Title: Eviction Prevention Act of 2018
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Eviction Prevention Act of 2018
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to states to provide legal counsel to low-income individuals in civil actions related to evictions.
The Government Accountability Office must study and report to Congress on evictions in the United States, including the rate of legal representation of tenants and landlords, the effect of full representation on eviction cases, and the potential cost savings from providing representation.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6942 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6942

 To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States to provide 
  the right to counsel in civil actions related to eviction, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States to provide 
  the right to counsel in civil actions related to eviction, 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 ``Eviction Prevention Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR STATES TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO COUNSEL IN CIVIL ACTIONS 
              RELATED TO EVICTION.

    (a) Authorization.--The Attorney General, acting through the Office 
for Access to Justice, is authorized to make grants to States to 
provide eligible individuals with access to counsel in civil actions 
related to eviction.
    (b) Use of Funds.--A State that receives a grant under this section 
shall use such funds to hire attorneys in positions that are dedicated 
solely to providing counsel described in subsection (a).
    (c) Application.--A State seeking an application under this section 
shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General 
may reasonably require, including--
            (1) the rate of eviction for that State; and
            (2) during the previous year, the number of individuals 
        subject to eviction in that State who were not represented by 
        an attorney in eviction proceedings.
    (d) Amount of Grant.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, a grant under this section shall be in an amount that 
is not less than $1,000,000, and which amount is determined based on 
the rate of eviction in that State, compared to the national average 
rate of eviction, as determined by the rates of eviction included with 
each application under subsection (c).
    (e) Eligible Individual.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
individual'' means an individual whose income is less than the area 
median income, as calculated by the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, for the area in which the individual resides.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $125,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2019 through 2023.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study 
and submit a report to Congress on evictions in the United States, 
including an analysis of ways in which the legal system fails to 
provide sufficient protections from eviction for tenants, the rate of 
representation of tenants and landlords, the effect of full 
representation on default rates, case outcomes, and eviction dockets as 
compared to cases where the tenant lacks representation or has pro se 
assistance, and the potential cost savings from providing 
representation.
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