[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2974 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2974

To establish a Federal Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and 
                 Preservation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2023

Mr. Schiff (for himself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Carson, Mr. Carter 
   of Louisiana, Mr. Evans, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Ross) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a Federal Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and 
                 Preservation, 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 ``Interagency Council on Affordable 
Housing Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established in the executive branch an independent 
establishment to be known as the United States Interagency Council on 
Housing Affordability and Preservation, whose mission shall be to 
develop Federal policy designed to preserve and increase affordable 
housing supply and increase fairness in the rental market and further 
the principles of fair housing and create a national partnership at 
every level of government and with the private sector to carry out such 
purposes.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Members.--The Council shall be composed of the heads of the 
following agencies or offices, or the designee of such agency or office 
head:
            (1) Department of Housing and Urban Development.
            (2) Department of Justice.
            (3) Department of Labor.
            (4) Department of the Treasury.
            (5) Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
            (6) Department of Health and Human Services.
            (7) Department of Education.
            (8) Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (9) Department of Agriculture.
            (10) Department of Commerce.
            (11) Department of Defense.
            (12) Department of Energy.
            (13) Department of Homeland Security.
            (14) Department of Interior.
            (15) Department of Transportation.
            (16) Corporation for National and Community Service.
            (17) General Services Administration.
            (18) Office of Management and Budget.
            (19) Social Security Administration.
            (20) United States Postal Service.
            (21) White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood 
        Partnerships.
    (b) Chairperson.--The Council shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice 
Chairperson from among its members. The positions of Chairperson and 
Vice Chairperson shall rotate among its members on an annual basis.
    (c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of its 
Chairperson or a majority of its members, but not less often than four 
times each year, and the rotation of the positions of Chairperson and 
Vice Chairperson required under subsection (b) shall occur at the first 
meeting of each year.
    (d) Prohibition of Additional Pay.--Members of the Council shall 
receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their 
service on the Council.
    (e) Administration.--The Executive Director of the Council shall 
report to the Chairman of the Council.

SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS.

    (a) Duties.--The Council shall--
            (1) not later than 12 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, develop, make available for public 
        comment, and submit to the President and to the Congress a 
        National Strategic Plan to Preserve Affordable Housing, and 
        shall update such plan annually;
            (2) review all Federal activities and programs relating to 
        public housing, affordable housing production, affordable 
        housing programs, and housing voucher programs;
            (3) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements in 
        programs and activities to assist affordable housing production 
        conducted by Federal agencies, State and local governments, and 
        private voluntary organizations;
            (4) provide professional and technical assistance (by not 
        less than 5, but in no case more than 10, regional coordinators 
        employed by the Council, each having responsibility for 
        interaction and coordination of the activities of the Council 
        within the 10 standard Federal regions) to States, local 
        governments, and other public and private nonprofit 
        organizations, in order to enable such governments and 
        organizations to--
                    (A) interpret regulations and assist in the 
                application process for Federal assistance, including 
                grants;
                    (B) provide assistance on the ways in which Federal 
                programs may best be coordinated to complement the 
                objectives of this Act;
                    (C) develop recommendations and program ideas based 
                on regional specific issues in serving homeless and 
                low-income populations; and
                    (D) establish a schedule for biennial regional 
                workshops to be held by the Council in each of the 10 
                standard Federal regions to further carry out and 
                provide the assistance described in subparagraphs (A), 
                (B), and (C) and other appropriate assistance as 
                necessary;
            (5) encourage the creation of State Interagency Councils on 
        Affordable Housing and the formulation of jurisdictional 10-
        year plans to end homelessness at State, city, and county 
        levels;
            (6) annually obtain from Federal agencies their 
        identification of consumer-oriented entitlement and other 
        resources for which individuals may be eligible and the 
        agencies' identification of improvements to ensure access; 
        develop mechanisms to ensure access by persons and families to 
        all Federal, State, and local programs for which the persons 
        are eligible, and to verify collaboration among entities within 
        a community that receive Federal funding under programs 
        targeted for persons experiencing homelessness, and other 
        affordable housing programs for which persons and families are 
        eligible;
            (7) conduct research and evaluation related to its 
        functions as defined in this section;
            (8) develop joint Federal agency and other initiatives to 
        fulfill the goals of the agency;
            (9) collect and disseminate information relating to low-
        income individuals;
            (10) prepare the annual reports required in subsection 
        (c)(2);
            (11) prepare and distribute to States (including State 
        contact persons described in section 7(a)), local governments, 
        and other public and private nonprofit organizations, a 
        bimonthly bulletin that describes the Federal resources 
        available to them to assist with affordable housing; and
            (12) not later than 6 months after completion of the 
        report, convene a meeting of representatives of all Federal 
        agencies and committees of the House of Representatives and the 
        Senate having jurisdiction over any Federal program to assist 
        affordable housing programs or production, local and State 
        governments, academic researchers who specialize in 
        homelessness, nonprofit housing and service providers that 
        receive funding under any Federal program to assist homeless 
        individuals or families, organizations advocating on behalf of 
        such nonprofit providers and persons receiving housing or 
        services under any such Federal affordable housing program, and 
        persons receiving housing or services under any such Federal 
        program, at which meeting such representatives shall discuss 
        all issues relevant to the council's jurisdiction.
    (b) Authority.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Council may--
            (1) arrange national, regional, State, and local 
        conferences for the purpose of developing and coordinating 
        effective programs and activities to assist in carrying out the 
        mission described in section 2 and pay for expenses of 
        attendance at meetings which are concerned with the functions 
        or activities for which the appropriation is made; and
            (2) publish a newsletter concerning Federal, State, and 
        local programs that are effective in carrying out such mission.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) By agencies.--Within 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the head of 
        each Federal agency that is a member of the Council shall 
        prepare and transmit to the Congress and the Council a report 
        that describes--
                    (A) each affordable housing program administered by 
                such agency and the number of individuals served by 
                such program;
                    (B) impediments, including any statutory and 
                regulatory restrictions, to the use by individuals of 
                each such program and to obtaining services or benefits 
                under each such program; and
                    (C) efforts made by such agency to increase the 
                opportunities for individuals to obtain permanent 
                housing, supportive services, and access to legal 
                services in regards to housing matters.
            (2) By council.--The Council shall prepare and transmit to 
        the President and the Congress an annual report that--
                    (A) assesses the nature and extent of the problems 
                relating to affordable housing and the needs of low-
                income individuals;
                    (B) provides a comprehensive and detailed 
                description of the activities and accomplishments of 
                the Federal Government in resolving the problems and 
                meeting the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (C) describes the accomplishments and activities of 
                the Council, in working with Federal, State, and local 
                agencies and public and private organizations in order 
                to preserve and expand affordable housing;
                    (D) assesses the level of Federal assistance 
                necessary to adequately resolve the problems and meet 
                the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
                    (E) specifies any recommendations of the Council 
                for appropriate and necessary legislative and 
                administrative actions to resolve such problems and 
                meet such needs.
    (d) Notification of Other Federal Agencies.--If, in monitoring and 
evaluating programs and activities to assist in carrying out the 
mission described in section 2 conducted by other Federal agencies, the 
Council determines that any significant problem, abuse, or deficiency 
exists in the administration of the program or activity of any Federal 
agency, the Council shall submit a notice of the determination of the 
Council to the Inspector General of the Federal agency (or the head of 
the Federal agency, in the case of a Federal agency that has no 
Inspector General).
    (e) Program Timetables.-- Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal agency or office 
that is a member of the Council and responsible for administering a 
program to assist in carrying out the mission described in section 2 
shall provide to the Council a timetable regarding program funding 
availability and application deadlines. The Council shall furnish such 
information to each State (including the State contact person described 
in section 7(a)).

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Council shall appoint an Executive Director, who 
shall be compensated at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay 
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
title 5, United States Code. The Council shall appoint an Executive 
Director at the first meeting of the Council held under section 3(c).
    (b) Additional Personnel.--With the approval of the Council, the 
Executive Director of the Council may appoint and fix the compensation 
of such additional personnel as the Executive Director considers 
necessary to carry out the duties of the Council.
    (c) Details From Other Agencies.--Upon request of the Council, the 
head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of 
the personnel of such agency to the Council to assist the Council in 
carrying out its duties under this Act.
    (d) Administrative Support.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development shall provide the Council with such administrative and 
support services as are necessary to ensure that the Council carries 
out its functions under this Act in an efficient and expeditious 
manner.
    (e) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Council, the 
Executive Director of the Council may procure temporary and 
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Meetings.--For the purpose of carrying out this Act, the 
Council may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and 
places, as the Council considers appropriate.
    (b) Delegation.--Any member or employee of the Council may, if 
authorized by the Council, take any action that the Council is 
authorized to take in this Act.
    (c) Information.--The Council may secure directly from any Federal 
agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Council to 
carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Council, the 
head of such agency shall furnish such information to the Council.
    (d) Donations.--The Council may accept, use, and dispose of gifts 
or donations of services or property, both real and personal, public 
and private, without fiscal year limitation, for the purpose of aiding 
or facilitating the work of the Council.
    (e) Mails.--The Council may use the United States mails in the same 
manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.

SEC. 7. ENCOURAGEMENT OF STATE INVOLVEMENT.

    (a) State Contact Persons.--Each State shall designate an 
individual to serve as a State contact person for the purpose of 
receiving and disseminating information and communications received 
from the Council.
    (b) State Interagency Councils and Lead Agencies.--Each State is 
encouraged to establish a State interagency council on housing 
affordability and preservation or designate a lead agency for the State 
for the purpose of assuming primary responsibility for coordinating and 
interacting with the Council and State and local agencies as necessary.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
            (1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the United States 
        Interagency Council on Housing Affordability and Preservation 
        established in section 2.
            (2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``agency'' in section 551(1) of title 5, 
        United States Code.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$4,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. Any amounts 
appropriated to carry out this Act shall remain available until 
expended.
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