Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8886
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2020-12-07
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses

Civil actions and liability

Landlord and tenant
Latest action: action_date: 2020-12-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-12-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act of 2020 </b></p> <p>This bill prohibits a landlord, during a national emergency, from (1) evicting a tenant without a court order, (2) creating a hostile environment for a tenant for the purpose of causing the tenant to vacate, or (3) impairing the habitability of a dwelling for the purpose of causing the tenant to vacate. Violators are subject to criminal and civil penalties.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8886 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 7, 2020 Mr. Cohen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for prohibitions on eviction, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Emergency Eviction Enforcement Act of 2020 . 2. Prohibitions on eviction (a) In general Part 1 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 125. Prohibitions on eviction 2741. Prohibition on eviction during national emergency. 2741. Prohibition on eviction during national emergency (a) Civil action Any person injured by a violation of this section may bring a cause of action for injunctive relief and damages equal to three times to amount of the injury, and may be awarded attorneys’ fees. (b) In general Whoever, being a lessor of a covered dwelling, knowingly— (1) repossesses or physically attempts to repossess a covered dwelling from a tenant of the covered dwelling without a duly issued order from a court of jurisdiction; (2) threatens, harasses, intimidates, or creates a hostile environment for a tenant of a covered dwelling for the purpose of causing the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling; or (3) impairs the habitability of a covered dwelling (including suspending utility service, changing locks, refusing to repair structure, plumbing, electrical, ventilation systems, maintain appliances in state of good repair) for the purpose of causing the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling, shall be punished as provided in subsection (c). (c) Punishments Whoever violates subsection (b) shall— (1) for a first offense, be imprisoned not more than 1 year or fined under this title, or both; and (2) for each subsequent offense, be imprisoned for not more than 5 years or fined under this title, or both. (d) Definition In this section, the term dwelling — (1) has the meaning given the term in section 802 of the Fair Housing Act ( 42 U.S.C. 3602 ); and (2) includes houses and dwellings described in section 803(b) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 3603(b) ). For purposes of this section, a dwelling shall be located in an area designated by the President as a national emergency, for the duration of the designation, under the National Emergencies Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d ), or Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). . (b) Clerical amendment The table of chapters for such part is amended by adding at the end the following: 125. Prohibitions on eviction 2741 .