I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8661 

To address the housing needs in rural communities in the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 23, 2020 

Ms. FINKENAUER (for herself and Mr. RIGGLEMAN) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To address the housing needs in rural communities in the 

United States, 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 ‘‘Protecting Rural 

5 Housing Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HUD REPORT ON ACTIONS TO ADDRESS LAND7 LORDS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the expiration of 

9 the 12-month period beginning on the date of the enact10 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 


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1 Development shall submit a report to the Congress identi2 fying any legislative and regulatory actions and changes 

3 needed to hold accountable and punish owners of housing 

4 that is assisted under the housing choice voucher program 

5 under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 

6 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) who violate the requirements of such 

7 program or operate in bad faith with respect to such re8 quirements. Such report shall include recommendations 

9 regarding the circumstances under which such assistance 

10 should be recovered from such owners. 

11 (b) CONSULTATION.—In conducting any analysis for, 

12 and preparing, the report required under subsection (a), 

13 the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Agri14 culture, State and local governments, advocates for ten15 ants’ right, and public housing agencies. 

16 SEC. 3. RURAL HOUSING RELIEF PILOT PROGRAM. 

17 Title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 14) 

18 is amended by inserting after section 538 (42 U.S.C. 

19 1490p–2) the following new section: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 539. RURAL HOUSING RELIEF PILOT PROGRAM. 

21 ‘‘(a) AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANTS.—The Sec22 retary may make grants under this section to eligible enti23 ties described in subsection (b) that primarily serve rural 

24 areas for purposes described in subsection (c). 


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1 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may make 

2 grants under this subsection only to— 

3 ‘‘(1) State or local governmental agencies or en4 tities; 

5 ‘‘(2) Indian tribes; and 

6 ‘‘(3) nonprofit entities. 

7 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—Amounts from a grant 

8 under this Act may be used only to support or acquire 

9 housing that is affordable to low-income families or to fi10 nance, assist, or otherwise benefit the development or re11 habilitation of such housing, including for— 

12 ‘‘(1) costs of construction, development, reha13 bilitation, or acquisition of such housing, including 

14 predevelopment costs; 

15 ‘‘(2) costs of demolition of substandard hous16 ing, with or without development of replacement af17 fordable housing; 

18 ‘‘(3) relocation of residents of substandard 

19 housing or residents of housing during rehabilitation 

20 of housing that is affordable to low-income families; 

21 ‘‘(4) purchase of housing by or for low-income 

22 families in rural areas; 

23 ‘‘(5) construction, development, installation, or 

24 rehabilitation of related infrastructure for housing 

25 that is affordable to low-income families; 


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1 ‘‘(6) establishment of revolving loan funds to fi2 nance and assist carrying out other eligible activities 

3 under this subsection; and 

4 ‘‘(7) such other purposes as the Secretary may 

5 provide. 

6 ‘‘(d) COST-SHARING.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para8 graph (2), the Secretary shall require each eligible 

9 entity receiving a grant under this section to con10 tribute to the cost of activities to be carried out with 

11 such grant amounts an amount that is equal to or 

12 exceeding 10 percent of the total cost of such activi13 ties. In the case of eligible entities that are State 

14 agencies or entities, such contributed amount shall 

15 be derived from non-Federal sources. 

16 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 

17 apply in the case of any activities carried out with 

18 grant amounts in any area with respect to which a 

19 major disaster was declared by the President under 

20 section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

21 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) 

22 during the 5-year period ending upon approval of 

23 the application for a grant under this section to 

24 carry out such activities, but not including the major 


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1 disaster declared by reason of the novel coronavirus 

2 (COVID-19). 

3 ‘‘(e) REPORTS.—Not later than September 30, 2025, 

4 the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress de5 scribing the activities carried out with grants under this 

6 section and evaluating the effectiveness of the program 

7 under this section in developing and rehabilitating housing 

8 that is affordable to low-income families. 

9 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

10 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 

11 grants under this section $100,000,000 for fiscal year 

12 2021, which amount shall remain available until Sep13 tember 30, 2024.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. STUDY OF RHS HOME OWNERSHIP OUTREACH EF15 FORTS. 

16 The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a study 

17 to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of outreach and 

18 education activities of the Rural Housing Service of the 

19 Department of Agriculture regarding the programs of 

20 such Service that assist families to achieve home owner21 ship, including the single family housing direct and guar22 anteed home loan programs under section 502 of the 

23 Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472). Not later than 

24 the expiration of the 12-month period beginning on the 

25 date of the enactment of this Act the Secretary shall subVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:21 Nov 07, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8661.IH H8661

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1 mit a report to the Congress setting forth the findings of 

2 such study. 

Æ 


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