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I
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 6326
To provide additional waivers and authorities to HUD and USDA to respond
to the COVID-19 emergency, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 23, 2020
Mr. CLEAVER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To provide additional waivers and authorities to HUD and
USDA to respond to the COVID-19 emergency, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID-19 Emergency
4
Housing Relief Act of 2020’’.
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SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF COVID-19 EMERGENCY PERIOD.
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For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘COVID-19 emer-
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gency period’’ means the period that begins upon the date
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of the enactment of this Act and ends upon the date of
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the termination by the Federal Emergency Management
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Agency of the emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by
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the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
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and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.)
3
relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
4
pandemic.
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SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, WORK,
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PRESENCE IN UNIT, AND MINIMUM RENT RE-
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QUIREMENTS AND TIME LIMITS ON ASSIST-
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ANCE.
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(a) SUSPENSION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
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sion of law, during the COVID-19 emergency period, the
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following provisions of law and requirements shall not
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apply:
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(1) Section 12(c) of the United States Housing
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Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437j(c); relating to com-
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munity service).
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(2) Any work requirement or time limitation on
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assistance established by a public housing agency
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participating in the Moving to Work demonstration
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program authorized under section 204 of the De-
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partments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and
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Urban Development and Independent Agencies Ap-
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propriations Act, 1996 (Public Law 104–134; 110
23
Stat. 1321).
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(3) Paragraph (3) of section 3(a) of the United
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States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)(3);
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relating to minimum rental amount).
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(4) Section 982.312 of the regulations of the
4
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (24
5
C.F.R. 982.312; relating to absence from unit).
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(b) PROHIBITION.—No penalty may be imposed nor
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any adverse action taken for failure on the part of any
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tenant of public housing or a dwelling unit assisted under
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section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
10
U.S.C. 1437f) to comply with the laws and requirements
11
specified in subsection (a) during the period specified in
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subsection (a).
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SEC. 4. HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
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(a) SECTION 8 VOUCHERS.—Notwithstanding any
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other provision of law, the Secretary of Housing and
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Urban Development shall provide that—
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(1) during the COVID-19 emergency period, a
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public housing agency may not terminate the avail-
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ability to an eligible household of a housing choice
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voucher under section 8(o) of the United States
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Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) for fail-
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ure to enter into a lease for an assisted dwelling
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unit;
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(2) in the case of any eligible household on
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whose behalf such a housing choice voucher has been
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made available, if as of the termination of the
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COVID-19 emergency period such availability has
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not terminated (including by reason of paragraph
5
(1) of this subsection) and such voucher has not
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been used to enter into a lease for an assisted dwell-
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ing unit, the public housing agency making such
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voucher available may not terminate such availability
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until the expiration of the 60-day period beginning
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upon the termination of the COVID-19 emergency
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period; and
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(3) during the COVID-19 emergency period,
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clause (i) of section 8(o)(8)(A) of the United States
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Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(8)(A)(i);
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relating to initial inspection of dwelling units) shall
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not apply, except that in any case in which an in-
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spection of a dwelling unit for which a housing as-
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sistance payment is established is not conducted be-
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fore an assistance payment is made for such dwell-
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ing unit—
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(A) such clause shall be applied by sub-
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stituting ‘‘the expiration of the 90-day period
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beginning on the termination of the COVID-19
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emergency period (as such term is defined in
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section 2 of the lllllll Act of 2020)’’
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for ‘‘any assistance payment is made’’; and
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(B) the public housing agency shall inform
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the tenant household and the owner of such
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dwelling unit of the inspection requirement ap-
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plicable to such dwelling unit pursuant to sub-
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paragraph (A).
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(b) RURAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.—Notwithstanding
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any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture
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shall provide that the same restrictions and requirements
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applicable under subsection (a) of this section to voucher
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assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Hous-
12
ing Act of 1937 shall apply with respect to voucher assist-
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ance under section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42
14
U.S.C. 1490r). In applying such restrictions and require-
15
ments, the Secretary may take into consideration and pro-
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vide for any differences between such programs while en-
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suring that the program under such section 542 is carried
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out in accordance with the purposes of such restrictions
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and requirements.
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SEC. 5. SUSPENSION OF INCOME REVIEWS.
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During the COVID-19 emergency period, the Sec-
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retary of Housing and Urban Development and the Sec-
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retary of Agriculture shall waive any requirements under
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law or regulation requiring review of the income of an indi-
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vidual or household for purposes of assistance under a
1
housing assistance program administered by such Sec-
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retary, except—
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(1) in the case of review of income upon the ini-
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tial provision of housing assistance; or
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(2) if such review is requested by an individual
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or household due to a loss of income.
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SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND OR DELAY DEADLINES.
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During the COVID-19 emergency period, the Sec-
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retary of Housing and Urban Development and the Sec-
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retary of Agriculture may suspend or delay any deadline
11
relating to public housing agencies or owners of housing
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assisted under a program administered by such Secretary,
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except any deadline relating to responding to exigent con-
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ditions related to health and safety or emergency physical
15
conditions.
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SEC. 7. SUSPENSION OF ASSISTED HOUSING SCORING AC-
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TIVITIES.
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The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
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shall suspend scoring under the Section 8 Management
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Assessment Program and the Public Housing Assessment
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System during the period beginning upon the date of the
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enactment of this Act and ending upon expiration of the
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90-day period that begins upon the termination of the
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COVID-19 emergency period.
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SEC. 8. REQUIREMENTS REGARDING RESIDUAL RECEIPTS
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AND RESERVE FUNDS.
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(a) SUSPENSION OF REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT RE-
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SIDUAL RECEIPTS
TO HUD.—During the COVID-19
4
emergency period, any requirements for owners of feder-
5
ally assisted multifamily housing to remit residual receipts
6
to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall
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not apply.
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(b) ELIGIBLE USES OF RESERVE FUNDS.—During
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the COVID-19 emergency period, any costs of an owner
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of federally assisted multifamily housing for items, activi-
11
ties, and services related to responding to coronavirus or
12
COVID-19 shall be considered eligible uses for the reserve
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fund for replacements for such housing.
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Æ
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