[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3585 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3585

  To place a moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus emergency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 2020

 Mr. Jones (for himself and Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To place a moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus emergency.

    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 ``Moratorium on Coronavirus Evictions 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON EVICTION FILINGS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered dwelling.--The term ``covered dwelling'' means 
        a dwelling that--
                    (A) is occupied by a tenant--
                            (i) pursuant to a residential lease; or
                            (ii) without a lease or with a lease 
                        terminable under State law; and
                    (B) is on or in a covered property.
            (2) Covered property.--The term ``covered property'' means 
        any property that--
                    (A) participates in--
                            (i) a covered housing program (as defined 
                        in section 41411(a) of the Violence Against 
                        Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12491(a))); or
                            (ii) the rural housing voucher program 
                        under section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949 
                        (42 U.S.C. 1490r); or
                    (B) has a--
                            (i) federally backed mortgage loan; or
                            (ii) federally backed multifamily mortgage 
                        loan.
            (3) Dwelling.--The term ``dwelling''--
                    (A) has the meaning given the term in section 802 
                of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3602); and
                    (B) includes houses and dwellings described in 
                section 803(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3603(b)).
            (4) Federally backed mortgage loan.--The term ``federally 
        backed mortgage loan'' includes any loan (other than temporary 
        financing such as a construction loan) that--
                    (A) is secured by a first or subordinate lien on 
                residential real property (including individual units 
                of condominiums and cooperatives) designed principally 
                for the occupancy of from 1 to 4 families, including 
                any such secured loan, the proceeds of which are used 
                to prepay or pay off an existing loan secured by the 
                same property; and
                    (B) is made in whole or in part, or insured, 
                guaranteed, supplemented, or assisted in any way, by 
                any officer or agency of the Federal Government or 
                under or in connection with a housing or urban 
                development program administered by the Secretary of 
                Housing and Urban Development or a housing or related 
                program administered by any other such officer or 
                agency, or is purchased or securitized by the Federal 
                Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National 
                Mortgage Association.
            (5) Federally backed multifamily mortgage loan.--The term 
        ``federally backed multifamily mortgage loan'' includes any 
        loan (other than temporary financing such as a construction 
        loan) that--
                    (A) is secured by a first or subordinate lien on 
                residential multifamily real property designed 
                principally for the occupancy of 5 or more families, 
                including any such secured loan, the proceeds of which 
                are used to prepay or pay off an existing loan secured 
                by the same property; and
                    (B) is made in whole or in part, or insured, 
                guaranteed, supplemented, or assisted in any way, by 
                any officer or agency of the Federal Government or 
                under or in connection with a housing or urban 
                development program administered by the Secretary of 
                Housing and Urban Development or a housing or related 
                program administered by any other such officer or 
                agency, or is purchased or securitized by the Federal 
                Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National 
                Mortgage Association.
    (b) Moratorium.--During the 120-day period beginning on the date of 
enactment of this Act, the lessor of a covered dwelling may not--
            (1) make, or cause to be made, any filing with the court of 
        jurisdiction to initiate a legal action to recover possession 
        of the covered dwelling from the tenant for nonpayment of rent 
        or other fees or charges; or
            (2) charge fees, penalties, or other charges to the tenant 
        related to such nonpayment of rent.
    (c) Notice.--The lessor of a covered dwelling unit--
            (1) may not require the tenant to vacate the covered 
        dwelling unit before the date that is 30 days after the date on 
        which the lessor provides the tenant with a notice to vacate; 
        and
            (2) may not issue a notice to vacate under paragraph (1) 
        until after the expiration of the period described in 
        subsection (b).
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