I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4213 
To suspend temporarily the application of laws which would deny certain 
Federal benefits, entitlements, and grants to victims of Hurricane 
Katrina or Hurricane Rita due to convictions for certain drug crimes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 2, 2005 
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. THOMP-
SON of Mississippi, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. PAUL, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 
Texas, Ms. LEE, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. AL 
GREEN of Texas, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in 
addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the 
Workforce, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To suspend temporarily the application of laws which would 
deny certain Federal benefits, entitlements, and grants 
to victims of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita due 
to convictions for certain drug crimes. 
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 ‘‘Elimination of Bar-
riers for Katrina Victims Act’’.
SEC. 2. TANF, FOOD STAMP, AND HOUSING BENEFITS. 
(a) TEMPORARY SUSPENSION.—During the tem-
porary suspension period, the provisions specified in sub-
section (b) shall not apply with respect to an individual 
or family who, at the time a Gulf hurricane disaster was 
declared to exist, resided in an area covered by the disaster 
declaration. 
(b) PROVISIONS SUSPENDED.—The provisions speci-
fied in this subsection are as follows: 
(1) Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility 
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, 
but only to the extent that a conviction referred to 
in such section is for activity that occurred before 
the disaster declaration for the Gulf hurricane dis-
aster. 
(2) Subsection (f) of section 16 of the United 
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437n(f)) 
(relating to ineligibility of individuals convicted of 
certain drug crimes), but only to the extent that a 
conviction referred to in such subsection is for activ-
ity occurring before the disaster declaration for the 
Gulf hurricane disaster. 
(3) Subsection (a) of section 576 of the Quality 
Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (42 
U.S.C. 13661(a)) (relating to ineligibility because of 
eviction for drug crimes), but only to the extent that
the drug-related criminal activity referred to in such 
subsection occurred before the disaster declaration 
for the Gulf hurricane disaster. 
(4) Subsection (c) of section 576 of the Quality 
Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (42 
U.S.C. 13661(c)) (relating to authority to deny ad-
missions to criminal offenders), but only to the ex-
tent that— 
(A) such subsection applies to drug-related 
criminal activity; and 
(B) the drug-related criminal activity re-
ferred to in such subsection occurred before the 
disaster declaration for the Gulf hurricane dis-
aster. 
SEC. 3. HIGHER EDUCATION BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—During the temporary suspension 
period, section 484(r) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)) shall not apply with respect to 
any individual who, at the time a Gulf hurricane disaster 
was declared to exist— 
(1) resided in an area covered by the disaster 
declaration, or was a dependent student whose fam-
ily resided in such an area; or 
(2) was enrolled or accepted for enrollment at 
an institution of higher education (as defined in sec-
tion 102 of such Act) located in an area covered by 
the disaster declaration. 
(b) LIMITATION.—Subsection (a) shall only apply to 
the extent that a conviction referred to in section 484(r) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(r)) 
was for an offense that occurred before the disaster dec-
laration for the Gulf hurricane disaster. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) TEMPORARY
SUSPENSION
PERIOD.—The 
term ‘‘temporary suspension period’’ means the 3- 
year period beginning on the date on which the 
President declared a major disaster to exist in ac-
cordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5170), that was caused by Hurricane 
Katrina. 
(2) GULF
HURRICANE
DISASTER.—The term 
‘‘Gulf hurricane disaster’’ means a major disaster 
that the President declared to exist, in accordance 
with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170), and that was caused by Hurricane Katrina or 
Hurricane Rita. 
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