[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6374 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6374
To suspend requirements that tenants of assisted housing make
contributions toward rent during the public health emergency relating
to coronavirus, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 23, 2020
Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To suspend requirements that tenants of assisted housing make
contributions toward rent during the public health emergency relating
to coronavirus, and for other purposes.
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 ``Ensuring Affordable Housing Security
During the Coronavirus Emergency Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF REQUIREMENTS REGARDING TENANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARD
RENT.
(a) Suspension.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
obligation of each tenant household of a dwelling unit in assisted
housing to pay any contribution toward rent for occupancy in such
dwelling unit shall be suspended with respect to such occupancy during
the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and
ending 6 months after the date of the termination by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency of the emergency declared on March 13,
2020, by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) relating to the
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
(b) Federal Reimbursement Payments.--To the extent that amounts are
made available pursuant to subsection (e) for reimbursements under this
subsection, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the
Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, shall--
(1) provide owners of assisted housing and public housing
agencies for any amounts in rent not received as a result of
subsection (a), plus the amount of any increases in costs of
administering and maintaining such housing to the extent only
that such increases result from the public health emergency
relating to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); and
(2) in the case of public housing agencies providing
assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)), reimburse such agencies in an
amount sufficient to cover any increase in housing assistance
payments resulting from the suspension of tenant rent payments
pursuant to subsection (a), plus the amount of any increases in
the cost of administering such assistance to the extent only
that such increases result from the public health emergency
relating to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
(c) Prohibitions.--
(1) On fines.--No tenant or tenant household may be charged
a fine or fee for nonpayment of rent in accordance with
subsection (a) and such nonpayment of rent shall not be grounds
for any termination of tenancy or eviction.
(2) On debt.--No tenant or tenant household may be treated
as accruing any debt by reason of suspension of contribution of
rent under subsection (a).
(3) On repayment.--No tenant or tenant household may be
held liable for repayment of any amount of rent contribution
suspended under subsection (a).
(4) On credit scores.--The nonpayment of rent by a tenant
or tenant household shall not be reported to a consumer
reporting agency nor shall such nonpayment adversely affect a
tenant or member of a tenant household's credit score.
(d) Assisted Housing.--For purposes of this section, the term
``assisted housing'' means housing or a dwelling unit assisted under--
(1) section 213, 220, 221(d)(3), 221(d)(4), 223(e), 231, or
236 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715l(d)(3), (d)(4),
or 1715z-1);
(2) section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of
1965 (12 U.S.C. 1701s);
(3) section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C.
1701q);
(4) section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzales National
Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013);
(5) title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12701 et seq.);
(6) subtitle D of title VIII of the Cranston-Gonzalez
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12901 et seq.);
(7) title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.);
(8) section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f);
(9) the public housing program under title I of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.); or
(10) section 514, 515, 516, 521(a)(2), 538, or 542 of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485, 1486, 1490a(a)(2),
1490p-2, 1490r).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to make payments under
subsection (b) to all owners of assisted housing and public housing
agencies.
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