I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1451 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for prohibitions on eviction, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2021 

Mr. COHEN (for himself, Ms. OMAR, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for 

prohibitions on eviction, 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 ‘‘Emergency Eviction 

5 Enforcement Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON EVICTION DURING NATIONAL 

7 EMERGENCY. 

8 (a) CIVIL ACTION.—Any person injured by a violation 

9 of this section, or the Attorney General, on behalf of such 

10 person, unless such person at any time may bring a cause 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1451 IH

1 of action for injunctive relief, repossession of the property 

2 under the terms prior to the violation of this section, and 

3 damages equal to the greater of three times the amount 

4 of the injury or three times the amount of any rent 

5 charged for the covered dwelling following a violation of 

6 this section, and may be awarded attorneys’ fees. If the 

7 prevailing party is the Attorney General, any damages re8 covered shall be disbursed equally between— 

9 (1) the victim of the offense; 

10 (2) a fund that shall be available to the Attor11 ney General without further appropriation or limita12 tion as to fiscal year, exclusively for purposes of en13 gaging in other civil actions under this section; and 

14 (3) the Legal Services Corporation for purposes 

15 of any activities to support the provision of fair 

16 housing. 

17 (b) IN GENERAL.—Whoever, being a lessor of a cov18 ered dwelling, knowingly— 

19 (1) repossesses or physically attempts to repos20 sess a covered dwelling from a tenant of the covered 

21 dwelling without a duly issued order from a court of 

22 jurisdiction; 

23 (2) threatens, harasses, intimidates, or creates 

24 a hostile environment for a tenant of a covered 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1451 IH

1 dwelling for the purpose of causing the tenant to va2 cate the covered dwelling; or 

3 (3) impairs the habitability of a covered dwell4 ing (including suspending utility service, changing 

5 locks, refusing to repair structure, plumbing, elec6 trical, ventilation systems, maintain appliances in 

7 state of good repair) for the purpose of causing the 

8 tenant to vacate the covered dwelling, 

9 shall have violated this section. 

10 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section: 

11 (1) The term ‘‘dwelling’’— 

12 (A) has the meaning given the term in sec13 tion 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 

14 3602); and 

15 (B) includes houses and dwellings de16 scribed in section 803(b) of such Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 3603(b)). 

18 (2) The term ‘‘covered dwelling’’ means a dwell19 ing located in an area designated by the President 

20 as a national emergency, for the duration of the des21 ignation, under the National Emergencies Act (50 

22 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), Public Health Service Act (42 

23 U.S.C. 247d), or Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1451 IH

1 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et 

2 seq.). 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS