(B) STATE
ZONING
FRAMEWORK.—The 
term ‘‘State zoning framework’’ means the 
State legislation or State agency and depart-
ment procedures, or such legislation or proce-
dures in an insular area of the United States, 
enabling local planning and zoning authorities 
and establishing and guiding related policies 
and programs. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 
SEC. 4. GUIDELINES ON STATE AND LOCAL ZONING FRAME-
WORKS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall publish documents outlining guidelines and 
best practices to support production of adequate housing 
to meet the needs of communities and provide housing op-
portunities for individuals at every income level across 
communities with respect to— 
(1) State zoning frameworks; and 
(2) local zoning frameworks. 
(b) CONSULTATION; PUBLIC COMMENT.—During the 
one-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
section, in developing the guidelines and best practices re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:11 Jan 11, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
quired under the previous subsection, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) publish draft guidelines in the Federal Reg-
ister for public comment; and 
(2) establish a task force for the purpose of 
providing consultation to draft guidelines published 
under the previous clause, the members of which 
shall include— 
(A) planners and architects; 
(B) advocates with experience in affordable 
housing, community development efforts, and 
fair housing; 
(C) housing developers, including afford-
able and market-rate housing developers, manu-
factured housing developers, and other business 
interests; 
(D) community engagement experts and 
community members impacted by zoning deci-
sions; 
(E) public housing authorities and transit 
authorities; 
(F) members of local zoning and planning 
boards and local and regional transportation 
planning organizations; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(G) State officials responsible for housing 
or land use, including members of State zoning 
boards of appeals; 
(H) academic researchers; and 
(I) home builders. 
(c) CONTENTS.—The guidelines and best practices 
required under subsection (a) shall— 
(1) with respect to State zoning frameworks, 
outline potential models for updated State enabling 
legislation or State agency and department proce-
dures; 
(2) include recommendations regarding— 
(A) the reduction or elimination of parking 
minimums; 
(B) the increase in maximum floor area 
ratio requirements and maximum building 
heights and the reduction in minimum lot sizes 
and set-back requirements; 
(C) the elimination of restrictions against 
accessory dwelling units; 
(D) increasing by-right uses, including du-
plex, triplex, or quadplex buildings, across cities 
or metropolitan areas, including mechanisms, 
such as proximity to transit, to determine the 
jurisdictional level for rezoning and ensures de-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
velopment that does not disproportionately bur-
den residents of economically distressed areas; 
(E) provisions regarding review of by-right 
development proposals to streamline review and 
reduce uncertainty, including— 
(i) nondiscretionary, ministerial re-
view; and 
(ii) entitlement and design review 
processes; 
(F) the reduction of obstacles to a range of 
housing types at all levels of affordability, in-
cluding manufactured and modular housing; 
(G) State model zoning regulations for di-
recting local reforms, including mechanisms to 
encourage adoption; 
(H) provisions to encourage transit-ori-
ented development, including increased permis-
sible units per structure and reduced minimum 
lot sizes near existing or planned public transit 
stations; 
(I) potential reforms to the public engage-
ment process, including— 
(i) meaningful access for persons with 
limited English proficiency and effective 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
communication improvements for persons 
with disabilities; 
(ii) leveraging of virtual meeting tech-
nologies; and 
(iii) proactive outreach in commu-
nities; 
(J) reforms to protest petition statutes; 
(K) the standardization, reduction, or 
elimination of impact fees; 
(L) cost effective and appropriate building 
codes; 
(M) models for community benefit agree-
ments; 
(N) mechanisms to preserve affordability, 
limit disruption of low-income communities, and 
prevent displacement of existing residents; 
(O) with respect to State zoning frame-
works, a model for a State zoning appeals proc-
ess, which would— 
(i) create a process for developers or 
builders requesting a variance, conditional 
use, or zoning district change or otherwise 
petitioning a local zoning or planning 
board for a project including a State-de-
fined amount of affordable housing to ap-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
peal a rejection to a State body or regional 
body empowered by the State; 
(ii) establish qualifications for com-
munities to be exempted from the appeals 
process based on their available stock of 
affordable housing; and 
(iii) establish a State zoning appeals 
board to consider appeals to a variance re-
jection and objectively evaluate petitions 
based on the potential for environmental 
damage and infrastructural capacity; 
(P) with respect to State zoning frame-
works, best practices on the disposition of land 
owned by State governments for affordable 
housing development; 
(Q) with respect to local zoning frame-
works— 
(i) the simplification and standardiza-
tion of existing zoning codes; 
(ii) maximum review timelines; and 
(iii) best practices for the disposition 
of land owned by local governments; and 
(R) other land use measures that promote 
access to new housing opportunities identified 
by the Secretary; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(3) consider— 
(A) local housing needs, including ways to 
set and measure housing goals and targets; 
(B) a range of affordability for rental 
units, with a prioritization of units attainable to 
extremely low-income, low-income, and mod-
erate-income residents; 
(C) a range of affordability for homeown-
ership units attainable to low-income and mod-
erate-income residents; 
(D) with respect to State zoning frame-
works, distinctions between States providing 
constitutional or statutory home rule authority 
to municipalities and States operating under 
the Dillon rule, as articulated in Hunter v. 
Pittsburgh (207 U.S. 161 (1907)); 
(E) accountability measures; 
(F) the long-term cost to residents and 
businesses if more housing is not constructed; 
(G) barriers to individuals seeking to ac-
cess affordable housing in growing communities 
and communities with economic opportunity; 
(H) consistency with respect to fair hous-
ing and civil rights requirements; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:11 Jan 11, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(I) coordination between infrastructure in-
vestments and housing planning; 
(J) with respect to State zoning frame-
works, statewide mechanisms to preserve exist-
ing affordability over the long term, including 
support for land banks and community land 
trusts; 
(K) with respect to State zoning frame-
works, guidance to States on collecting and 
maintaining proactive data on the current rent-
al housing market and rental registries; 
(L) public comments described in sub-
section (b)(1); and 
(M) other considerations as identified by 
the Secretary. 
SEC. 5. REPORTING. 
Not later than 2 years after the date on which the 
Assistant Secretary publishes the guidelines and best prac-
tices for State and local zoning frameworks, the Assistant 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing— 
(1) the States that have adopted a version of 
the guidelines and best practices, including those 
that developed and adopted a State zoning frame-
work; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(2) the localities that have adopted a version of 
the guidelines; 
(3) a summary of the modifications that each 
State has made in their State zoning framework; 
and 
(4) a general summary of the types of updates 
localities have made to their local zoning framework. 
SEC. 6. ABOLISHMENT OF REGULATORY BARRIERS CLEAR-
INGHOUSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Regulatory Barriers Clear-
inghouse established pursuant to section 1205 of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (42 
U.S.C. 12705d) is abolished. 
(b) REPEAL.—Section 1205 of the Housing and 
Community Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 12705d) 
is repealed. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development $5,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:44 Jan 10, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H10351.IH
H10351
DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS