[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6760 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6760
To authorize assistance for fair housing enforcement activities to
respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 8, 2020
Mr. Green of Texas (for himself and Ms. Waters) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize assistance for fair housing enforcement activities to
respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 ``Fair Housing Further Enforcement
Emergency Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF COVID-19 EMERGENCY PERIOD.
For purposes of this Act, the term ``COVID-19 emergency period''
means the period that begins upon the date of the enactment of this Act
and ends upon 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.
SEC. 3. FAIR HOUSING ACTIVITIES.
(a) FHIP; FHAP.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--To ensure that fair
housing organizations and State and local civil rights agencies
have sufficient resources to deal with expected increases in
fair housing complaints, to investigate housing discrimination,
including financial scams that target protected classes
associated with or resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and
during such pandemic, there is authorized to be appropriated
for contracts, grants, and other assistance--
(A) $54,000,000 for the Fair Housing Initiatives
Program under section 561 of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616a); and
(B) $33,500,000 for the Fair Housing Assistance
Program under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et
seq.).
Amounts made available pursuant to this paragraph may be used
by such organizations and agencies to establish the capacity to
and to carry out activities and services by telephone and
online means, including for individuals with limited English
proficiency and individuals with a disability in accordance
with requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act of
1990.
(2) Private enforcement initiative.--In entering into
contracts for private enforcement initiatives under 561(b) of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C.
3616a(b)) using amounts made available pursuant to paragraph
(1)(A) of this subsection, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall give priority to applications from qualified
fair housing enforcement organizations that have at least 2
years of fair housing testing experience.
(3) 3-year availability.--Any amounts made available
pursuant paragraph (1) that are allocated for a grantee and
remain unexpended upon the expiration of the 3-year period
beginning upon such allocation shall be recaptured by the
Secretary.
(b) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.--There is
authorized to be appropriated $200,000,000 for the Office of Fair
Housing and Equal Opportunity of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for costs of fully staffing such Office to ensure robust
enforcement of the Fair Housing Act during the COVID-19 pandemic,
including ensuring that--
(1) assistance provided under this Act is provided and
administered in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair
housing in accordance with the Fair Housing Act;
(2) such Office has sufficient capacity for intake of
housing discrimination complaints by telephone and online
mechanisms, including for individuals with limited English
proficiency and individuals with a disability in accordance
with requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act of
1990 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 794); and
(3) such Office has the capacity to respond to all housing
discrimination complaints made during the COVID-19 pandemic
within time limitations required under law.
In the hiring of staff using amounts made available pursuant to this
subsection, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
consider and hire, at all levels of employment and to the greatest
extent possible, a diverse staff, including by race, ethnicity, gender,
and disability status. The Secretary shall submit a report to the
Congress describing compliance with the preceding sentence on a
quarterly basis, for each of the first 4 calendar quarters ending after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. FAIR HOUSING GUIDANCE AND EDUCATION.
(a) Prohibition of Showings.--Not later than the expiration of the
30-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue guidance for
owners of dwelling units assisted under housing assistance programs of
the Department prohibiting, during the COVID-19 emergency period, of
any showings of occupied assisted dwelling units to prospective
tenants.
(b) Education.--There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000
for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the Department
of Housing and Urban Development to carry out a national media campaign
to educate the public of increased housing rights during the COVID-19
emergency period, that provides that information and materials used in
such campaign are available--
(1) in the languages used by communities with limited
English proficiency; and
(2) to persons with disabilities.
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