PROCUREMENT OF INSURANCE BY PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES EXCERPT FROM DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1991 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regulation or other requirement, the Secretary shall not require any public housing agency or Indian housing authority to seek competitive bids for the procurement of any line of insurance when such public housing agency or Indian Housing authority purchases such line of insurance from a nonprofit insurance entity, owned and controlled by public housing agencies or Indian housing authorities, and approved by the Secretary. In establishing standards for approval of such nonprofit insurance entities, the Secretary shall be assured that such entities have sufficient surplus capital to meet reasonably expected losses, reliable accounting systems, sound actuarial projections, and employees experienced in the insurance industry. The Secretary shall not place restrictions on the investment of funds of any such entity that is regulated by the insurance department of any State that describes the types of investments insurance companies licensed in such State may make. With regard to such entities that are not so regulated, the Secretary may establish investment guidelines that are comparable to State law regulating the investments of insurance companies. EXCERPT FROM DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AP. PROPRIATIONS ACT, 1992 [Public Law 102–139; 105 Stat. 758; 42 U.S.C. 1436c] Hereafter, notwithstanding any other provision of State or Federal law, regulation or other requirement, any public housing agency or Indian housing authority that purchases any line of insurance from a nonprofit insurance entity, owned and controlled by public housing agencies or Indian housing authorities, and approved by the Secretary, may purchase such insurance without regard to competitive procurement. Hereafter, the Secretary shall establish standards as set forth herein, by regulation, adopted after notice and comment rulemaking pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, which will become effective not later than one year from the effective date of this Act. 1 The date of enactment was October 28, 1991. Hereafter, in establishing standards for approval of such nonprofit insurance entities, the Secretary shall be assured that such entities have sufficient surplus capital to meet reasonably expected losses, reliable accounting systems, sound actuarial projections, and employees experienced in the insurance industry. The Secretary shall not place restrictions on the investment of funds of any such entity that is regulated by the insurance department of any State that describes the types of investments insurance companies licensed in such State may make. With regard to such entities that are not so regulated, the Secretary shall establish investment guidelines that are comparable to State law regulating the investments of insurance companies. Hereafter, the Secretary shall not approve additional nonprofit insurance entities until such standards have become final, nor shall the Secretary revoke the approval of any nonprofit insurance entity previously approved by the Department unless for cause and after a due process hearing. Hereafter, until the Department of Housing and Urban Development has adopted regulations specifying the nature and quality of insurance covering the potential personal injury liability exposure of public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities (and their contractors, including architectural and engineering services) as a result of testing and abatement of lead-based paint in federally subsidized public and Indian housing units, said authorities shall be permitted to purchase insurance for such risk, as an allowable expense against amounts available for capital improvements (modernization): Provided, That such insurance is competitively selected and that coverage provided under such policies, as certified by the authority, provides reasonable coverage for the risk of liability exposure, taking into consideration the potential liability concerns inherent in the testing and abatement of lead-based paint, and the managerial and quality assurance responsibilities associated with the conduct of such activities. [42 U.S.C. 1436c] PUBLIC HOUSING RENT WAIVER FOR POLICE OFFICERS EXCERPT FROM CRANSTON-GONZALEZ NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT [Public Law 101-625; 104 Stat. 4202; 42 U.S.C. 1437a-1] SEC. 519. PUBLIC HOUSING RENT WAIVER FOR POLICE OFFICERS. (a) AUTHORITY.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may permit public housing agencies to allow police officers and other security personnel (who are not otherwise eligible for residence in public housing) to reside in public housing dwelling units in accordance with this section. (b) PLAN.-To be eligible to utilize dwelling units as provided under this section, a public housing agency shall submit to the Secretary a plan identifying the projects in which the police officers or security personnel will reside and describing the anticipated benefits from such residence. (c) APPROVAL.-The Secretary may approve a plan and authorize the use of dwelling units under this section only if the Secretary determines that such use will (1) increase security for other public housing residents; (2) result in a limited loss of income to the public housing agency; and (3) not result in a significant reduction of units available for residence by families eligible for such residence under the provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937. The Secretary shall notify each public housing agency submitting a plan under subsection (b) of approval or disapproval of the plan not later than 30 days after the Secretary receives the plan. (d) TERMS.-Upon approving a plan under subsection (b), the Secretary shall waive the applicability of any occupancy requirements with respect to the officers or other personnel, and may permit the public housing agency submitting the plan to establish such special rent requirements and other terms and conditions of occupancy that the Secretary considers appropriate. [42 U.S.C. 1437a-1] URBAN REVITALIZATION DEMONSTRATION FOR MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION OF SEVERELY DISTRESSED AND OBSOLETE PUBLIC HOUSING EXCERPT FROM DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1993 [Public Law 102-389; 106 Stat. 1579; 42 U.S.C. 14371 note] HOMEOWNERSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE GRANTS (HOPE GRANTS) Furthermore, $300,000,000 shall be for grants to carry out an urban revitalization demonstration program involving major reconstruction of severely distressed or obsolete public housing projects, to be administered by local public housing agencies: Provided, That such funding shall be made available to up to 15 cities selected from either the 40 most populous United States cities or, from any city whose housing authority was considered to have been on the Department's troubled housing authorities list as of March 31, 1992: Provided further, That no more than $50,000,000 shall be provided to each participating municipality: Provided further, That no more than 500 units shall be funded for each participating city and such units shall be located in up to 3 separately defined areas containing the community's most severely distressed projects, including family high-rise projects: Provided further, That at least 80 per centum of the funding provided to each participating public housing agency shall be used for the capital costs of major reconstruction, rehabilitation and other physical improvements, for the capital costs of replacement units and for certificates under section 8(6) used for replacement and for management improvements for the reconstructed project and for planning and technical assistance purposes and not more than 20 per centum shall be used for community service programs (as defined by the Commission on National and Community Service) and for supportive services, including, but not limited to, literacy training, job training, day care, youth activities, administrative expenses, and the permissive and mandatory services authorized under the Gateway Program established in the Family Support Centers demonstration program, provided for in 42 U.S.C. 11485e-f: Provided further, That each participating city shall make contributions for supportive services in an amount equal to 15 per centum of the funding provided for supportive services pursuant to the immediately preceding proviso: Provided further, That all such contributions from participating jurisdictions for supportive services shall be derived from non-Federal sources: Provided further, That each participating community shall submit a plan for program implementation which is consistent with the local comprehensive housing affordability strategy pre pared pursuant to section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act and which has the approval of the local governing body: Provided further, That each plan shall include a community services component, but no funds are to be disbursed pursuant to this paragraph until such community services program has been approved by the Commission on National and Community Service: Provided further, That funds made available pursuant to this paragraph may be used in conjunction with, but not in lieu of, funding provided under the head "Modernization of Low-Income Housing Projects" for the modernization of existing public housing projects pursuant to section 14 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 14371); for construction or major reconstruction of obsolete public housing, other than for Indian families; for the replacement of public housing units pursuant to section 18 of the Act; and for the HOPE for Public and Indian Housing Homeownership program as authorized under title III of the Act: Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of section 18(b)(3) of the Act, units demolished, disposed of or otherwise eliminated under this demonstration may be replaced as follows: one-third by certificates under section 8(b) and the balance by any combination of conventional public housing and units acquired or otherwise provided for homeownership under section 5(h) of the Act, housing made available through housing opportunity programs of construction or substantial rehabilitation of homes meeting essentially the same eligibility requirements as those established pursuant to sections 603-607 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-242), or under the HOPE II or III programs, as established under sections 421 and 441 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; persons displaced by the reconstruction activities provided for herein shall be eligible for these replacement units: Provided further, That, in order to be eligible for funding under this paragraph, applications for funding must be received within 180 days from the date the Notice of Funds Availability is published in the Federal Register: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development shall issue a notice of funds availability within 90 days of enactment of this paragraph: Provided further, That the Secretary shall determine which cities have been selected to participate in the program within 90 days of the timely receipt of the last eligible application: Provided further, That housing authorities, in submitting their application for funds under this paragraph, shall identify all severely distressed public housing developments, using the criteria set forth by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing: Provided further, That nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the Secretary from conforming the program standards and criteria set forth herein, with subsequent authorization legislation that may be enacted into law: Provided further, That the authority in the immediately preceding proviso shall not apply to any legislation that excludes or otherwise limits self-sufficiency or community service activities set forth in this paragraph, or authorize reallocation of amounts available for obligation which are included in this paragraph: Provided further, That any troubled housing authority that applies for funds under this paragraph, shall not be eligible if the Secretary certifies to the Congress that they are not making substantial progress to elimi |