I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2655 
To establish neighborhood review committees to advise public housing agencies 
regarding the enforcement of laws and regulations governing assistance 
provided under tenant-based rental assistance programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2005 
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To establish neighborhood review committees to advise public 
housing agencies regarding the enforcement of laws and 
regulations governing assistance provided under tenant- 
based rental assistance programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Section 8 Voucher Res-
idential Screening Committees Act’’.
SEC. 2. NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW COMMITTEES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) is amended by 
inserting after subsection (k) the following new subsection: 
‘‘(l) NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW COMMITTEES.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Each public housing 
agency that administers tenant-based assistance 
under subsection (b) or (o) of this section shall es-
tablish and maintain a neighborhood review com-
mittee (in this subsection referred to as the ‘com-
mittee’). The committee shall consist of not less 
than 3 and not more than 6 individuals, who shall 
be appointed by the public housing agency and shall 
include not less than 3 individuals who are not, di-
rectly or indirectly, recipients of housing assistance 
under this section or any other housing assistance 
provided by the Federal Government or any State or 
local government (not including single family mort-
gage insurance provided under title II of the Na-
tional Housing Act). The members of the committee 
shall be residents of the jurisdiction served by the 
agency. Members of the committee shall serve for 
terms of not more than 2 years and there shall be 
no limit to the number of terms that any member 
may serve.
‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.—The committee shall obtain 
and review information referred to in paragraphs (3) 
and (4) for the purpose of advising the public hous-
ing agency regarding enforcement of laws and regu-
lations governing assistance provided under the ten-
ant-based rental assistance programs under this sec-
tion and assisting the agency to enforce such laws 
and regulations. 
‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY
OF
RECORDS
REGARDING 
ASSISTED FAMILIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of Federal or State law (includ-
ing any law regarding confidentiality of such in-
formation), the committee for a public housing 
agency may obtain any of the following records 
and information relating to any member of a 
household on whose behalf tenant-based assist-
ance under subsection (b) or (o) of this section 
is provided and who resides within the jurisdic-
tion of the agency: 
‘‘(i) Criminal conviction, arrest, and 
activity records from any law enforcement 
agency. 
‘‘(ii) Police reports.
‘‘(iii) Juvenile arrest and punishment 
records. 
‘‘(iv) References and reports of past 
or present lessors. 
‘‘(v) Records of civil actions filed 
against the member and any related judg-
ments, settlements, or other dispositions. 
‘‘(vi) Any other information reason-
ably related to the procurement of infor-
mation described in this paragraph. 
‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY
AND
NOTICE.—This 
paragraph shall apply with respect to any mem-
ber of any household on whose behalf such ten-
ant-based assistance is provided after the date 
on which the regulations implementing this sub-
section take effect. A public housing agency 
shall provide written notice to each applicant 
for tenant-based assistance from the agency of 
the effect of the provisions of this paragraph on 
the applicant’s rights to confidentiality of infor-
mation described in this paragraph. 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY
OF
RECORDS
REGARDING 
LANDLORDS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of Federal or State law (includ-
ing any law regarding confidentiality of such in-
formation), the committee for a public housing 
agency may obtain any of the following records 
and information relating to any owner of a 
dwelling unit located within the jurisdiction of 
the agency for which assistance payments are 
made under subsection (b) or (o) of this sec-
tion: 
‘‘(i) Criminal conviction, arrest, and 
activity records from any law enforcement 
agency. 
‘‘(ii) Police reports. 
‘‘(iii) Citations, convictions, fines, or 
judgments for violations of any laws, regu-
lations, standards, or codes relating to 
housing quality or habitability. 
‘‘(iv) Complaints, grievances, or ac-
tions filed by any current or former ten-
ants, and any records of any related judg-
ments, settlements, or other dispositions. 
‘‘(v) Any other information reasonably 
related to the procurement of information 
described in this paragraph. 
‘‘(B) 
APPLICABILITY.—This 
paragraph 
shall apply with respect to any owner of an as-
sisted dwelling unit for which assistance pay-
ments are made after the date on which the 
regulations implementing this subsection take 
effect. 
‘‘(5) PENALTY.—Any person who obtains or 
uses information under this subsection for purposes 
other than those described in paragraph (2), or dis-
closes such information in any manner to any indi-
vidual not authorized under law to receive such in-
formation, shall be imprisoned not more than one 
year and fined not more than $10,000 (and such of-
fense is hereby exempted from the applicability of 
the fine provided under section 3571 of title 18, 
United States Code), or both.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall issue any regulations necessary 
to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a) not 
later than the expiration of the 12-month period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act, and such regula-
tions shall take effect not later than the expiration of the 
90-day period beginning upon such issuance. 
Æ