I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 476 
To authorize funds to prevent housing discrimination through the use of 
nationwide testing, to increase funds for the Fair Housing Initiatives 
Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 13, 2009 
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. WATERS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. CLAY, 
Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 
SIRES, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PASTOR of Arizona, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. 
CARNAHAN, Mr. GONZALEZ, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To authorize funds to prevent housing discrimination through 
the use of nationwide testing, to increase funds for the 
Fair Housing Initiatives Program, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Housing Fairness Act 
of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. TESTING FOR DISCRIMINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development shall conduct a nationwide program 
of testing to— 
(1) detect and document differences in the 
treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase 
housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage 
loan, and measure patterns of adverse treatment be-
cause of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, 
disability status, or national origin of a renter, home 
buyer, or borrower; and 
(2) measure the prevalence of such discrimina-
tory practices across the housing and mortgage lend-
ing markets as a whole. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development shall enter into agreements with 
qualified fair housing enforcement organizations, as such 
organizations are defined under subsection (h) of section 
561 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 
1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616a(h)), for the purpose of conducting 
the testing required under subsection (a). 
(c) REPORT.—The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development shall report to Congress— 
(1) on a biennial basis, the results of each 
round of testing required under subsection (a) along 
with any recommendations or proposals for legisla-
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tive or administrative action to address any issues 
raised by such testing; and 
(2) on an annual basis, a detailed summary of 
the calls received by the Fair Housing Administra-
tion’s 24-hour toll-free telephone hotline. 
(d) USE OF RESULTS.—The results of any testing re-
quired under subsection (a) may be used as the basis for 
the Secretary, or any State or local government or agency, 
public or private nonprofit organization or institution, or 
other public or private entity that the Secretary has en-
tered into a contract or cooperative agreement with under 
section 561 of the Housing and Community Development 
Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616a) to commence, undertake, 
or pursue any investigation or enforcement action to rem-
edy any discrimination uncovered as a result of such test-
ing. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section: 
(1) DISABILITY STATUS.—The term ‘‘disability 
status’’ has the same meaning given the term 
‘‘handicap’’ in section 802 of the Civil Rights Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3602). 
(2) FAMILIAL STATUS.—The term ‘‘familial sta-
tus’’ has the same meaning given that term in sec-
tion 802 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3602). 
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(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provi-
sions of this section $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and 
each fiscal year thereafter. 
SEC. 3. INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR THE FAIR HOUSING INI-
TIATIVES PROGRAM. 
Section 561 of the Housing and Community Develop-
ment Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘quali-
fied’’ before ‘‘private nonprofit fair housing en-
forcement organizations,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘quali-
fied’’ before ‘‘private nonprofit fair housing en-
forcement organizations,’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the provisions of this sec-
tion $52,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 
through 2014, of which— 
‘‘(A) not less than 75 percent of such 
amounts shall be for private enforcement initia-
tives authorized under subsection (b); 
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‘‘(B) not more than 10 percent of such 
amounts shall be for education and outreach 
programs under subsection (d); and 
‘‘(C) any remaining amounts shall be used 
for program activities authorized under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—Any amount appropriated 
under this section shall remain available until ex-
pended.’’; 
(3) in subsection (h), in the matter following 
subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘and meets the cri-
teria described in subparagraphs (A) and (C)’’ after 
‘‘subparagraph (B)’’; and 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding after subparagraph (D) 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) websites and other media outlets.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or other 
public or private entities’’ and inserting ‘‘or 
other public or private nonprofit entities’’; and 
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(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘or other 
public or private entities’’ and inserting ‘‘or 
other public or private nonprofit entities’’. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development should— 
(1) fully comply with the requirements of sec-
tion 561(d) of the Housing and Community Develop-
ment Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3616a(d)) to establish, 
design, and maintain a national education and out-
reach program to provide a centralized, coordinated 
effort for the development and dissemination of the 
fair housing rights of individuals who seek to rent, 
purchase, sell, or facilitate the sale of a home; 
(2) utilize all amounts appropriated for such 
education and outreach program under section 
561(g) of such Act; and 
(3) promulgate regulations regarding the fair 
housing obligations of each recipient of Federal 
housing funds to affirmatively further fair housing, 
as that term is defined under title VIII of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). 
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SEC. 5. GRANTS TO PRIVATE ENTITIES TO STUDY HOUSING 
DISCRIMINATION. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development shall carry out a competitive 
matching grant program to assist private nonprofit orga-
nizations in— 
(1) conducting comprehensive studies that ex-
amine— 
(A) the causes of housing discrimination 
and segregation; and 
(B) the effects of housing discrimination 
and segregation on education, poverty, and eco-
nomic development; and 
(2) implementing pilot projects that test solu-
tions that will help prevent or alleviate housing dis-
crimination and segregation. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a private nonprofit organization shall— 
(1) submit an application to the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development, containing such 
information as the Secretary shall require; and 
(2) agree to provide matching non-Federal 
funds for 25 percent of the total amount of the 
grant, which matching funds may include items do-
nated on an in-kind contribution basis. 
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(c) PREFERENCE.—In awarding any grant under this 
section, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall give preference to any applicant who is— 
(1) a qualified fair housing enforcement organi-
zation, as such organization is defined under sub-
section (h) of section 561 of the Housing and Com-
munity Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 
3616a(h)); or 
(2) a partner of any such organization. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provi-
sions of this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2010 through 2014. 
Æ 
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