[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6042-S6043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 949. Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. Gardner) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 948 proposed by Mr.
Shelby to the bill H.R. 3055, making appropriations for the Departments
of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title II of division D, insert
the following:
Sec. 2__. (a) The purpose of this section is to establish
the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing
Crisis, which shall--
(1) evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of
affordable housing has on other areas of life and life
outcomes;
(2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other
Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of
affordable housing; and
(3) make recommendations to Congress on how to use
affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other
Federal programs and improve life outcomes.
(b) In this section:
(1)(A) The term ``affordable housing'' means--
(i) housing for which the household is required to pay not
more than 30 percent of the household income for gross
housing costs, including utilities, where such income is less
than or equal to the area median income for
[[Page S6043]]
the municipality in which the housing is located, as
determined by the Secretary; and
(ii) housing--
(I) for which the household pays more than 30 percent of
the household income for gross housing costs, including
utilities, where such income is less than or equal to the
area median income for the municipality in which the housing
is located, as determined by the Secretary; and
(II) that is assisted or considered affordable by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, including--
(aa) public housing;
(bb) housing assisted under section 8(o) of the United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o));
(cc) housing receiving the low-income housing credit under
section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code; and
(dd) housing assisted under other Federal or local housing
programs serving households with incomes at or below 80
percent of the area median income or providing services or
amenities that will primarily be used by low-income housing.
(B) The definition in subparagraph (A) shall apply to
Federal, State, and local affordable housing programs.
(2) The terms ``low-income housing'' and ``public housing''
have the meanings given those terms in section 3(b) of the
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
(3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development.
(4) The term ``Task Force'' means the Task Force on the
Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis established under
subsection (c)(1).
(c)(1) There is established a bipartisan task force to be
known as the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable
Housing Crisis.
(2)(A) The Task Force shall be composed of 18 members, of
whom--
(i) 1 member shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
who shall serve as co-chair of the Task Force;
(ii) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of
the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, who shall serve as co-chair of the Task
Force;
(iii) 4 members shall be appointed by the Majority Leader
of the Senate;
(iv) 4 members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of
the Senate;
(v) 4 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives; and
(vi) 4 members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of
the House of Representatives.
(B) Each member of the Task Force shall be an academic
researcher, an expert in a field or policy area related to
the purpose of the Task Force, or an individual who has
experience with government programs related to the purpose of
the Task Force.
(C) The co-chairs of the Task Force may appoint and fix the
pay of additional staff to the Task Force.
(D) Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the
Task Force without reimbursement from the Task Force, and the
detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of
his or her regular employment without interruption.
(E) Members of the Task Force may be allowed travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from
their homes or regular places of business in the performance
of services for the Task Force.
(3) Appointments to the Task Force shall be made not later
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(4)(A) A member of the Task Force shall be appointed for
the life of the Task Force.
(B) Any vacancy in the Task Force--
(i) shall not affect the powers of the Task Force; and
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment.
(5) The Task Force shall meet not later than 30 days after
the date on which a majority of the members of the Task Force
have been appointed.
(6)(A) The Task Force shall meet at the call of the co-
chairs of the Task Force.
(B) A majority of the members of the Task Force shall
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold
hearings.
(d)(1) The Task Force shall utilize available survey and
statistical data related to the purpose of the Task Force to
complete a comprehensive report to--
(A) evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of
affordable housing has on other areas of life and life
outcomes for individuals living in the United States,
including--
(i) education;
(ii) employment;
(iii) income level;
(iv) health;
(v) nutrition;
(vi) access to transportation;
(vii) the poverty level of the neighborhood in which
individuals live;
(viii) regional economic growth;
(ix) neighborhood and rural community stability and
revitalization; and
(x) other areas of life and life outcomes related to the
purpose of the Task Force necessary to complete a
comprehensive report;
(B) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other
Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of
affordable housing; and
(C) make recommendations to Congress on how to use
affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other
Federal programs and improve life outcomes for individuals
living in the United States.
(2) The Task Force shall publish in the Federal Register a
notice for a public comment period of 90 days on the purpose
and activities of the Task Force.
(3) Not later than the date on which the Task Force
terminates, the Task Force shall submit to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on
Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services
and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives and make publicly available a final report
that--
(A) contains the information, evaluations, and
recommendations described in paragraph (1); and
(B) is signed by each member of the Task Force.
(e)(1) The Task Force may hold such hearings, take such
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Task Force
considers advisable to carry out this section.
(2)(A) The Task Force may secure directly from any Federal
department or agency such information as the Task Force
considers necessary to carry out this section.
(B) On request of the co-chairs of the Task Force, the head
of a Federal department or agency described in subparagraph
(A) shall furnish the information to the Task Force.
(3) The Task Force may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal
departments and agencies.
(f) The Task Force shall terminate not later than 2 years
after the date on which all members of the Task Force are
appointed under subsection (c).
(g) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as
may be necessary to carry out this section for fiscal years
2020 through 2023.
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