I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5855 
To establish a program to provide grants to help homeowners who are facing 
foreclosure to receive professional counseling. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 17, 2008 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To establish a program to provide grants to help homeowners 
who are facing foreclosure to receive professional counseling. 
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 ‘‘Foreclosure Counseling 
Assistance Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to promote adequate pro-
fessional counseling for homeowners facing foreclosure due 
to the mortgage crisis. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:35 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5855.IH
H5855
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
SEC. 3. FORECLOSURE COUNSELING ASSISTANCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Neighborhood Reinvest-
ment Corporation (hereinafter in this Act referred to as 
the ‘‘NRC’’) shall make grants to qualified counseling 
intermediaries and qualified legal organizations to provide 
legal assistance to homeowners of owner-occupied homes 
with mortgages in default, in danger of default, or subject 
to or at risk of foreclosure. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act: 
(1) LEGAL ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘legal as-
sistance’’ means those services performed by, or 
under the supervision of, a licensed legal profes-
sional in representing homeowners of owner-occupied 
homes with mortgages in default, in danger of de-
fault, or subject to or at risk of foreclosure. 
(2) 
QUALIFIED
COUNSELING
INTER-
MEDIARIES.—The term ‘‘qualified counseling inter-
mediaries’’ means counseling intermediaries ap-
proved by the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development or the NRC to hire attorneys to assist 
homeowners who have legal issues related to home-
ownership preservation, home foreclosure preserva-
tion, and tenancy associated with foreclosures. 
(3) QUALIFIED
LEGAL
ORGANIZATIONS.—The 
term ‘‘qualified legal organizations’’ means State 
and local legal organizations that have demonstrated 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:35 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5855.IH
H5855
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
legal experience in home foreclosure law, as such ex-
perience is determined by the Chief Executive Offi-
cer of the NRC. 
(c) GRANT PRIORITY.—In making grants under this 
Act, the NRC shall give priority to qualified counseling 
intermediaries and qualified legal organizations that— 
(1) provide legal assistance in the 100 metro-
politan statistical areas (as defined by the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget) with the 
highest home foreclosure rates; and 
(2) have the capacity to begin using the grant 
funds within 90 days after receipt of the funds. 
(d) GRANT CONTINGENT ON REPORTING.—As a con-
dition of the receipt of any grant under this Act, the 
grantee shall agree to disclose to the Chief Executive Offi-
cer of NRC basic information relating to the demographics 
of the borrower, the dollar amount and terms of the home-
owner’s mortgage, and the outcome of any legal pro-
ceedings related to the foreclosure proceedings, including, 
but not limited to, resolution of the foreclosure or delin-
quency, with details about modifications, workouts, short 
sales or foreclosure. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:35 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5855.IH
H5855
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS