II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5534 

To authorize a grant program for educational institutions to analyze, digitize, 

and map historic records relating to housing discrimination, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 16, 2024 

Ms. SMITH (for herself, Mr. BROWN, Ms. WARREN, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. WELCH, 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. MURPHY) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize a grant program for educational institutions 

to analyze, digitize, and map historic records relating 

to housing discrimination, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mapping Housing Dis5 crimination Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to support— 


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1 (1) efforts by educational institutions to con2 duct primary analysis and digitization of historic 

3 housing discrimination patterns since 1850; 

4 (2) efforts by local governments to digitize 

5 property deeds and other historic records relating to 

6 housing discrimination; and 

7 (3) the creation of a national, publicly available 

8 database of local records of housing discrimination 

9 patterns since 1850. 

10 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM. 

11 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

12 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti13 ty’’— 

14 (A) means an institution of higher edu15 cation (as defined in section 101 of the Higher 

16 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); and 

17 (B) includes a minority-serving institution. 

18 (2) HISTORIC HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

19 RECORD.—The term ‘‘historic housing discrimina20 tion record’’ means— 

21 (A) a deed or other historic property 

22 record originating after 1850 in which there is 

23 evidence of housing discrimination, which may 

24 include— 


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1 (i) a racial covenant or other provision 

2 in a property deed that was legally enforce3 able on the date on which the racial cov4 enant or other provision was written; or 

5 (ii) racially or ethnically restrictive 

6 language in any agreement entered into by 

7 the developer of a subdivision, a neighbor8 hood association, a real estate operator, or 

9 a group of property owners; or 

10 (B) a State law, a local ordinance, or a 

11 document that presents evidence of a State law 

12 or local ordinance, that— 

13 (i) originated after 1850; and 

14 (ii) permitted housing discrimination 

15 against a protected class under the Fair 

16 Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). 

17 (3) JURISDICTION.—The term ‘‘jurisdiction’’ 

18 means— 

19 (A) a political subdivision of a State; or 

20 (B) the District of Columbia. 

21 (4) MAPPING PROJECT.—The term ‘‘mapping 

22 project’’ means a project performed with a grant 

23 awarded under subsection (b)(1). 

24 (5) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

25 term ‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means an instiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:51 Jan 18, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5534.IS S5534

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1 tution of higher education described in section 

2 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

3 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 

4 (6) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’, except as oth5 erwise specified, means the Office of Policy Develop6 ment and Research of the Department of Housing 

7 and Urban Development. 

8 (7) OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OP9 PORTUNITY.—The term ‘‘Office of Fair Housing and 

10 Equal Opportunity’’ means the Office of Fair Hous11 ing and Equal Opportunity of the Department of 

12 Housing and Urban Development. 

13 (8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any 

14 State of the United States. 

15 (b) MAPPING PROJECTS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Office may award 

17 grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for 

18 the purpose of performing projects for analyzing, 

19 digitizing, and mapping the historic housing dis20 crimination records of not less than 1 jurisdiction. 

21 (2) DURATION AND AMOUNT.— 

22 (A) DURATION.—The duration of a map23 ping project shall be not more than 5 years. 


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1 (B) AMOUNT.—In determining the amount 

2 of a grant under this section, the Office shall 

3 consider— 

4 (i) the size of the jurisdiction or juris5 dictions that are the focus of the mapping 

6 project; and 

7 (ii) the estimated duration of the 

8 mapping project included in the application 

9 of an eligible entity under paragraph 

10 (3)(B)(ii). 

11 (3) APPLICATIONS.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desir13 ing a grant under this section shall submit to 

14 the Office an application at such time, in such 

15 manner, and accompanied by such information 

16 as the Office may require. 

17 (B) CONTENTS.—An application submitted 

18 by an eligible entity under this paragraph shall 

19 include a description of— 

20 (i) each jurisdiction that will be the 

21 focus of the mapping project; 

22 (ii) the estimated duration of the 

23 mapping project; 

24 (iii) any necessary partnership with a 

25 jurisdiction to digitize and collect historic 


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1 housing discrimination records, including 

2 any— 

3 (I) memorandum of under4 standing entered into by the eligible 

5 entity and the jurisdiction; or 

6 (II) compensation given to the 

7 jurisdiction to aid in document 

8 digitization efforts; 

9 (iv) the methodology that the eligible 

10 entity will use to— 

11 (I) review documents for racial 

12 covenants or racially restrictive lan13 guage; 

14 (II) compile historic housing dis15 crimination records; and 

16 (III) create a spatial dataset of 

17 historic housing discrimination 

18 records; 

19 (v) any research the eligible entity has 

20 already conducted on historic housing dis21 crimination records in a jurisdiction that 

22 will be a focus of the mapping project; and 

23 (vi) if the eligible entity has conducted 

24 any research described in clause (v), a plan 

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1 search the eligible entity will perform dur2 ing the mapping project. 

3 (C) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants 

4 under this section, the Secretary may give pref5 erence to eligible entities that are minority-serv6 ing institutions. 

7 (4) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—An eligible enti8 ty that performs a mapping project shall— 

9 (A) use the data standards developed 

10 under paragraph (6) to create and maintain a 

11 dataset relating to historic housing discrimina12 tion records; and 

13 (B) upon the completion of the mapping 

14 project, submit to the Office— 

15 (i) the dataset required under sub16 paragraph (A); and 

17 (ii) with respect to the dataset re18 quired under subparagraph (A)— 

19 (I) raw data relating to the 

20 dataset; 

21 (II) metadata that describes— 

22 (aa) the methodology of the 

23 eligible entity in creating the 

24 dataset; and 

25 (bb) the dataset; and 


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1 (III) any other information rel2 evant to the creation of the dataset. 

3 (5) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may use 

4 funds from a grant under this section to— 

5 (A) confer with other educational institu6 tions or other entities conducting research on 

7 historic housing discrimination patterns to de8 velop and adopt best practices for— 

9 (i) coordination with jurisdictions; 

10 (ii) data collection; 

11 (iii) the involvement of volunteer re12 searchers in mapping projects; and 

13 (iv) the creation of spatial datasets of 

14 historic housing discrimination records; 

15 (B) compensate jurisdictions to aid in the 

16 digitization of local property deeds or other 

17 records; 

18 (C) develop or purchase digital tools to 

19 identify racial covenants in digitized property 

20 deeds or other records; 

21 (D) create a spatial dataset of historic 

22 housing discrimination records; and 

23 (E) make the submission required under 

24 paragraph (4)(B). 

25 (6) DATA STANDARDS.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Of3 fice, in coordination with the Office of Fair 

4 Housing and Equal Opportunity, shall establish 

5 a set of uniform data standards for the anal6 ysis, digitization, and mapping of historic hous7 ing discrimination records with which eligible 

8 entities performing mapping projects shall com9 ply. 

10 (B) METADATA.—The set of uniform data 

11 standards established under subparagraph (A) 

12 shall include guidance for the creation of the 

13 metadata required under paragraph 

14 (4)(B)(ii)(II). 

15 (C) INPUT.—In developing the uniform 

16 data standards under subparagraph (A), the 

17 Office shall seek input from educational institu18 tions, civil rights organizations, or other entities 

19 conducting research on historic housing dis20 crimination patterns. 

21 (D) THIRD-PARTY PROPOSAL.— 

22 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Office may 

23 award a grant to, or enter into a contract 

24 with, a non-Federal entity on a competitive 

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1 form data standards required to be estab2 lished under subparagraph (A). 

3 (ii) INPUT.—A non-Federal entity 

4 that proposes uniform data standards 

5 under clause (i) shall seek input from the 

6 entities described in subparagraph (C). 

7 (7) NATIONAL DATABASE.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.— 

9 (i) CREATION.—Subject to clause (ii), 

10 the Office shall use the data submitted by 

11 eligible entities under paragraph (4)(B) to 

12 create a national database of historic hous13 ing discrimination records. 

14 (ii) OPTIONAL 6-MONTH DELAY.—At 

15 the request of an eligible entity, the Office 

16 shall wait to add data submitted by the eli17 gible entity under paragraph (4)(B) to the 

18 national database created under clause (i) 

19 of this subparagraph until the date that is 

20 180 days after the date on which the eligi21 ble entity submitted the data. 

22 (B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.— 

23 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall 

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1 graph (A) publicly available at no cost on 

2 the website of the Office. 

3 (ii) OTHER INFORMATION.—At the re4 quest of any individual, the Office shall 

5 provide the individual with the information 

6 submitted by an eligible entity under para7 graph (4)(B)(ii). 

8 (C) OPTIONAL ADDITIONS.—The Office 

9 may import Federal data relating to historic 

10 housing discrimination records into the national 

11 database created under subparagraph (A). 

12 (8) DIGITIZATION.—If an eligible entity com13 pensates a jurisdiction for the purpose of digitizing 

14 historic housing discrimination records with funds 

15 from a mapping project, the jurisdiction shall make 

16 those deeds and records publicly available at no cost. 

17 (c) REPORTS.— 

18 (1) PROJECT REPORT.—Not later than 180 

19 days after the date on which an eligible entity re20 ceives a grant under this section, and annually 

21 thereafter for the duration of the mapping project, 

22 an eligible entity performing a mapping project shall 

23 submit to the Office a report on the status of the 

24 mapping project, which shall include information on 

25 the progress of the eligible entity— 


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1 (A) in community outreach and engage2 ment, including whether volunteers are involved 

3 in the mapping project; 

4 (B) on any necessary collaboration with a 

5 jurisdiction for the purpose of digitizing historic 

6 housing discrimination records; 

7 (C) on data collection and identification of 

8 historic housing discrimination records relating 

9 to racial discrimination; 

10 (D) on data collection and the identifica11 tion of historic housing discrimination records 

12 that suggest a pattern of discrimination against 

13 individuals with any protected characteristic 

14 other than race; and 

15 (E) on the creation of the dataset required 

16 under subsection (b)(4)(A). 

17 (2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 

18 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and not 

19 less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, 

20 the Office shall submit to the Committee on Bank21 ing, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and 

22 the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 

23 Representatives a report that includes— 

24 (A) information relating to— 


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1 (i) the status of the grant program es2 tablished under subsection (b), including a 

3 list of the ongoing and completed mapping 

4 projects and the jurisdictions that are the 

5 focus of those mapping projects; 

6 (ii) the status of the national database 

7 required under subsection (b)(7); and 

8 (iii) any research the Office or the 

9 Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop10 ment performs with information from the 

11 national database required under sub12 section (b)(7); and 

13 (B) an addendum from the Office of Fair 

14 Housing and Equal Opportunity that details— 

15 (i) the involvement of the Office of 

16 Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in 

17 the grant program established under sub18 section (b), including any coordination with 

19 the Office of Policy Development and Re20 search of the Department of Housing and 

21 Urban Development; and 

22 (ii) how the grant program established 

23 under subsection (b) relates to— 

24 (I) the mission of the Office of 

25 Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity 


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1 to enforce the Fair Housing Act (42 

2 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.); and 

3 (II) any ongoing work of the Of4 fice of Fair Housing and Equal Op5 portunity. 

6 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 are authorized to be appropriated to the Office— 

8 (1) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 

9 through 2033 to award grants under subsection (b); 

10 and 

11 (2) $750,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 

12 through 2033, to remain available until expended, 

13 for costs associated with carrying out the require14 ments of this Act. 

Æ 


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