Title: Farmworker Housing Improvement Act of 2018
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Farmworker Housing Improvement Act of 2018
This bill modifies certain housing programs administered by the Department of Agriculture for rural farmworkers, including by increasing the maximum amount of a loan or grant that may be made under such programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7071 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7071

To reform the programs of the Secretary of Agriculture for housing for 
               rural farmworkers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2018

 Mr. Panetta introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reform the programs of the Secretary of Agriculture for housing for 
               rural farmworkers, 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 ``Farmworker Housing Improvement Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. REFORMS TO FARMWORKER HOUSING PROGRAMS.

    Section 514 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(j) Coordination With Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.--
            ``(1) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with the 
        Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and take such 
        actions as are appropriate in conjunction with such 
        consultation to simplify the coordination of rules, 
        regulations, forms, and approval requirements for multifamily 
        housing projects for which assistance is provided by the 
        Secretary in conjunction with any low-income housing tax 
        credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
        or tax-exempt housing bonds.
            ``(2) Recommendations.--In implementing the changes 
        required under this subsection, the Secretary shall solicit 
        recommendations regarding such changes from project owners and 
        sponsors, investors and stakeholders in housing tax credits, 
        State and local housing finance agencies, public housing 
        agencies, tenant advocates, and other stakeholders in such 
        projects.
            ``(3) Report.--Not later than the expiration of the 9-month 
        period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall submit a report to the 
        Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives 
        and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
        Senate that--
                    ``(A) identifies the actions taken by the Secretary 
                to comply with this subsection;
                    ``(B) includes information regarding any resulting 
                improvements in the expedited approval for multifamily 
                housing projects;
                    ``(C) identifies recommendations made pursuant to 
                paragraph (2); and
                    ``(D) makes recommendations for any legislative 
                changes that are needed to facilitate prompt approval 
                of assistance for such projects.
    ``(k) Funding Caps.--Upon the enactment of this subsection, the 
Secretary shall increase the maximum amount of a loan or grant that may 
be made under this section or section 516 to $3,000,000 and may not 
establish a maximum funding amount that is lower than such amount.
    ``(l) Notice of Funding Availability.--Any notice of funding 
availability relating to assistance under this section or section 516 
shall provide for a period for application for such funding having a 
duration not shorter than 60 days.
    ``(m) Annual Schedule of Awards of Assistance.--The Secretary shall 
establish and implement an annual schedule for notice of funding, 
submission of applications, and awards of funding for assistance under 
this section and section 516.
    ``(n) Publication of Self-Scoring Assessments.--The Secretary shall 
make publicly available on a website of the Department, with respect to 
assistance under this section and section 516--
            ``(1) the self-scoring form and assessment for such 
        assistance of the applicant;
            ``(2) a summary of the applications for such assistance and 
        such loans made and grants awarded; and
            ``(3) a description of the compliance procedures, 
        mechanisms, and activities used by the Department to monitor 
        compliance and performance of such borrowers and grantees.
    ``(o) Eligibility for Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide that 
any person not ineligible for financial assistance by reason of section 
214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
1436a) may not be denied occupancy in housing assisted under this title 
or for housing assistance under this title by reason of such person's 
citizenship or alien status.''.

SEC. 3. CONSISTENCY BETWEEN PROGRAMS.

    Section 516 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1486) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by inserting ``or any limited partnership in which the 
        general partner is a nonprofit entity,'' after ``or any Indian 
        tribe,''; and
            (2) in subsection (k)(7)(A), by striking ``any'' and 
        inserting ``limited partnership in which the general partner is 
        a nonprofit entity, or''.
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