H.R. 2994 — Introduced in House

I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2994 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 28, 2023 Ms. Barragán (for herself, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. García of Illinois, Mrs. Peltola, and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 A BILL To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish the Reentry Rental Assistance and Housing Services Grant Program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Returning Home Act. 2. Reentry Rental Assistance and Housing Services Grant Program Section 2976 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10631) is amended— (1) in the section heading, by striking offender; (2) in subsection (a), by striking offender; (3) in subsection (b)— (A) in the heading, by striking Offender; (B) by striking offender; (C) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking offenders and inserting individuals; and (ii) by striking or juvenile facilities and inserting juvenile facilities, or halfway houses; (D) in paragraph (3)— (i) by striking prison, jail, or a juvenile facility and inserting a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (ii) by striking offenders and inserting individuals; (E) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated; (F) in paragraph (5)— (i) by striking or juvenile facility and inserting juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (ii) by striking offenders while in custody and inserting such individuals during incarceration; (G) in paragraph (6)— (i) by striking by offenders to victims and inserting by individuals who committed crimes to victims of such crimes; and (ii) by striking of offenders and inserting of such individuals from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (H) in paragraph (7), by striking dangerous offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated and dangerous; (4) in subsection (c)— (A) in the heading, by striking offender; and (B) by striking offender; (5) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking for a planning grant under subsection (e) and an implementation grant under subsection (f) and inserting when applying simultaneously for two or more of the grants established under subsections (e), (f), and (o); and (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) by striking under subsections (e) and (f) and inserting under subsections (e), (f), and (o); and (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking offender; (6) in subsection (e)(1), by striking offender; (7) in subsection (f)— (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking offender; (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated; and (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated; and (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) in subparagraph (A)— (I) by striking and juvenile facilities and inserting juvenile facilities, and halfway houses; and (II) by striking offenders and inserting individuals; (ii) in subparagraph (B)— (I) in clause (ii), by striking offenders and inserting individuals; (II) in clause (ii), by striking prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities and inserting a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (III) in clause (iii), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated; (iii) in subparagraph (C)(ii)— (I) by striking an offender and inserting an incarcerated individual; and (II) by striking that offenders and inserting that such individuals; (iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated; and (v) in subparagraph (G)— (I) by striking offenders with histories and inserting individuals who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated and who have a history; and (II) by striking offender in each place it occurs and inserting individual; (8) in subsection (h)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking offenders and inserting individuals; (ii) by striking subsection (f) each place such term appears and inserting subsection (f) or (o); and (iii) by striking prison, jail or a juvenile facility and inserting a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (B) in paragraph (4), by striking released offenders and inserting individuals released from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; (9) in subsection (i)(1)— (A) by striking under subsection (f) and inserting under subsection (f) or (o); (B) by striking returning offenders and and inserting individuals reentering the community after time spent in a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house and to; (C) by striking offenders' time in prison, jail, or a juvenile facility and inserting such time; (D) by striking of offenders and inserting of such individuals; and (E) by striking offender; (10) in subsection (j)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking an implementation and inserting a; and (ii) by striking subsection (f) each place such term appears and inserting subsection (f) or (o); (B) in paragraph (2), by striking offenders released back and inserting individuals who were released from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) by striking offenders and inserting individuals; and (ii) by striking prison, jails, or juvenile facilities and inserting prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, or halfway houses; and (D) in paragraph (5), by striking subsection (f) and inserting subsections (f) and (o); (11) in subsection (k)(1), by striking subsection (f) each place such term appears and inserting subsections (f) and (o); (12) in subsection (m)— (A) by striking Juvenile Offender each place such term appears and inserting Juvenile; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking offender; and (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking offender; (ii) in subparagraph (F)— (I) by striking prison, jail, or a juvenile facility and inserting a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (II) by striking prisons, jails, or juvenile facilities and inserting a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; and (iii) in subparagraph (I), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated; (13) in subsection (n)(2)(A), by striking offenders and inserting individuals who received assistance from such projects and who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated; (14) in subsection (o)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking section and inserting section (other than subsection (o)); and (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking section and inserting section (including amounts made available to carry out subsection (o)); and (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking criminal offenders and inserting individuals who were incarcerated; (15) in subsection (p)— (A) by striking offenders reentering the community in each place it occurs and inserting individuals who are reentering the community after incarceration; and (B) in paragraph (5), by striking offenders and inserting individuals; (16) by redesignating subsections (o) and (p) as subsections (p) and (q), respectively; and (17) by inserting after subsection (n) the following: (o) Reentry Rental Assistance and Housing Services Grant Program (1) Establishment The Attorney General shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, establish a program to be known as the Reentry Rental Assistance and Housing Services Grant Program to provide grants as provided under this subsection. (2) Use of funds A grant under this subsection may be used for— (A) providing 24 months of rental assistance to an individual who was incarcerated for purposes of paying housing costs at a permanent residence; (B) providing a stipend to a family member of an individual who was incarcerated if the individual lives in the family member’s household; and (C) providing supportive services to individuals who are incarcerated or who were incarcerated, including— (i) pre-release planning; (ii) document collection support; (iii) housing counseling and location services; (iv) system navigation and linkage support to other services, including mental health therapy, program services for victims of domestic violence, program services for victims of sexual assault, substance abuse treatment, education services, and employment services; (v) information about home-based services and community-based services; (vi) case management and addressing criminogenic needs; (vii) move-in support and assistance; (viii) support with security deposits and other leasing fees; (ix) housing placement support; (x) housing stabilization support for at least 12 months to help retain housing after placement; (xi) financial incentives to landlords, including payment of holding fees, funds to mitigate property damage, and other incentives to accept tenants who are receiving rental assistance; and (xii) other similar supportive services as determined by the Secretary. (3) Allocation for rental assistance A grantee shall use— (A) not less than 60 percent of the grant funding for rental assistance described under paragraph (2)(A); and (B) not more than 25 percent of grant funding for financial incentives to landlords described under paragraph (2)(C)(x). (4) Application requirements (A) Application (i) In general An eligible applicant seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Attorney General an application that meets the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) in subsection (f) and includes a proposed program under subparagraph (B). (ii) Eligible applicant For purposes of this subparagraph, an eligible applicant is— (I) an eligible entity; (II) a nonprofit organization or service provider in partnership with an eligible entity; or (III) a nonprofit organization or service provider in partnership with— (aa) a collaborative applicant or other entity funded under the Continuum of Care program under subtitle IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 et seq.); (bb) a protection and advocacy system (as defined in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002)); (cc) a client assistance program (as described in section 112 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 732)); or (dd) a center for independent living (as defined in section 702 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 796a)). (iii) Nonprofit organizations and service providers In the case that the eligible applicant that applies for the grant is a nonprofit organization or service provider, paragraphs (1) and (2) in subsection (f) shall apply in the case of that applicant. (B) Program proposal The Attorney General may make a grant under this subsection to an applicant only if the applicant submits a proposed program that will benefit— (i) individuals who are incarcerated in a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house who are not more than 365 days from their release date and are at risk of becoming homeless or exiting into housing insecurity; (ii) individuals experiencing homelessness while under parole or supervised release from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house; or (iii) individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity and who were discharged from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house. (C) Priority considerations The Attorney General shall prioritize grants— (i) to an applicant as described in subsection (f)(3); (ii) to an applicant that implements a housing first approach program which includes low-barrier screening criteria for determining which individuals receive assistance under the program; and (iii) to an applicant that implements a program to serve a population that, when compared to the general population, is at a disproportionate risk of incarceration and that experiences a disproportionate rate of homelessness. (D) Prohibition on grants to law enforcement The Attorney General may not provide a grant under this subsection to a law enforcement entity, including an entity that employs probation officers. (5) Denial notification requirements (A) In general A grantee under this subsection shall notify individuals who apply for and are denied support from programs funded with such grants about— (i) the denial; (ii) the reason for the denial; and (iii) supportive services (including housing counseling) and free legal resources. (B) Timing Such notifications shall be sent to the individual within 15 days after denial. (6) Accessibility requirements A grantee under this subsection shall ensure that information regarding the programs and support services that the grantee offers and that are funded with such grants is made available— (A) in a manner that uses simple, plain language and is reader friendly; and (B) in a form that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. (7) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this subsection. (8) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Disability The term disability has the meaning given to such term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102). (B) Housing costs The term housing costs includes rent, utilities, security deposits, application fees, and other similar expenses as determined by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary. (C) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. .