Renter Protection Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3913 | Sponsor: Rep. McHenry, Patrick T. (R-NC)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Renter Protection Act of 2021
This bill limits the use and availability of assistance provided under certain emergency rental assistance programs created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, rental assistance not yet used by grantees to assist eligible households as of July 1, 2021, must only be used for rental arrears after this date, and not for rent, utilities and home energy costs and arrears, or other expenses as allowed under current law. Further, the bill changes the deadline for distribution of these funds from September 30, 2022, to December 31, 2021.

To provide for expedited payment of emergency rental assistance funds, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Renter Protection Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) ARPA Funds.--Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of 
section 3201 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 
9058c(a)(1)), amounts made available under subsection (a)(1) of such 
section shall be subject to the following requirements:
            (1) Payment.--Any amounts allocated to an eligible grantee 
        that, as of July 1, 2021, have not been paid to the eligible 
        grantee shall be paid (but not reallocated) to the eligible 
        grantee in accordance with section 501(b) of subtitle A of 
        title V of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
        2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058a(b)), except that such section 
        501(b)(1)(A)(i) shall be applied to such amounts by 
        substituting ``the Renter Protection Act of 2021'' for ``this 
        section''.
            (2) Use for rental arrears; treatment.--Any amounts 
        described in paragraph (1) and any amounts that have been paid 
        to an eligible grantee under such section 3201 but have not 
        been used, as of July 1, 2021, to assist an eligible household, 
        shall be--
                    (A) used only to provide financial assistance 
                specified in paragraph (6) of section 501(c) of 
                subtitle A of title V of division N of the Consolidated 
                Appropriations Act, 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058a(c)(6)), as 
                added by subsection (b) of this section; and
                    (B) treated as having been paid to such eligible 
                grantee pursuant to such section 501(a) and shall be 
                subject to the provisions of such section 501, as 
                amended by this section, except to the extent 
                inconsistent with this section.
    (b) Requirement To Use Consolidated Appropriations Act Funds for 
Rental Arrears.--Subsection (c) of section 501 of subtitle A of title V 
of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (15 U.S.C. 
9058a(c)), is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(6) Requirement to use assistance for rental arrears.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, 
        effective July 1, 2021, any funds paid to an eligible grantee 
        pursuant to subsection (a) that have not been used to assist an 
        eligible household shall be used only to provide financial 
        assistance to eligible households solely for the payment of 
        rent arrears under paragraph (2)(A)(ii) of this subsection.''.
    (c) Availability of Funds.--Paragraph (1) of section 501(e) of 
subtitle A of title V of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9058a(e)(1)), is amended by striking ``September 
30, 2022'' and inserting ``December 31, 2021''.
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