,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cjcj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ab1 #bjai,mr4 ,bennet 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,portman1 ,mr4 ,young1 and ,mr4 ,brown7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development to establish a national evictions database1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,eviction ,crisis ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 based on the best available data1 hundreds of thousands1 and potentially millions1 of individuals and families in the ,united ,states face eviction each year2 7#b7 collecting more comprehensive and consistent data through a national eviction database would foster a better understanding of the causes and contours of the eviction crisis as well as what efforts should be made to prevent evictions that are costly to tenants1 landlords1 and communities or to mitigate the consequences of evictions when they are unavoidable2 7#c7 expanded landlord-tenant community courts can offer services that help tenants become current again on their obligations or offer alternatives to eviction that avoid homelessness or housing instability2 7#d7 emergency assistance programs that provide short-term support to tenants facing a temporary emergency can also help prevent evictions and homelessness for low-income households2 7#e7 past evictions or eviction filings can contribute to the cycle of poverty by appearing on credit reports1 and tenants have a right to know whether a tenant screening report contains inaccurate data that may impede their ability to pass a background check and secure a stable home2 7#f7 the ,legal ,services ,corporation1 established in #aigd under the ,legal ,services ,corporation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #biif et seq47 and funded by ,congress to provide grants for free civil legal aid1 has documented-- 7,a7 the ongoing justice gap in which #hf percent of the civil legal problems reported by low-income people in the ,united ,states1 including housing-related legal issues1 are handled with inadequate or no assistance from an attorney or other legal professional2 and 7,b7 that more than #ej percent of the legal problems presented to legal aid organizations funded by the ,legal ,services ,corporation receive only limited or no legal assistance due to lack of resources2 7#g7 the ,national ,center for ,access to ,justice determined that in #gi percent of housing cases1 the tenants are not represented by a lawyer2 and 7#h7 funding for the ,legal ,services ,corporation must be substantially increased to enable grantees of the ,legal ,services ,corporation to provide legal assistance to all people facing residential eviction who cannot afford adequate counsel4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrative eviction ,the term administrative eviction means a ruling in favor of the landlord in an administrative forum within a public housing agency1 such as grievance procedures1 to recover possession of residential property from a tenant1 including a tenant residing in a public housing dwelling unit or receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f74 7#b7 ,court-ordered eviction ,the term court-ordered eviction means a court ruling in favor of the landlord in a legal action to recover possession of residential property from a tenant1 including a tenant residing in a public housing dwelling unit or receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f74 7#c7 ,department ,the term ,department means the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7#d7 ,eviction filing ,the term eviction filing means a filing by a landlord with the court of jurisdiction to initiate a legal action to recover possession of residential property from a tenant1 including a tenant residing in a public housing dwelling unit or receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f74 7#e7 ,executed eviction ,the term executed eviction means a court order carried out by a sheriff's office or other law enforcement agency that resulted in the landlord recovering possession of residential property from a tenant1 including a tenant residing in a public housing dwelling unit or receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f74 7#f7 ,illegal eviction ,the term illegal eviction means self-help measures taken outside of the legal process for eviction to recover possession of residential property from a tenant1 including a tenant residing in a public housing dwelling unit or receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f71 such as-- 7,a7 willfully interrupting or permitting the interruption of essential items of services required by the rental agreement2 7,b7 blocking or attempting to block the entry of a tenant upon the premises2 7,c7 changing the locks or removing the front door of the premises2 7,d7 removing the belongings of a tenant2 and 7,e7 any other action defined as a self-help eviction under ,state landlord-tenant law4 7#g7 ,local ordinance impacting eviction ,the term local ordinance impacting eviction means a local ordinance that is designed to address the number of emergency services calls resulting from assault1 sexual harassment1 stalking1 disorderly conduct1 or another type of behavior1 situation1 or condition that results in the need for emergency services1 that results in loss of housing or limit the housing opportunities for victims of crime1 including victims of domestic violence1 or individuals with disabilities who may require emergency services1 abnegating local landlord-tenant law by-- 7,a7 requiring1 encouraging1 or permitting the eviction of a tenant or resident because of a certain number of calls for emergency services2 7,b7 requiring1 encouraging1 or permitting the eviction of a tenant or resident because of an arrest even though the arrest has not resulted in the conviction of that tenant or resident2 or 7,c7 requiring1 encouraging1 or permitting the eviction of a tenant or resident because of criminal activity occurring at or near the place of residence of the tenant or resident for which that tenant or resident has not been convicted4 7#h7 ,public housing2 public housing agency ,the terms public housing and public housing agency have the meanings given those terms in section #c7;b7 of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;a7b774 7#i7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 #d4 ,landlord-tenant focused community courts 7a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general1 acting through the ,bureau of ,justice ,assistance1 shall award grants to ,states and local jurisdictions to support landlord-tenant focused community courts that offer a process with social service representatives who are available to provide assistance to tenants4 7b7 ,goals for process ,the process described in subsection 7a7 is-- 7#a7 intended to-- 7,a7 divert landlords and tenants from proceeding with a court-ordered eviction1 which places costly burdens on landlords1 tenants1 the court system1 and taxpayers2 and 7,b7 help tenants who have fallen behind become current again on their obligations or transition tenants to a new stable home environment without losing access to benefits and other support for which they are eligible2 and 7#b7 not intended to keep tenants in housing that they will be unable to afford4 7c7 ,diversity requirement ,in making grants under this section1 the ,attorney ,general shall ensure that landlord-tenant focused community courts-- 7#a7 are assisted in jurisdictions that serve urban areas1 suburban areas1 and rural areas2 7#b7 are assisted in serving communities that have high rates of eviction and eviction filings or a large total number of evictions and eviction filings1 based on the best available data2 7#c7 provide assistance to individuals with limited ,english proficiency2 7#d7 provide effective communication with individuals with disabilities2 and 7#e7 are located in facilities that are accessible to individuals with disabilities4 7d7 ,application ,a ,state or local jurisdiction desiring a grant under this section shall submit to the ,attorney ,general an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing-- 7#a7 a demonstrated unmet need in the community for a landlord-tenant community court2 7#b7 evidence of support from representatives of various and diverse stakeholders within the community1 including renters' rights groups1 landlords1 and legal aid nonprofit organizations2 7#c7 a detailed description of how the grant will be spent2 7#d7 a detailed description of how the landlord-tenant community court will interact with the existing landlord-tenant justice system of the ,state or local jurisdiction1 as applicable1 including a description of which cases will be diverted to the landlord-tenant community court2 7#e7 a description of any local ordinance impacting eviction2 7#f7 a description of how the landlord-tenant community court will not be designed to lengthen the process of pursuing a legitimate eviction1 limit the access of landlords to the traditional justice system1 or curtail the right of landlords to evict2 and 7#g7 any other information as the ,attorney ,general may require1 including information sought in consultation with the ,secretary4 7e7 ,data ,beginning #a year after the date on which a ,state or local jurisdiction receives a grant under this section1 and not later than #b years after that date1 the ,state or local jurisdiction1 as applicable1 shall submit to the ,attorney ,general and the ,secretary a report containing-- 7#a7 any aggregate data on landlord-tenant cases filed in that ,state or local jurisdiction as the ,attorney ,general or the ,secretary may require2 7#b7 the data described in subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 of section #e7;b77#a7 and section #e7;b77#b71 as applicable2 and 7#c7 any other information as the ,attorney ,general or the ,secretary may require4 7f7 ,awarding grants ,the ,attorney ,general may award grants under this section in #c rounds1 with not fewer than #e grants awarded in the first round4 7g7 ,matching requirement 7#a7 ,in general ,as a condition of a grant provided under this section1 the ,attorney ,general shall require the recipient of the grant to contribute an amount equal to or more than the amount of the grant1 obtained solely from non-,federal sources4 7#b7 ,form ,in addition to cash or other direct funding1 the contribution required by the ,attorney ,general under paragraph 7#a7 may include indirect costs or in-kind contributions paid for under non-,federal programs4 7h7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section4 #e4 ,national database of evictions 7a7 ,establishment of database ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish and maintain a database that-- 7#a7 is accessible to the ,office of ,policy ,development and ,research and the ,office of ,fair ,housing and ,equal ,opportunity of the ,department and other employees of the ,department as determined necessary by the ,secretary2 7#b7 includes the data described in subsection 7b7 with respect to court-ordered evictions1 administrative evictions1 and illegal evictions in the ,united ,states2 and 7#c7 ensures appropriate security to prevent improper disclosure of that data4 7b7 ,contents ,the database established under subsection 7a7 shall contain the following data3 7#a7 ,data on each court-ordered or administrative eviction ,with respect to each court-ordered or administrative eviction case filed on or after the date on which the database is established3 7,a7 ,information on the tenant who is the defendant1 including-- 7i7 the name of the tenant2 7ii7 the address of the residential property and the type of housing2 7iii7 the number of household members residing in the property1 including the number of children2 and 7iv7 whether the tenant is a recipient of tenant-based or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f74 7,b7 ,information on the landlord who filed the court-ordered or administrative eviction case1 including-- 7i7 the name of the landlord2 7ii7 the name of the attorney or legally permitted representative of the landlord1 or an indication that the landlord was self-represented2 7iii7 any amount that the landlord alleges that the tenant owes1 including any penalties and attorney's fees2 and 7iv7 any costs incurred by the landlord for engaging in the eviction process1 including-- 7,i7 court costs1 such as filing fees2 7,,ii7 the cost of legal representation2 and 7,,iii7 the cost to set out a tenant4 7,c7 ,procedural data on the court-ordered or administrative eviction case1 including-- 7i7 the date1 if applicable1 on which the tenant was served with a notice to quit2 7ii7 the date of the initial court filing by the landlord2 7iii7 the reason why the landlord filed for eviction1 such as nonpayment or breach of lease2 7iv7 whether the eviction was as a result of the enforcement of a local ordinance impacting eviction2 7v7 the final outcome of the court-ordered or administrative eviction case1 including-- 7,i7 the disposition of the case1 including whether the initial hearing resulted in a default judgment1 dismissal1 consent agreement1 settlement1 or trial2 7,,ii7 the date of final disposition2 7,,iii7 any amount owed to the landlord or tenant1 if any1 and over what time period2 7,,iv7 whether a judgment was made in favor of the tenant for code violations or warranty of habitability claims2 7,v7 the overall outcome of the case1 including whether the tenant paid any amounts to the landlord and whether the tenant stayed in the housing or was evicted from the housing2 and 7,,vi7 whether the tenant had legal representation and the nature of that representation1 including a lawyer1 a law student participating in a clinic1 or another non-lawyer trained to represent clients in landlord-tenant court1 or whether the tenant was a lawyer representing himself or herself2 7vi7 the total court fees incurred by the tenant1 separated into categories of fees2 7vii7 the total court fees incurred by the landlord2 7viii7 whether the landlord had appeared in landlord-tenant court for a court-ordered or administrative eviction matter involving the landlord in the #f month1 #a year1 or #b year-period preceding the court-ordered or administrative eviction case2 and 7ix7 whether the tenant had appeared in landlord-tenant court for a court-ordered or administrative eviction matter involving the landlord in the #f month1 #a year1 or #b year-period preceding the court-ordered or administrative eviction case4 7#b7 ,aggregate data on court-ordered or administrative eviction cases ,aggregate data on court-ordered or administrative eviction cases filed on or after the date on which the database is established1 including-- 7,a7 the total number of cases filed1 including a breakdown by-- 7i7 the number of cases filed for nonpayment1 other breach of lease1 both nonpayment and breach of lease1 and any other reason2 7ii7 the number of cases filed because of the enforcement of a local ordinance impacting eviction2 and 7iii7 the outcome of the dispositive hearing1 including default judgment1 dismissal1 a consent agreement1 a trial1 and a settlement with or without mediation2 7,b7 the number of tenants and landlords who showed up for the dispositive hearing of a court-ordered or an administrative eviction case1 and how many were represented by counsel2 7,c7 the average duration of a court-ordered or an administrative eviction case1 including the average time from filing to first hearing2 7,d7 the average amount allegedly owed by a tenant1 per landlord2 7,e7 the average months of rent allegedly owed by a tenant2 7,f7 the average amount paid by a tenant to resolve the case and stay in the housing2 7,g7 the number of court-ordered or administrative eviction cases resulting in a judgment in favor of the tenant due to code violations or warranty of habitability claims2 7,h7 the number and percentage of court-ordered or administrative eviction cases broken down by age bracket2 7,i7 the number and percentage of court-ordered or administrative eviction cases with a tenant or household with children2 7,j7 the number of tenants evicted from public housing1 broken down by each public housing agency2 7,k7 the number of tenants evicted from dwelling units who were receiving tenant-based assistance or project-based assistance under section #h of the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;f72 and 7,l7 the number of court-ordered or administrative eviction or cases where late fees were collected from tenants by landlords1 and the average amount of late fees in those cases4 7#c7 ,data on executed evictions ,local law enforcement or any other official who executes an eviction shall report to the adjudicating court or administrative forum sufficient data on each executed eviction1 such that the court may determine which court-ordered or administrative evictions resulted in a law enforcement officer or other local official removing the tenant4 7#d7 ,data on tenant status following a court-ordered or administrative eviction ,each court or administrative forum responsible for adjudicating evictions should contact landlords to determine whether tenants who were the subject of a court-ordered or administrative eviction were removed or remained in the property #ij days after the court-ordered or administrative eviction4 7#e7 ,data on each illegal eviction ,with respect to each illegal eviction occurring on or after the date on which the database is established1 as reported by local governments and nonprofit organizations receiving grants under section #f3 7,a7 ,the data described in paragraph 7#a77;,a74 7,b7 ,information on the landlord1 including-- 7i7 the name of the landlord2 and 7ii7 any amount that the landlord alleges that the tenant owes1 including any penalties4 7,c7 ,the reason the tenant was evicted4 7,d7 ,if the tenant was evicted for nonpayment1 the amount owed4 7,e7 ,if the tenant was evicted for nonpayment1 the total number of months owed4 7,f7 ,whether the tenant was evicted because of the enforcement of a local ordinance impacting eviction4 7#f7 ,aggregate data on illegal evictions ,aggregate data on illegal eviction cases occurring on or after the date on which the database is established1 as reported by local governments and nonprofit organizations receiving grants under section #f1 including-- 7,a7 the average amount owed by a tenant1 per landlord2 7,b7 the average months of rent owed by a tenant2 7,c7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases broken down by age bracket2 7,d7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases with a tenant or household with children2 7,e7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases broken down by race and ethnicity2 7,f7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases broken down by gender2 7,g7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases broken down by disability status2 and 7,h7 the number and percentage of illegal eviction cases based on the enforcement of a local ordinance impacting eviction4 7c7 ,submission of data 7#a7 ,submission by courts ,not later than ,march #a of each year1 the ,attorney ,general of each ,state shall submit to the ,secretary data on court-ordered eviction cases that occurred in that ,state during the preceding calendar year for inclusion in the database established under this section4 7#b7 ,submission to ,secretary 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general of the ,state shall-- 7i7 ensure the accuracy and consistency of the data submitted under paragraph 7#a72 and 7ii7 upon receipt of the data1 aggregate the data and report the individual and aggregate data to the ,secretary in a timely manner4 7,b7 ,submission by courts ,if the ,attorney general of the ,state fails to submit the data described in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,secretary in a timely manner under subparagraph 7,a71 the clerk of each ,state or local court that handles landlord-tenant cases may submit the data directly to the ,secretary4 7d7 ,guidelines ,the ,secretary shall promulgate rules and establish guidelines for the submission of data under subsection 7c7 and publication of data in the database established under this section1 which shall include-- 7#a7 a technological solution that provides a single point of entry for data submissions to reduce the burden on clerks of the courts2 7#b7 in consultation with local governments and judges1 appropriate safeguards for protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information of vulnerable populations1 which shall incorporate confidentiality measures to ensure that any personally identifiable information regarding a tenant who is a victim of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking is not disclosed during the process of data submission and publication2 7#c7 standards for-- 7,a7 external researchers to be granted permission to access data in the database1 including both aggregate data and1 if necessary for the conduct of their research1 personally identifiable information1 with appropriate safeguards to ensure identities are protected in any publicly released analysis2 7,b7 the establishment of a research data center to support analysis of that data2 and 7,c7 using generally accepted statistical principles to validate the data1 in consultation with outside participants2 7#d7 methods for collecting data required under subsection 7b7 that are not currently collected2 7#e7 establishing definitions for terms related to the eviction process based on how they are legally defined by courts of jurisdiction handling eviction cases2 and 7#f7 standards for local officials to identify and designate social services agencies that may access the database to provide targeted social services to those tenants4 7e7 ,annual reports ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and each year thereafter1 the ,secretary shall make publicly available a report on the contents of the database established under this section4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section4 #f4 ,grant program to collect data on illegal evictions 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to set up programs to collect data from landlords on illegal evictions in the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd to provide grants under this section4 #g4 ,advisory ,committee 7a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be known as the ,committee on ,eviction ,research 7in this section referred to as the ,committee7 to advise the ,secretary on matters relating to-- 7#a7 the creation1 operation1 maintenance1 methodology1 and privacy matters of the statistical efforts relating to the database established under section #e2 7#b7 developing a research agenda to determine the causes and consequences of evictions2 and 7#c7 illuminating policies or practices that reduce the number of evictions or mitigate the consequences of evictions4 7b7 ,membership 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,committee shall be composed of #ad members who shall be appointed by the ,secretary1 in consultation with the chair and ranking member of the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate and the chair and ranking member of the ,committee on ,financial ,services of the ,house of ,representatives1 of whom-- 7,a7 #b members shall be employees of the ,department with expertise in housing data and an interest in issues relating to evictions and housing instability2 7,b7 #b member shall be representatives of landlords2 7,c7 #e members shall be from the academic or research community2 7,d7 #c members shall be from civil society1 of whom not less than #b shall be from entities that advocate for civil rights related to housing or eviction2 and 7,e7 #b members shall be from private industry1 civil society1 or the academic community with backgrounds in data science and privacy4 7#b7 ,chair ,the ,secretary shall appoint a chair of the ,committee from among the members of the ,committee4 7#c7 ,period of appointment2 vacancies 7,a7 ,in general ,a member of the ,committee shall be appointed for a period of #b years4 7,b7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy in the ,committee-- 7i7 shall not affect the powers of the ,committee2 and 7ii7 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment4 7c7 ,meetings ,the ,committee shall meet-- 7#a7 in person not less frequently than twice each year2 and 7#b7 via teleconference not less frequently than once every #b months4 7d7 ,powers ,in carrying out the duties of the ,committee1 the ,committee may-- 7#a7 hold such hearings1 sit1 and act at such times and places1 take such testimony1 and receive such evidence as the ,committee determines to be appropriate2 7#b7 issue reports1 guidelines1 and memoranda2 7#c7 hold or host conferences and symposia2 7#d7 enter into cooperative agreements with third-party experts to obtain relevant advice or expertise1 and oversee staff2 7#e7 establish subcommittees2 and 7#f7 establish rules of procedure4 7e7 ,gifts ,the ,committee may accept1 use1 and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property4 7f7 ,travel expenses ,the members of the ,committee shall be allowed travel expenses1 including per diem in lieu of subsistence1 at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter ,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of service for the ,committee4 7g7 ,staff 7#a7 ,in general ,the chair of the ,committee may1 without regard to the civil service laws 7including regulations71 appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the ,commission to perform its duties1 except that the employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the ,commission4 7#b7 ,compensation ,the chair of the ,committee may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 relating to classification of positions and ,general ,schedule pay rates1 except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of that title4 7h7 ,report ,not later than #ij days after the date on which the ,committee terminates1 the ,committee shall submit to the ,secretary a report containing-- 7#a7 recommendations for statistical efforts relating to the database established under section #e1 including how additional data may potentially be collected1 consistent with civil rights protections1 to understand eviction trends by race1 gender1 disability status1 ethnicity1 age1 and immigration status2 and 7#b7 a research agenda to determine the causes and consequences of evictions and to illuminate policies or practices that reduce the number of evictions or mitigate the consequences of evictions1 including an assessment of the housing challenges resulting from the prohibition on public housing participation due to the prior eviction of an individual4 7i7 ,no additional funds ,the amounts necessary to carry out this section shall be derived from amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the ,secretary4 #h4 ,emergency assistance fund grant program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a competitive grant program under which the ,secretary shall award grants to ,states1 local1 and ,tribal governments to establish crisis assistance programs to prevent extremely low-income households from experiencing housing instability1 including an imminent risk of eviction or homelessness1 by providing short-term financial assistance and housing stabilization services4 7b7 ,designation ,a ,state1 local1 or ,tribal government that receives a grant under this section may designate #a or more entities to carry out programs in accordance with this section4 7c7 ,household eligibility ,a household that is eligible to receive assistance under a program established by a recipient of a grant under this section 7in this section referred to as an eligible household7 shall-- 7#a7 be extremely low-income1 with an income at or below the ,federal poverty limit or #cj percent of the area median income1 whichever is higher2 and 7#b7 demonstrate to the grant recipient that the household is at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability and is experiencing a short-term crisis1 which may include-- 7,a7 a past due utility or rent notice or eviction notice2 7,b7 a decline in household income2 7,c7 a family or health crisis2 7,d7 unexpected expenses2 7,e7 unsafe or unhealthy living conditions2 and 7,f7 any other event as determined by the ,secretary4 7d7 ,limitation ,an eligible household may not receive assistance under this section for more than one #ij-;day period during each calendar year4 7e7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in general ,a recipient of a grant under this section shall-- 7,a7 use grant amounts to help eligible households overcome a short-term crisis impacting housing stability and provide financial assistance and housing stability-related services to those eligible households2 and 7,b7 evaluate the eligibility of households in a manner consistent with ,federal nondiscrimination requirements4 7#b7 ,financial assistance ,not less than #ge percent of amounts received by a recipient of a grant under this section shall be used to provide financial assistance to eligible households1 including the payment of rent1 utilities1 and other housing-related expenses4 7#c7 ,housing stability-related services ,not more than #be percent of amounts received by a recipient of a grant under this section shall be used to provide housing stability-related services to eligible households1 including-- 7,a7 services for case management1 including community resources to negotiate and resolve non-financial1 non-legal issues to keep individuals and families housed2 7,b7 rehousing services2 7,c7 services to connect those eligible households to other public supports1 including long-term housing assistance2 and 7,d7 referrals to other services for behavioral1 emotional1 and mental health issues1 domestic violence1 child welfare issues1 employment1 substance abuse treatment1 or other services4 7#d7 ,evaluation ,not more than #e percent of amounts received by a recipient of a grant under this section may be used to conduct rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of the activities of the recipient in preventing housing instability4 7#e7 ,administrative costs ,grant amounts shall not be used by a recipient of a grant under this section to cover administrative costs that are not incurred in carrying out paragraph 7#b71 7#c71 or 7#d74 7f7 ,criteria ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 shall develop criteria to evaluate each application for a grant under this section1 which shall-- 7#a7 include consideration of-- 7,a7 the need within the community to be served by the applicant for a program described in subsection 7a72 7,b7 the capacity and interest of the applicant in delivering housing stability interventions and connecting eligible households to other public benefits2 7,c7 the prior performance of the applicant in providing similar forms of assistance1 including whether the applicant1 in providing those similar forms of assistance1 has any unresolved1 systemic civil rights violations2 7,d7 a demonstration of collaboration with other entities that provide resources to help eligible households eligible under a program established using grant amounts2 7,e7 a demonstration of support from local elected officials1 community leaders1 residents1 and other key stakeholders1 including as civil rights organizations2 7,f7 a comprehensive plan to improve housing stability among not less than #a at-risk population2 7,g7 the interest in and willingness of the applicant to conduct a rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs to be established using grant amounts2 7,h7 the estimated impact of the programs to be established by the applicant2 7,i7 a commitment to provide new matching funds from non-,federal sources as required under subsection 7g72 and 7,j7 such other factors as the ,secretary may require2 and 7#b7 ensure geographic diversity among the grantees4 7g7 ,matching amounts 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a sliding scale for matching funding requirements under this section1 based on the size and resources of the jurisdiction1 except that each grantee shall provide new matching funds of not less than #be percent of the grant amount from non-,federal sources4 7#b7 ,form ,subject to paragraph 7#c71 a grantee shall provide matching funds in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution4 7#c7 ,limitations on in-kind contributions ,a grantee may provide matching funds under paragraph 7#a7 in the form of an in-kind contribution for the cash value of services provided a community served by a grantee by an entity other than the grantee only if there is a memorandum of understanding between the grantee and the other entity that those services will be provided4 7h7 ,continuous improvement ,the ,secretary shall establish a process that incorporates findings from rigorous evaluations of programs established by grant recipients under this section into the design of subsequent grant competitions4 7i7 ,evaluation of grantees 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 evaluate each recipient of a grant under this section using information requested by the ,secretary1 including an evaluation of-- 7i7 the ease with which eligible households are able to access assistance2 7ii7 the effectiveness of the programs' intervention models in preventing housing instability in general and for eligible households of different types and income levels2 7iii7 the cost-effectiveness of the programs2 and 7iv7 other indicators as determined by the ,secretary2 7,b7 publicly disseminate1 through internet websites and other means1 interim findings as soon as they become available relating to programs established by recipients of a grant under this section2 and 7,c7 make the evaluations described in subparagraph 7,a7 publicly available4 7j7 ,report ,not later than #e years after the establishment of the competitive grant program under this section1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,financial ,services of the ,house of ,representatives and publish in the ,federal ,register a report-- 7#a7 evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies pursued under the grant program2 and 7#b7 that includes recommendations for any necessary changes to law and a plan to expand the grant program to the scale necessary to address housing instability4 7k7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd to carry out this section4 #i4 ,tenant screening reports ,the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #fjc7k77#a77;,b7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;a7k77#a77;,b77-- 7,a7 by redesignating clause 7iv7 as clause 7v72 7,b7 in clause 7iii71 by striking and at the end2 and 7,c7 by inserting after clause 7iii7 the following3 7iv7 a denial of rental housing or any other decision in connection with evaluating a consumer applying for tenancy in rental housing2 and 2 7#b7 in section #fjd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;b71 by adding at the end the following3 7h7 ,additional requirement relating to use of consumer report for rental housing ,if a person procures a consumer report1 or causes a consumer report to be procured1 from a consumer reporting agency in connection with evaluating a consumer applying for tenancy in rental housing1 the consumer reporting agency shall provide to the consumer a copy of the consumer report4 2 and 7#c7 in section #fje7;a7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a771 by adding at the end the following3 7#i7 ,eviction judgments and related suits in instances of an eviction judgment that is in the favor of the tenant4 4 #aj4 ,,gao study and report 7a7 ,study ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative study to-- 7#a7 track evictions during the #cj-year period preceding the date of enactment of this ,act2 7#b7 analyze local eviction laws1 regulations1 and judicial process2 and 7#c7 assess the factors that contribute to evictions and whether those factors differ in urban areas versus suburban and rural areas1 as well as across different protected class groups1 including race1 color1 national origin1 religion1 sex1 familial status1 disability status1 and age4 7b7 ,report ,not earlier than #e years but not later than #f years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to ,congress a report on the grants awarded pursuant to sections #d1 #f1 and #h of this ,act1 including best estimates of the amount saved1 if any1 at all levels of government on housing1 medical1 or social welfare programs1 as well as any additional revenues generated by participants being more likely to remain employed or for other reasons4 7c7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section4 #aa4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act may be construed to-- 7#a7 deny a landlord the ability to file and execute an eviction for a lawful reason2 or 7#b7 change the standards for determining a violation of the ,fair ,housing ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cfja et seq474