,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdfc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bd1     
#bjbe ,mr4 ,booker 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4         
,sanders1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and   
,urban ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide 
grants to ,state and local governments  
that enact or are fiscally responsible  
for implementing right to counsel       
legislation for low-income tenants      
facing eviction1 and for other purposes4
  #a4  ,short title  ,this ,act may be  
cited as the ,eviction ,right to        
,counsel ,act of #bjbe4  #b4  ,eviction 
right to counsel fund  7a7  ,definitions
  ,in this section3 7#a7 ,covered       
individual ,the term covered individual 
means a tenant with an income that is   
equal to or less than #bjj percent of   
the ,federal poverty line4  7#b7        
,covered proceeding  ,the term covered  

proceeding means a civil action in a    
court or administrative forum for--     
7,a7 eviction1 or an equivalent         
ejectment1 from the primary residence of
 the tenant2 or  7,b7 the termination of
 a housing subsidy4  7#c7 ,eligible     
entity ,the term eligible entity means a
 ,state government1 a local government1 
or an ,indian ,tribal government4  7#d7 
,fund  ,the term ,fund means the        
,eviction ,right to ,counsel ,fund      
established under subsection 7b74  7#e7 
,indian ,tribal government  ,the term   
,indian ,tribal government has the      
meaning given the term ,indian tribal   
government in section #ajb of the       
,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief 
and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #eabb74  7#f7  ,right to      
counsel legislation  ,the term right to 
counsel legislation means legislation   
that specifies that full legal          
representation shall be provided at no  
cost to all covered individuals in a    
covered proceeding4  7#g7  ,secretary   

,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,housing and ,urban       
,development4  7#h7  ,state  ,the term  
,state means each of the #ej ,states1   
the ,district of ,columbia1 and any     
territory or possession of the ,united  
,states4  7b7  ,establishment of fund   
7#a7  ,in general  ,there is established
 in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states
 a fund to be known as the ,eviction    
,right to ,counsel ,fund consisting of  
the amounts authorized to be            
appropriated under paragraph 7#b74  7#b7
  ,deposits to the fund  ,there are     
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,fund #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal   
years #bjbf through #bjcj for the cost  
of making grants under subsection 7c74  
7c7  ,grants  7#a7  ,in general  ,the   
,secretary shall establish a program to 
provide grants to eligible entities that
 enact right to counsel legislation or  
are fiscally responsible for            
implementing right to counsel           
legislation4  7#b7  ,application  7,a7  

,in general  ,an eligible entity that   
desires a grant from the ,secretary     
under this subsection shall submit to   
the ,secretary an application at such   
time1 in such manner1 and accompanied by
 such information as the ,secretary may 
reasonably require4  7,b7  ,requirement 
,an application submitted under         
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include a       
certification that the eligible entity  
has enacted right to counsel legislation
 or is fiscally responsible for         
implementing right to counsel           
legislation4  7#c7  ,priority  ,in      
selecting applicants under this section1
 the ,secretary shall prioritize funding
 for eligible entities that--  7,a7 have
 enacted1 or are fiscally responsible   
for implementing1 laws that--  7i7 limit
 the causes for which a landlord can    
evict a tenant or refuse to renew the   
lease of a tenant when the tenant is not
 at fault or in violation of any law2   
7ii7 require adequate written notice    
periods of not less than #cj days for   

tenants facing eviction2  7iii7         
establish eviction diversion programs2  
or  7iv7 provide emergency rental       
assistance to tenants2 or  7,b7 will    
prioritize using grant funds for the    
training and recruitment of attorneys to
 provide representation for covered     
individuals in a covered proceeding4    
7#d7  ,use of funds  ,a recipient of a  
grant under this section may use the    
grant funds for the costs incurred by   
right to counsel legislation1 including 
providing training resources for        
attorneys representing covered          
individuals in covered proceedings4