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109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5443 
To reform the housing choice voucher program under section 8 of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2006 
Mr. NEY (for himself, Ms. WATERS, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, and Mr. 
SHAYS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To reform the housing choice voucher program under section 
8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. 
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 Re-
form Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF DWELLING UNITS. 
Section 8(o)(8) of the United States Housing Act of 
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(8)) is amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘subpara-
graph (D) of this paragraph and’’ before ‘‘paragraph 
(11)’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and 
(E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) EXCEPTIONS TO INITIAL INSPECTION 
REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY.— 
‘‘(i) 
RECENT
INSPECTION
UNDER 
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM.—In 
the case of any dwelling unit that, within 
the 30-day period ending upon initial occu-
pancy by a family assisted under this sub-
section, was occupied by another family so 
assisted, an inspection pursuant to sub-
paragraph (A) shall not be required if such 
unit was inspected during the 12-month 
period ending upon such initial occupancy 
and was determined to comply with the 
housing quality standards under subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(ii) RECENT
INSPECTION
UNDER 
OTHER
PROGRAMS.—In the case of any 
dwelling unit that, during the 12-month 
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period ending upon such initial occupancy, 
was inspected pursuant to requirements 
under a Federal, State, or local housing 
assistance program (including the HOME 
investment partnerships program under 
title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12721 
et seq.)), an inspection pursuant to sub-
paragraph (A) shall not be required if— 
‘‘(I) pursuant to such inspection, 
the dwelling unit was determined to 
meet the standards or requirements 
regarding housing quality or safety 
applicable to units assisted under such 
program; and 
‘‘(II) the public housing agency 
certifies to the Secretary that such 
standards or requirements provide the 
same protection to occupants of dwell-
ing units meeting such standards or 
requirements as, or greater protection 
than, the housing quality standards 
under subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(iii) 
CORRECTION
OF
NON-LIFE 
THREATENING CONDITIONS.—In the case 
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of any dwelling unit that is determined, 
pursuant to an inspection under subpara-
graph (A), not to meet the housing quality 
standards under subparagraph (B), assist-
ance payments may be made for the unit 
notwithstanding subparagraph (C) if fail-
ure to meet such standards is a result only 
of non-life threatening conditions. A public 
housing agency making assistance pay-
ments pursuant to this clause for a dwell-
ing unit shall, upon the expiration of the 
30-day period beginning upon commence-
ment of the period for which such pay-
ments are made, suspend any assistance 
payments for the unit if any deficiency re-
sulting in noncompliance with the housing 
quality standards has not been corrected 
by such time, and may not resume such 
payments until each such deficiency has 
been corrected.’’; and 
(4) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated by 
paragraph (2) of this section— 
(A) by striking ‘‘ANNUAL
INSPECTIONS’’ 
and inserting ‘‘BIENNIAL INSPECTIONS’’; 
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(B) by striking ‘‘shall make an annual in-
spection of each assisted dwelling unit during 
the term of the housing assistance payments 
contract for the unit’’ and inserting ‘‘shall, for 
each assisted dwelling unit, make biennial in-
spections during the term of the housing assist-
ance payments contract for the unit’’; and 
(C) by inserting after the period at the end 
of the first sentence the following: ‘‘In the case 
of a dwelling unit described in clause (i) or (ii) 
of subparagraph (D), the first such annual in-
spection shall take place during the 2-year pe-
riod beginning upon the most recent inspection 
conducted with respect to the occupancy of the 
unit by the family previously residing in the 
unit.’’. 
SEC. 3. RENT REFORM AND INCOME REVIEWS. 
(a) RENT FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND SECTION 8 
PROGRAMS.—Section 3 of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘LOW-INCOME OCCU-
PANCY REQUIREMENT AND RENTAL PAY-
MENTS.—’’ after ‘‘(1)’’; 
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(ii) by striking the second sentence; 
(iii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘or’’ after the semicolon 
(iv) by striking subparagraph (B); 
and 
(v) by redesignating subparagraph (C) 
as subparagraph (B); and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(6) REVIEWS OF FAMILY INCOME.— 
‘‘(A) FREQUENCY.—Reviews of family in-
come for purposes of this section shall be 
made— 
‘‘(i) in the case of all families, upon 
the initial provision of housing assistance 
for the family; 
‘‘(ii) annually thereafter, except as 
provided in subparagraph (B)(i); 
‘‘(iii) upon the request of the family, 
at any time the annual income of the fam-
ily decreases by $1,500 or more; and 
‘‘(iv) at any time the annual income 
of the family increases by $1,500 or more, 
except that any increase in the earned in-
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