Responsibility Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 13661 et seq.; 
relating to safety and security in public and assisted 
housing) or this section, shall provide each applicant, 
at the time of application, the written notice re-
quired pursuant to section 576(f)(1) of such Act, 
which notice shall be provided in multiple languages, 
consistent with guidance issued by the Secretary in 
accordance with Executive Order 13166 (42 U.S.C. 
2000d–1 note; relating to access to services for per-
sons with limited English proficiency).’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘In addition’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(ii) SCREENING.—In addition’’; 
(4) by inserting after the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘A public housing agency’s elective screen-
ing shall be limited to criteria that are directly re-
lated to an applicant’s ability to fulfill the obliga-
tions of an assisted lease and shall consider miti-
gating circumstances presented by such applicant. 
The preceding sentence shall not limit the authority 
of a public housing agency to deny assistance based 
on the criminal background of the applicant or any 
member of the applicant’s household, or any other 
permissible grounds for denial under subtitle F of 
title V of the Quality Housing and Work Responsi-
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bility Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 13661 et seq.; relating 
to safety and security in public and assisted hous-
ing), subject to the procedural requirements of this 
section. Any applicant or participant determined to 
be ineligible for admission or continued participation 
to the program shall be promptly notified of the 
basis for such determination and provided, within a 
reasonable time after the determination, an oppor-
tunity for an informal hearing on such determina-
tion at which mitigating circumstances presented by 
the applicant, including remedial conduct subsequent 
to the conduct that is the basis of such determina-
tion, shall be considered. Such notice shall be pro-
vided in multiple languages, consistent with guidance 
issued by the Secretary in accordance with Executive 
Order 13166 (42 U.S.C. 2000d–1 note; relating to 
access to services for persons with limited English 
proficiency)’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iii) 
EXISTING
ASSISTED
FAMI-
LIES.—Previously assisted or subsidized 
families being provided with tenant protec-
tion assistance authorized by law (includ-
ing tenant protection vouchers, enhanced 
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vouchers under subsection (t), or project- 
based vouchers under subsection (o)(13)), 
families who are porting their vouchers to 
a new jurisdiction, and assisted families 
who are moving to redeveloped public hous-
ing, shall not be considered new applicants 
under this paragraph and shall not be sub-
ject to elective re-screening by a public 
housing agency.’’. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.—Section 8(q)(2)(B) of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(q)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting before the semi-
colon the following: ‘‘, except that persons who have exited 
a jail or prison shall be considered, for purposes of this 
subparagraph, to be experiencing difficulty in obtaining 
appropriate housing under the programs’’. 
SEC. 8. SCREENING AND TERMINATION OF TENANCY IN 
RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS. 
(a) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall— 
(1) revise the regulations of the Secretary re-
garding screening of applicants for admission to 
housing assisted, and for housing assistance, under 
the covered rural housing programs (as such term is 
defined in subsection (b)) to provide that such regu-
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lations are substantially similar to the regulations of 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
relating to screening of applicants for admission to 
federally assisted housing, and to programs for 
housing assistance; and 
(2) revise the regulations of the Secretary re-
garding termination of tenancy in housing assisted, 
and termination of housing assistance, under the 
covered rural housing programs to provide that such 
regulations are substantially similar to the regula-
tions of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment relating to termination of tenancy in feder-
ally assisted housing, and termination of housing as-
sistance. 
(b) COVERED RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS.—For 
purposes of this section, the term ‘‘covered rural housing 
programs’’ means— 
(1) the program under section 515 of the Hous-
ing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1485) for rural rental 
and cooperative housing; 
(2) the loan and grant programs under sections 
514 and 516 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1486) 
for farm labor housing; 
(3) the program under section 533 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1490M) for housing preservation grants; 
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(4) the program under section 538 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1490p–2) for loan guarantees for multi-
family rural rental housing; 
(5) the program under section 521(a) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1490a) for rural housing rental as-
sistance; and 
(6) the program under section 542 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1490r) for rural housing rental voucher 
assistance. 
(c) TIMING; CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall issue the revised regulations required under 
paragraph (1)— 
(1) after consultation with the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development; and 
(2) not later than the expiration of the 180-day 
period that begins upon the conclusion of the period 
specified in section 10 of this Act. 
SEC. 9. CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM UNDER MCKIN-
NEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT. 
(a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Section 427(b)(1)(B) of 
the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11386a(b)(1)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (iv)(VI), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
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