Title: Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention Act of 2018
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention Act of 2018
This bill establishes the Interagency Task Force on Enforcement of Prohibitions Against Sexual Harassment Under the Fair Housing Act and requires reporting by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Government Accountability Office on sexual harassment in federal housing-assistance programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6925 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6925

To require reporting by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
   and the Comptroller General of the United States regarding sexual 
   harassment in Federal housing assistance programs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2018

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require reporting by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
   and the Comptroller General of the United States regarding sexual 
   harassment in Federal housing assistance programs, 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 ``Sexual Harassment Awareness and 
Prevention Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. HUD REPORTS ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

    The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall include in the 
annual report required under section 809(e)(6) of the Fair Housing Act 
(42 U.S.C. 3608(e)(6)) the following information for the year involved:
            (1) The total number of complaints regarding harassment on 
        the basis of sex (as defined under the regulations of the 
        Secretary implementing such Act) that were received by the 
        Department of Housing and Urban Development and handled under 
        part 100 of the Secretary's regulations (24 C.F.R. Part 100), 
        disaggregated with respect to both number and percentage, by 
        gender, race, familial status, persons with disabilities, and 
        persons who are elderly.
            (2) The number and percentage of the total number of 
        complaints referred to in paragraph (1) that were made by 
        tenants of, and applicants for programs for, covered housing, 
        disaggregated by the program for assistance for the covered 
        housing.
            (3) For each State, the number and percentage of the total 
        number of complaints referred to in paragraph (1) that were 
        made by residents of such State.
            (4) The number and percentage of the total number of 
        complaints referred to in paragraph (1) that alleged that the 
        complainant was retaliated against after reporting the alleged 
        sexual harassment and, of such number, the number and 
        percentage that alleged that the complainant was retaliatorily 
        evicted.
            (5) The status of the complaints referred to in paragraph 
        (1), including a detailed description of the resolutions and 
        remedies provided and, for complaints that were 
        administratively closed, of the reasons for such closures.
            (6) The number and percentage of the total number of 
        complaints referred to in paragraph (1) that were handled by 
        State or local agencies assisted under the Fair Housing 
        Assistance Program authorized under sections 810 and 817 of the 
        Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3610, 3616).
            (7) The number and percentage of the total number of 
        complaints regarding harassment on the basis of sex that were 
        referred to the Department of Justice by the Department of 
        Housing and Urban Development and the number and percentage of 
        such total number of complaints handled by the Department of 
        Justice that were not referred by the Department of Housing and 
        Urban Development.

SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

    (a) Review and Analysis.--The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a review and analysis of the monitoring and 
enforcement by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the 
Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, and the 
Department of Justice, of compliance with the prohibitions under the 
Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) and applicable regulations 
regarding harassment on the basis of sex, which shall include--
            (1) identifying and determining the effectiveness of--
                    (A) any mechanisms used by the Department of 
                Housing and Urban Development, and all relevant program 
                offices of the Department, including the Office of 
                Public and Indian Housing and the Office of Community 
                Planning and Development, to identify the extent to 
                which applicants for or participants in programs for 
                covered housing are being subjected to such harassment;
                    (B) any actions that the Department of Housing and 
                Urban Development, the Department of Agriculture, the 
                Department of the Treasury, and the Department of 
                Justice, including all relevant program offices within 
                such agencies, are taking in response to complaints by 
                such applicants and participants regarding such 
                harassment to prevent such harassment in the future; 
                and
                    (C) any policies and resources, of the Department 
                of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of 
                Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, the 
                Department of Justice, including all relevant program 
                offices within such agencies, and public housing 
                agencies, that are currently in effect or are currently 
                available, respectively, to serve applicants for or 
                participants in programs for covered housing who are 
                victims of sexual harassment; and
            (2) determining whether there are differences in the 
        methods by which State and local agencies assisted under the 
        Fair Housing Assistance Program handle claims regarding 
        harassment on the basis of sex and whether such differences 
        yield different results for similar claims.
    (b) Report.--Not later than the expiration of the 18-month period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to the Congress a report 
regarding the review and analysis conducted pursuant to subsection (a), 
which shall include assessments of the effectiveness of the mechanisms 
and actions referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, of 
subsection (a) and recommendations for additional actions, as 
appropriate, to better monitor and enforce compliance with the 
prohibitions under the Fair Housing Act and applicable regulations 
regarding harassment on the basis of sex.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--Effective upon the submission to the Congress 
of the report under section 3(b), there is established an Interagency 
Task Force on Enforcement of Prohibitions Against Sexual Harassment 
Under the Fair Housing Act.
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall consist of the following 
members or their designees:
            (1) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
            (2) The Secretary of Agriculture.
            (3) The Secretary of the Treasury.
            (4) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
            (5) The Attorney General.
    (c) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
    (d) Responsibilities.--The Task Force shall be responsible for 
implementing the recommendations made in the report submitted to the 
Congress under section 3(b) and for addressing ongoing issues with 
respect to monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the 
Treasury, and the Department of Justice, of compliance with the 
prohibitions under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) and 
applicable regulations regarding harassment on the basis of sex.
    (e) Consultation.--The Task Force shall consult with tenants of 
covered housing (including tenant organizations, such as resident 
advisory boards and resident councils), tenant advocates, anti-sexual 
violence advocacy organizations, and fair housing organizations to 
solicit feedback on implementation of the recommendations made in the 
report submitted to the Congress under section 3(b) and other Task 
Force activities.
    (f) Meetings.--The Task Force shall initially convene not later 
than the expiration of the 30-day period beginning upon its 
establishment under subsection (a) and shall meet not less often than 
once each year thereafter.

SEC. 5. COVERED HOUSING.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``covered housing'' means--
            (1) housing assisted under the program for supportive 
        housing for the elderly under section 202 of the Housing Act of 
        1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q), including the direct loans program 
        under such section 202 as in effect before the enactment of the 
        Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (Public Law 
        101-625; November 28, 1990);
            (2) housing assisted under the program for supportive 
        housing for persons with disabilities under section 811 of the 
        Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
        8013);
            (3) housing assisted under the program for housing 
        opportunities for people with AIDS/HIV under subtitle D of 
        title VIII of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 12901 et seq.);
            (4) housing assisted under any of the programs under 
        subtitles B through F of title IV of the McKinney-Vento 
        Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11371 et seq.);
            (5) housing assisted under the HOME Investments 
        Partnerships program under subtitle A of title II of the 
        Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
        12741 et seq.);
            (6) housing assisted under the rent supplement program 
        under section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 
        1965 (12 U.S.C. 1701s);
            (7) housing financed by a loan or mortgage that is insured 
        under section 221(d)(3) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 
        1715l(d)(3)) that bears interest at a rate determined under the 
        proviso of paragraph (5) of such section 221(d);
            (8) housing insured, assisted, or held by the Secretary or 
        a State or State agency under the multifamily rental assistance 
        program under section 236 of the National Housing Act (12 
        U.S.C. 1715z-1);
            (9) public housing assisted under title I of the United 
        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.);
            (10) a dwelling unit assisted under the Housing Choice 
        Voucher program for rental assistance under section 8(o) of the 
        United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o));
            (11) housing assisted with project-based rental assistance 
        provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 
        1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f);
            (12) housing assisted with funds from the Housing Trust 
        Fund as established under section 1338 of the Federal Housing 
        Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 
        U.S.C. 4568);
            (13) housing assisted under any of the rural housing 
        assistance programs under section 514, 515, 516, 533, 538, or 
        542 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485, 1486, 
        1490m, 1490p-2, 1490r);
            (14) any housing project for which equity is provided 
        through any low-income housing tax credit pursuant to section 
        42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 42);
            (15) housing assisted under the Comprehensive Service 
        Programs for Homeless Veterans program under subchapter II of 
        chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code (38 U.S.C. 2011 et 
        seq.);
            (16) housing and facilities assisted under the grant 
        program for homeless veterans with special needs under section 
        2061 of title 38, United States Code;
            (17) permanent housing for which assistance is provided 
        under the program for financial assistance for supportive 
        services for very low-income veteran families in permanent 
        housing under section 2044 of title 38, United States Code; and
            (18) housing assisted under such other Federal housing 
        programs, and federally subsidized dwelling units providing 
        affordable housing to low-income persons by means of restricted 
        rents or rental assistance, as may be identified for purposes 
        of this section by the appropriate agency.
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