To make housing more affordable, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-hr-1737
Sponsor: Rep. Richmond, Cedric L. [D-LA-2]
Introduced: 2019-03-13 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Appropriations
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Building construction
Consumer credit
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Energy efficiency and conservation
Financial crises and stabilization
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Higher education
Housing and community development funding
Housing discrimination
Housing finance and home ownership
Housing supply and affordability
Indian social and development programs
Labor standards
Land use and conservation
Landlord and tenant
Low- and moderate-income housing
Property tax
Public contracts and procurement
Public housing
Regional and metropolitan planning
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Rural conditions and development
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Small business
Transfer and inheritance taxes
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: 

American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2019

 
This bill addresses housing affordability and availability, makes certain changes to the estate and gift taxes, and contains other related provisions.
 
The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall provide grants to (1) state and local governments that remove unnecessary barriers to building affordable units, (2) states to assist borrowers who have negative equity in their homes, (3) state housing finance agencies to construct affordable rental housing and prevent tenant displacement and harassment, and (4) eligible individuals (generally, lower income individuals who resided in low-income or historically racially segregated areas) to help them purchase their first homes.
 
The bill provides funding through FY2029 for the first-time homeowner grant program established by the bill, through FY2020 for the affordable rental housing construction program established by the bill, and through FY2020 for specified existing rural housing programs.
 
The bill also expands fair housing protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, source of income, veteran status, or an individual's perceived membership in a protected class (e.g., an individual's perceived race or sex).
 
Additionally, the bill modifies the estate tax in various ways, including by reducing the number of brackets to three, increasing the tax rates, and reducing the basic exemption amount. The bill also modifies provisions related to gift taxes and transfer taxes.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-04-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2019-03-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-03-13
text: Introduced in House