energy system in a building, for which the builder received financial assistance under this subtitle shall be considered expenditures from subsidized energy financing by the purchaser (who buys such building from the builder) for purposes of section 38 and section 44(C) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

(c) Payments may be made to a utility for the provision of financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of a solar energy system only if the financial assistance is used for such purchase and installation in existing buildings.

(d) In providing financial assistance with respect to loans for newly constructed and substantially rehabilitated residential buildings with solar energy systems, the Board shall establish a priority for residential buildings which contain at least a solar space heating or cooling system, except in areas or regions of the United States where it is impractical or inefficient to establish such a priority.

LIMITATIONS ON THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ENERGY CONSERVING IMPROVEMENTS

SEC. 516. (a) An amount equal to not less than 80 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under the authorization contained in section 522(a) shall be provided during such fiscal year for financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of residential energy conserving improvements in residential and multifamily residential buildings.

(b)(1) An amount equal to not less than 15 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under the authorization contained in section 522(a) shall be provided during such fiscal year for financial assistance for the purchase and installation of residential energy conserving improvements in residential buildings owned by individuals whose income is less than 80 percent of the median area income, or in multifamily residential buildings with a majority of the dwelling units occupied by such individuals.

(2) Funds made available during any fiscal year for the provision of financial assistance required by paragraph (1) which are not expended during such fiscal year shall be available during the following fiscal year for the provision of any financial assistance under

this subtitle for residential and commercial energy conserving improvements.

(c) Any failure during any fiscal year to provide the amount of financial assistance required by subsection (a) or subsection (b) shall not delay the provision of other financial assistance under this subtitle.

LIMITATIONS ON THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

SEC. 517. (a)(1) The total amount of all payments made to utilities in any fiscal year for the provision of financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems shall not exceed 10 percent of the amount of funds appropriated for such fiscal year under the authorization contained in section 522(b), except that the Board may allow the total amount of such payments to exceed 10 percent of the amount of such funds, but not to exceed 20 percent of the amount of such funds, if the Board determines that it would further the purpose of this subtitle of encouraging the use of solar energy.

(2) The total amount of any payments provided to utilities for the provision of financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems shall be distributed regionally, among utilities throughout the United States, in a reasonable manner.

(b) An amount equal to not less than 70 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under the authorization contained in section 522(b) shall be provided during such fiscal year for financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems in residential and multifamily residential buildings and for the purchase of residential and multifamily residential buildings which have such systems.

(c)(1) An amount equal to not less than 5 percent of the funds appropriated for a fiscal year under the authorization contained in section 522(b) shall be provided during such fiscal year for financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems in residential buildings owned by individuals whose income is less than 80 percent of the median area income, or in multifamily residential buildings with a majority of the dwelling units occupied by such individuals.

(2) Funds made available during any fiscal year for the provision of financial assistance required by paragraph (1) which are not expended during such fiscal year shall be available during the following fiscal year for the provision of any financial assistance under this subtitle for solar energy systems.

(d) Any failure during any fiscal year to provide the amount of financial assistance required by subsection (b) or subsection (c) shall not delay the provision of other financial assistance under this subtitle.

PROMOTION

SEC. 518. (a) The Bank shall promote the program established by this subtitle by informing financial institutions, builders, and consumers of the benefits of this program and by actively seeking

their participation in the program. The Bank shall not duplicate any promotion or assistance activities undertaken by the Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or other Federal agencies to encourage greater use of residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar energy systems, but shall cooperate with those agencies in

(1) the dissemination of information relating to residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar technology and their applicability to new and existing construction;

(2) the development and dissemination of reliable appraisal techniques with respect to residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar energy systems;

(3) the provision of technical assistance to nonprofit entities, low-income groups, and local governments in the use of financial assistance under this subtitle to undertake solar and conservation strategies; and

(4) the provision of such other assistance and information as the Board determines is necessary to encourage the use of residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar energy systems.

(b) The Bank shall seek the advice and assistance of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal National Mortgage Association in coordinating the programs of the Bank with the secondary market for loans used to finance the purchase and installation of residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar energy systems.

(c) Where possible the Bank shall coordinate its promotional program with promotional and assistance programs undertaken by State, regional, and local governments.

(d) The Secretary is authorized to use any available means of communication to accomplish the goals of this section by using the electronic media, print media, and the United States Postal Service.

REPORTS

SEC. 519. (a) The Board shall submit an annual report to the Congress and to the President of the United States which includes, among other matters, the views of the President of the Bank, the Energy Conservation Advisory Committee, and the Solar Energy Advisory Committee, with respect to

(1) the operation of the Bank during the previous year;

(2) the problems of the energy conservation and solar energy industries, the Federal Government, and financial institutions which may be inhibiting the operation of the Bank or the acceptance by the public of the use of residential and commercial energy conserving improvements and solar energy systems;

(3) the cost effectiveness of the program in terms of expenditure, specific residential and commercial energy conserving improvements, and energy savings, using statistically valid samples of the improvements assisted under this subtitle;

(4) the relative number of persons from various income groups who have received financial assistance under this subtitle;

(5) the total energy savings achieved because of the assistance provided under this subtitle, based on an estimate of such savings using a statistically valid sample; and

(6) recommendations for improvements in the operation of the Bank.

(b) The Board shall submit to the Congress not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this subtitle a report on the limitation on the amount of financial assistance provided to utilities pursuant to section 517(a), including the recommendations of the Board on the continuation of the limitation and the level of such limitation.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

SEC. 520. (a) As soon as practicable, but not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subtitle, the Board shall issue such final rules and regulations as the Board determines are necessary to carry out this subtitle, including rules and regulations to assure that there will be no fraud in the provision of financial assistance through grants under this subtitle, except that any final rules and regulations with respect to multifamily residential, commercial, or agricultural buildings may be issued later than 180 days after such date but not later than 270 days after such date. (b) Not later than 90 days after the effective date of this subsection,' the Board shall issue regulations that—

(1) permit the provision of financial assistance under this subtitle for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems of the active type, and the purchase and installation of passive and active type solar space heating and water heating in new and existing residential buildings and multifamily residential buildings;

(2) do not prohibit the use of tax-exempt financing in connection with any purchase or installation of residential or commercial energy conserving improvements or solar energy systems assisted under this subtitle;

(3) provide that a residential energy audit shall not be required as a condition of the receipt of financial assistance by an owner or tenant of a residential building under this subtitle, except that such regulations may require such audit with respect to any such building located in an area in which an audit is available under the provisions of title II or VII of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act;

(4)(A) establish a maximum limitation on the percentage or amount of any financial assistance provided under this subtitle that may be used for administrative expenses, which limitation shall be 12 percent (or such higher percentage as the Secretary may determine to be appropriate), or $20,000, whichever amount is greater; and

1 The effective date of this subsection was November 30, 1983.

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