[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1674 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1674
To authorize assistance for fair housing enforcement activities to
respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 9, 2021
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 Enforcement Emergency
Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FAIR HOUSING ACTIVITIES.
(a) Definition of COVID-19 Emergency Period.--For purposes of this
section, 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.
(b) FHIP; FHAP.--
(1) Appropriations.--Out of any money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated 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, for contracts, grants, and
other assistance--
(A) $39,740,000 for fiscal year 2021 for the Fair
Housing Initiatives Program under section 561 of the
Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 (42
U.S.C. 3616a), of which--
(i) $8,740,000 shall be available for
assistance under subsection (d) of such section
561 for education and outreach activities;
(ii) $18,500,000 shall be available for
private enforcement initiatives under
subsection (b) of such section 561;
(iii) $2,500,000 shall be available for an
initiative to provide technical assistance and
training to such organizations and entities
regarding fair housing issues related to the
COVID-19 pandemic; and
(iv) $10,000,000, which shall remain
available until September 30, 2024, shall be
available 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 COVID-19
emergency period, that provides that
information and materials used in such campaign
are available--
(I) in the languages used by
communities with limited English
proficiency; and
(II) to persons with disabilities.
(B) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 for the Fair
Housing Assistance Program under the Fair Housing Act
(42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.).
(2) Use of telephone and internet capabilities.--Amounts
made available by paragraph (1) 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.
(3) Priority for private enforcement initiatives and
technical assistance.--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 by paragraph (1)(A)(ii) of this
subsection and contracts for technical assistance and training
using amounts made available by paragraph (1)(A)(iii), 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.
(4) 3-year grants.--A grant for any grantee from any
amounts made available by clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of
paragraph (1)(A) shall be made for a 3-year period, subject to
the request of the grantee, and the grantee shall receive an
allocation of such grant amounts annually during such 3-year
period.
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