No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7057 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7057
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 14, 2026
Ms. Barragan (for herself, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Khanna, Ms.
Bonamici, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Norton,
Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Simon, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, and Mr.
Espaillat) 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.
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 ``Returning Home Act''.
SEC. 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)(2)(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''; and
(ii) 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 ``returning offenders and'' and
inserting ``individuals reentering the community after
time spent in a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or
halfway house and to'';
(B) by striking ``offenders' time in prison, jail,
or a juvenile facility'' and inserting ``such time'';
(C) by striking ``of offenders'' and inserting ``of
such individuals''; and
(D) by striking ``offender'';
(10) in subsection (j)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``an
implementation'' and inserting ``a'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``offenders
released back'' and inserting ``individuals who were
released from a prison, jail, juvenile facility, or
halfway house''; and
(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'';
(11) 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'';
(12) 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'';
(13) in subsection (o)(2)(B), by striking ``criminal
offenders'' and inserting ``individuals who were
incarcerated''; and
(14) 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''.
SEC. 3. RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND HOUSING GRANT.
Part FF of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10631 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``SEC. 2978. REENTRY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND HOUSING SERVICES GRANT
PROGRAM.
``(a) 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
section.
``(b) Use of Funds.--A grant under this section may be used for--
``(1) providing 24 months of rental assistance to an
individual who was incarcerated for purposes of paying housing
costs at a permanent residence;
``(2) providing a stipend to a family member of an
individual who was incarcerated if the individual lives in the
family member's household; and
``(3) providing supportive services to individuals who are
incarcerated or who were incarcerated, including--
``(A) pre-release planning;
``(B) document collection support;
``(C) housing counseling and location services;
``(D) 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;
``(E) information about home-based services and
community-based services;
``(F) case management and addressing criminogenic
needs;
``(G) move-in support and assistance;
``(H) support with security deposits and other
leasing fees;
``(I) housing placement support;
``(J) housing stabilization support for at least 12
months to help retain housing after placement;
``(K) 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
``(L) other similar supportive services as
determined by the Secretary.
``(c) Allocation for Rental Assistance.--A grantee shall use--
``(1) not less than 60 percent of the grant funding for
rental assistance described under subsection (b)(2); and
``(2) not more than 15 percent of grant funding for
financial incentives to landlords described under subsection
(b)(3)(K).
``(d) Application Requirements.--
``(1) Application.--
``(A) In general.--An eligible applicant seeking a
grant under this section shall submit an application to
the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Attorney General may
require.
``(B) Eligible applicant.--For purposes of this
paragraph, 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--
``(I) 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.);
``(II) 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));
``(III) a client assistance program
(as described in section 112 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
732)); or
``(IV) a center for independent
living (as defined in section 702 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 796a)).
``(2) Program proposal.--The Attorney General may make a
grant under this section to an applicant only if the applicant
submits a proposed program that will benefit--
``(A) 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;
``(B) individuals experiencing homelessness while
under parole or supervised release from a prison, jail,
juvenile facility, or halfway house; or
``(C) individuals experiencing homelessness or
housing insecurity and who were discharged from a
prison, jail, juvenile facility, or halfway house.
``(3) Priority considerations.--The Attorney General shall
prioritize grants--
``(B) to an applicant that implements a housing
first approach which includes low-barrier screening
criteria for determining which individuals receive
assistance under the program; and
``(C) 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.
``(4) Prohibition on grants to law enforcement.--The
Attorney General may not provide a grant under this section to
a law enforcement entity, including an entity that employs
probation officers.
``(e) Denial Notification Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--A grantee under this section shall
notify individuals who apply for and are denied support from
programs funded with such grants about--
``(A) the denial;
``(B) the reason for the denial; and
``(C) supportive services (including housing
counseling) and free legal resources.
``(2) Timing.--Such notifications shall be sent to the
individual within 15 days after denial.
``(f) Accessibility Requirements.--A grantee under this section
shall ensure that information regarding the programs and support
services that the grantee offers and that are funded with such grants
is made available--
``(1) in a manner that uses simple, plain language and is
reader friendly; and
``(2) in a form that is accessible to individuals with
disabilities.
``(g) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Attorney General shall evaluate the
efficacy of the grant awarded under this section in improving outcomes
for previously incarcerated individuals.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $100,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out this
section.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) 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).
``(2) 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.
``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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.
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.
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