Rental Eviction Moratorium Act of 2020

Rental Eviction Moratorium Act of 2020

This bill establishes a moratorium on the initiation of eviction proceedings, except with respect to tenants who have perpetrated certain criminal acts, for a period that lasts until six months after the termination by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the presidential emergency declaration relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6347

   To establish a moratorium on evictions from rental dwelling units 
  during the public health emergency relating to coronavirus, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2020

Mr. Garcia of Illinois (for himself, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Wilson 
   of Florida, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. 
  Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. 
Neguse, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. 
 Espaillat, Mr. Soto, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Norton, Mr. Danny K. Davis of 
  Illinois, Mr. Beyer, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Meng, Mr. Vargas, 
Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Nadler, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. 
 San Nicolas, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Omar, Mr. Engel, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
 Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Rush, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Lewis, 
 Mr. Kennedy, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a moratorium on evictions from rental dwelling units 
  during the public health emergency relating to coronavirus, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rental Eviction Moratorium Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON EVICTION FILINGS.

    (a) Congressional Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) according to the 2018 American Community Survey, 36 
        percent of households in the United States--more than 43 
        million households--are renters;
            (2) in 2019 alone, renters in the United States paid $512 
        billion in rent;
            (3) according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of 
        Harvard University, 20.8 million renters in the United States 
        spent more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing in 2018 
        and 10.9 million renters spent more than 50 percent of their 
        incomes on housing in the same year;
            (4) Moody's Analytics estimates that 27 million jobs in the 
        U.S. economy are at high risk because of COVID-19;
            (5) the impacts of the spread of COVID-19, which is now 
        considered a global pandemic, are expected to negatively impact 
        the incomes of potentially millions of renter households, 
        making it difficult for them to pay their rent on time; and
            (6) evictions in the current environment would increase 
        homelessness and housing instability which would be 
        counterproductive towards the public health goals of keeping 
        individuals in their homes to the greatest extent possible.
    (b) Moratorium.--During the period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and ending on the date described in paragraph (1) 
of subsection (d), the lessor of a covered dwelling may not make, or 
cause to be made, any filing with the court of jurisdiction to initiate 
a legal action to recover possession of the covered dwelling from the 
tenant regardless of cause, except when a tenant perpetrates a serious 
criminal act that threatens the health, life, or safety of other 
tenants or staff of the property in which the covered dwelling is 
located.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Covered dwelling.--The term ``covered dwelling'' means 
        a dwelling that is occupied by a tenant--
                    (A) pursuant to a residential lease; or
                    (B) without a lease or with a lease terminable at 
                will under State law.
            (2) Dwelling.--The term ``dwelling'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
        3602) and includes houses and dwellings described in section 
        803(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3603(b)).
    (d) Sunset.--
            (1) Sunset date.--The date described in this paragraph is 
        the date of the expiration of the 6-month period that begins 
        upon the termination by the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
        of the emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President 
        under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) relating to the 
        Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
            (2) Notice to vacate after sunset date.--After the date 
        described in paragraph (1), the lessor of a covered dwelling 
        may not require the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling 
        before the expiration of the 30-day period that begins upon the 
        provision by the lessor to the tenant, after the date described 
        in paragraph (1), of a notice to vacate the covered dwelling.
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