,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gajc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #d1 #bjbj,mr4  
,kildee 7for himself and ,mr4 ,ferguson7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,financial ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
direct the ,neighborhood ,reinvestment  
,corporation with respect to the        
establishment of a national land bank   
network1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,national ,land ,bank ,network ,act 
of #bjbj 4  #b4 ,findings ,congress     
finds the following3 7#a7 ,vacant and   
abandoned properties destabilize rural1 
suburban1 and urban neighborhoods across
 the ,united ,states by creating fire   
and other public safety hazards1 driving
 down property values1 and draining     
local tax dollars4  7#b7 ,the cost of   
repairs to maintain such properties1 as 
well as the potential unpaid taxes and  
public liens on such properties1 often  
exceed the property values of such      

properties1 driving away purchasers4    
7#c7 ,additionally1 the lack of an      
insurable and marketable title          
frequently prevents such properties from
 returning to productive use4  7#d7     
,low-income neighborhoods and           
communities of color disproportionately 
bear the burden of living near such     
properties and the associated hazards4  
7#e7 ,land banks-- 7,a7 have been       
developed to respond to the challenges  
posed by such properties2 and  7,b7 are 
primarily focused on the return of      
vacant1 abandoned1 and tax delinquent   
properties to productive use in         
accordance with locally determined goals
 and priorities4  7#f7 ,land banks1     
regardless of location1 size of         
inventory1 or duration of existence1    
share challenges in accessing best      
practices1 research1 technical          
assistance1 and other resources4  #c4   
,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of 
,congress that a national land bank     
network would provide the tools         

necessary to ensure that land banks--   
7#a7 use best practices2  7#b7 operate  
transparently2  7#c7 develop            
partnerships and programming to drive   
community redevelopment forward2 and    
7#d7 access education1 expertise1 and   
research to strengthen the critical work
 of land banks in supporting equitable  
communities4  #d4 ,national land bank   
network  7a7 ,in general ,not later than
 #ahj days after the date of enactment  
of this ,act1 the ,neighborhood         
,reinvestment ,corporation shall enter  
into a contract with a national         
nonprofit organization that has         
demonstrated and established expertise  
in supporting the creation1             
implementation1 and operation of land   
banks1 as well as expertise relating to 
the systems1 laws1 and policies that    
impact vacant1 abandoned1 and other     
problem properties1 to establish and    
operate a membership-based national land
 bank network4  7b7 ,duties ,the duties 
of the national land bank network       

established under this section shall    
be-- 7#a7 to provide technical          
assistance to rural1 suburban1 and urban
 land banks who are members of the      
network to support skills training1     
staffing support1 and other operational 
capacity needs of such land banks2  7#b7
 to work with those rural1 suburban1 and
 urban communities that are considering 
whether a land bank is an appropriate   
tool to address vacancy1 abandonment1   
and other problem properties in their   
community1 and provide technical        
assistance in the formation of a local  
land bank2  7#c7 to develop partnerships
 and programming to advance the work of 
land banks2  7#d7 to provide land banks 
with access to education1 expertise1 and
 research that supports the work of land
 banks2  7#e7 to develop and administer 
grant programs to support existing land 
banks and communities in the creation of
 new land banks1 including with respect 
to the ability to design1 develop       
eligibility criteria1 and disperse grant

 funds directly2  7#f7 to work with     
rural communities and land banks to     
ensure the specific challenges of rural 
areas are addressed through the grant   
programs1 education1 expertise1 and     
research2 and  7#g7 to track and        
evaluate the activities and outcomes of 
land banks who are members of the       
network4  7c7 ,annual report ,each      
fiscal year1 the ,neighborhood          
,reinvestment ,corporation shall submit 
to ,congress a report describing1 with  
respect to the preceding fiscal year--  
7#a7 the services provided to land banks
 by the national land bank network2 and 
7#b7 the outcomes1 qualitative impacts1 
and quantifiable impacts that land banks
 who are members of the network have had
 in their respective communities4  7d7  
,authorization of appropriations ,this  
is authorized to be appropriated to the 
,neighborhood ,reinvestment ,corporation
 to carry out this section-- 7#a7       
#aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba1      
except that not less than #g1jjj1jjj    

shall be used for the grant programs    
developed and administered pursuant to  
subsection 7b77#e72 and  7#b7 #e1jjj1jjj
 for each of fiscal years #bjbb through 
#bjca4  7e7 ,land bank defined ,for     
purposes of this section1 the term land 
bank means any of the following3 7#a7 ,a
 government entity1 agency1 or program  
that has been designated by the local   
government 7or two or more local        
governments7 to acquire1 steward1 and   
dispose of vacant1 abandoned1 and other 
problem properties in line with locally 
determined goals and priorities4  7#b7  
,a nonprofit organization that has been 
designated by a local government 7or two
 or more local governments7 for the sole
 or principal purpose of acquiring1     
stewarding1 and disposing of vacant1    
abandoned1 or other problem properties  
in accordance with locally determined   
priorities and goals4