I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8886 

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

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2020 

Mr. COHEN 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 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITIONS ON EVICTION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part 1 of title 18, United States 

8 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8886 IH

1 ‘‘CHAPTER 125.—PROHIBITIONS ON 

2 EVICTION 

‘‘2741. Prohibition on eviction during national emergency. 

3 ‘‘§ 2741. Prohibition on eviction during national 

4 emergency 

5 ‘‘(a) CIVIL ACTION.—Any person injured by a viola6 tion of this section may bring a cause of action for injunc7 tive relief and damages equal to three times to amount 

8 of the injury, and may be awarded attorneys’ fees. 

9 ‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—Whoever, being a lessor of a cov10 ered dwelling, knowingly— 

11 ‘‘(1) repossesses or physically attempts to re12 possess a covered dwelling from a tenant of the cov13 ered dwelling without a duly issued order from a 

14 court of jurisdiction; 

15 ‘‘(2) threatens, harasses, intimidates, or creates 

16 a hostile environment for a tenant of a covered 

17 dwelling for the purpose of causing the tenant to va18 cate the covered dwelling; or 

19 ‘‘(3) impairs the habitability of a covered dwell20 ing (including suspending utility service, changing 

21 locks, refusing to repair structure, plumbing, elec22 trical, ventilation systems, maintain appliances in 

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

24 tenant to vacate the covered dwelling, 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8886 IH

1 shall be punished as provided in subsection (c). 

2 ‘‘(c) PUNISHMENTS.—Whoever violates subsection 

3 (b) shall— 

4 ‘‘(1) for a first offense, be imprisoned not more 

5 than 1 year or fined under this title, or both; and 

6 ‘‘(2) for each subsequent offense, be imprisoned 

7 for not more than 5 years or fined under this title, 

8 or both. 

9 ‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘dwell10 ing’— 

11 ‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term in section 

12 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3602); and 

13 ‘‘(2) includes houses and dwellings described in 

14 section 803(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3603(b)). 

15 For purposes of this section, a dwelling shall be located 

16 in an area designated by the President as a national emer17 gency, for the duration of the designation, under the Na18 tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), Public 

19 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), or Robert T. Staf20 ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

21 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).’’. 

22 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 

23 for such part is amended by adding at the end the fol24 lowing: 

‘‘125. Prohibitions on eviction ................................................................. 2741’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS