I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7402 
To provide a temporary moratorium on eviction filings, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 29, 2020 
Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois (for himself, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. PRESSLEY, 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. TLAIB, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
SERRANO, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. WATERS, Mr. 
MCNERNEY, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. 
NADLER, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. KAPTUR, 
Mr. COHEN, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. HASTINGS, and Mr. 
MFUME) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide a temporary moratorium on eviction filings, and 
for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Protecting Renters 
from Eviction and Fees Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. EVICTION MORATORIUM. 
The CARES Act is amended by striking section 4024 
(15 U.S.C. 9058; Public Law 116–136; 134 Stat. 492) 
and inserting the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 4024. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON EVICTION FIL-
INGS. 
‘‘(a) CONGRESSIONAL
FINDINGS.—The Congress 
finds that— 
‘‘(1) according to the 2018 American Commu-
nity Survey, 36 percent of households in the United 
States—more than 43 million households—are rent-
ers; 
‘‘(2) in 2019 alone, renters in the United States 
paid $512 billion in rent; 
‘‘(3) according to the Joint Center for Housing 
Studies of Harvard University, 20.8 million renters 
in the United States spent more than 30 percent of 
their incomes on housing in 2018 and 10.9 million 
renters spent more than 50 percent of their incomes 
on housing in the same year; 
‘‘(4) according to data from the Department of 
Labor, more than 40 million people have filed for 
unemployment since the COVID-19 pandemic began; 
‘‘(5) the impacts of the spread of COVID-19, 
which is now considered a global pandemic, are ex-
pected to negatively impact the incomes of poten-
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tially millions of renter households, making it dif-
ficult for them to pay their rent on time; and 
‘‘(6) evictions in the current environment would 
increase homelessness and housing instability, which 
would be counterproductive towards the public 
health goals of keeping individuals in their homes to 
the greatest extent possible. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 
following definitions shall apply: 
‘‘(1) COVERED DWELLING.—The term ‘covered 
dwelling’ means a dwelling that is occupied by a ten-
ant— 
‘‘(A) pursuant to a residential lease; or 
‘‘(B) without a lease or with a lease ter-
minable at will under State law. 
‘‘(2) DWELLING.—The term ‘dwelling’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 802 of the Fair 
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3602) and includes houses 
and dwellings described in section 803(b) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 3603(b)). 
‘‘(c) MORATORIUM.—During the 1-year period begin-
ning on March 27, 2020, the lessor of a covered dwelling 
may not— 
‘‘(1) make, or cause to be made, any filing with 
the court of jurisdiction to initiate a legal action to 
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recover possession of the covered dwelling from the 
tenant for nonpayment of rent or other fees or 
charges, or for reasons motivated wholly or in part 
by the nonpayment of rent or other fees or charges 
by the tenant; or 
‘‘(2) charge fees, penalties, or other charges to 
the tenant related to such nonpayment of rent. 
‘‘(d) NOTICE TO VACATE AFTER MORATORIUM EXPI-
RATION DATE.—After the expiration of the period de-
scribed in subsection (c), the lessor of a covered dwelling 
may not require the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling 
by reason of nonpayment of rent or other fees or charges 
before the expiration of the 30-day period that begins 
upon the provision by the lessor to the tenant, after the 
expiration of the period described in subsection (c), of a 
notice to vacate the covered dwelling.’’. 
Æ 
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