[House Report 119-521]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 119-521
=======================================================================
RESPECT STATE HOUSING LAWS ACT
----------------
February 25, 2026.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
----------------
Mr. Hill of Arkansas, from the Committee on Financial Services,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 1078]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Financial Services, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1078) to amend the CARES Act to remove a
requirement on lessors to provide notice to vacate, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as
amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 2
Related Hearings................................................. 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 4
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 6
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 6
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 6
New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate....................... 6
Unfunded Mandates Statement...................................... 7
Earmark Statement................................................ 7
Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement......................... 7
Applicability to the Legislative Branch.......................... 7
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 7
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 7
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 8
Documents Included by Unanimous Consent.......................... 10
Minority Views................................................... 24
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Respect State Housing Laws Act''.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION.
The CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended, in section 4024 (15
U.S.C. 9058), by striking subsection (c).
Purpose and Summary
H.R. 1078, the Respect State Housing Laws Act, was
introduced on February 6, 2025, by Republican Representative
Barry Loudermilk (GA-11). The bill removes a drafting error in
Section 4024 of the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136), which
created a temporary 30-day eviction notice to tenants in
federally assisted or federally backed housing that expired in
July 2020. A version of this legislation was introduced in the
118th Congress (H.R. 802), which was reported out of the House
Financial Services Committee in April 2024 by a vote of 29 to
21.
Background and Need for Legislation
Under the Biden Administration, Congress enacted the CARES
Act, which temporarily imposed a 120-day moratorium on
evictions and late fees for tenants in federally supported
housing programs in Section 4024. That section, titled
``Temporary Moratorium on Eviction Filings,'' also included a
temporary federal 30-day notice-to-vacate requirement for
landlords which expired at the same time as the eviction
moratorium. Due to a drafting oversight, some have
disingenuously attempted to claim that the notice-to-vacate
requirement was actually a permanent change in federal law that
overrides state and local notice requirements, creating
wasteful litigation and regulatory confusion. H.R. 1078
eliminates that confusion by permanently striking the expired
notice-to-vacate requirement language from the law.
Committee Consideration
119TH CONGRESS
On February 6, 2025, Representative Loudermilk introduced
H.R. 1078, the Respect State Housing Laws Act, with
Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC),
Andrew Clyde (R-GA), John Rutherford (R-FL), Andy Barr (R-KY),
David Kustoff (R-TN), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Andy Ogles (R-TN),
Richard Hudson (R-NC), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Steve Womack (R-
AR), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), William
Timmons (R-SC), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and
Richard McCormick (R-GA) as original cosponsors.
Representatives Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Mike Flood (R-NE), Monica De
La Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Gary
Palmer (R-AL), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Mariannette Miller-Meeks
(R-IA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Darren Soto (D-FL), Scott
Fitzgerald (R-WI), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Daniel Webster (R-FL),
Adrian Smith (R-NE), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Pat Harrigan (R-NC),
Brandon Gill (R-TX), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Dusty Johnson (R-SD),
Dale Strong (R-AL), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Kevin Hern (R-OK),
John McGuire (R-VA), David Rouzer (R-NC), Ashley Hinson (R-IA),
Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Keith Self (R-TX),
Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Craig Goldman (R-
TX), Mark Alford (R-MO), Roger Williams (R-TX), Tim Moore (R-
NC), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Warren Davidson (R-OH), Brad
Finstad (R-MN), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Troy Downing (R-MT), Jeff
Crank (R-CO), and Aaron Bean (R-FL) were added subsequently as
cosponsors.
The bill was referred solely to the Committee on Financial
Services. H.R. 1078 was attached to the December 3, 2025,
hearing titled ``Building Capacity: Reducing Government
Roadblocks to Housing Supply.''
On December 17, 2025, the Committee on Financial Services
met in open session to consider, among others, H.R. 1078. The
Committee ordered H.R. 1078, as amended, to be reported with a
favorable recommendation to the House of Representatives.
On February 6, 2025, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
introduced S. 470, the Respect State Housing Laws Act, a
companion bill to H.R. 1078. The bill was referred solely to
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
118TH CONGRESS
On February 2, 2023, Representative Loudermilk introduced
H.R. 802, the Respect State Housing Laws Act, with
Representatives Rutherford, Barr, Timmons, Jeff Duncan (R-SC),
Flood, and Norman as original cosponsors. Representatives
Kustoff, Gonzalez (TX), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Greg Steube (R-
FL), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Mann, De La Cruz, Ogles, Wagner,
Edwards, Hudson, Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Franklin, Yakym,
Hinson, Womack, Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Biggs (AZ), Debbie
Lesko (R-AZ), Clyde, Fleischmann, Moran, Grothman, Luttrell,
Gooden, Tim Burchett (R-TN), Elijah Crane (R-AZ), Palmer, and
Dan Bishop (R-NC) were added subsequently as cosponsors. The
bill was referred solely to the Committee on Financial
Services. On April 14, 2024, H.R. 802 was ordered to be
reported by the Committee by a vote of 29 to 21. On July 30,
2024, the Committee filed H. Rept. 118-616 to accompany the
bill.
On February 7, 2023, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced
S. 3755, the Respect State Housing Laws Act, a companion bill
to H.R. 802. The bill was referred solely to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
There was no further legislative action on H.R. 802 or S.
3755 in the 118th Congress.
Related Hearings
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following hearing was used to
develop H.R. 1078:
The Committee on Financial Services held a December 3,
2025, hearing titled, ``Building Capacity: Reducing Government
Roadblocks to Housing Supply.'' The Committee heard testimony
from: Mr. Kevin Sears, Immediate Past President, National
Association of Realtors; Ms. Julie Smith, Chief Administrative
Officer, Bozzuto, on behalf of the National Multifamily Housing
Council (NMHC), the National Apartment Association (NAA), and
the Real Estate Technology and Transformation; Mr. Tobias
Peter, Senior Fellow and Codirector, American Enterprise
Institute Housing Center; and Ms. Nikitra Bailey, Executive
Vice President, National Fair Housing Alliance.
Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee Report to include record
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments
thereto.
On December 17, 2025, the Committee ordered H.R. 1078, as
amended, to be reported favorably to the House by a recorded
vote of 29 yeas and 22 nays, a quorum being present. (Record
Vote No. FC-225).
Before the question to report was called, the Committee
adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by
Representative Loudermilk, designated LOUDER_029, which made
minor edits and technical changes. The amendment was adopted by
voice vote.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Committee Oversight Findings
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the findings and recommendations of
the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives
are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.
Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the goal of H.R. 1078 is to remove
expired and misleading text from Public Law 116-136.
Committee Cost Estimate
Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the
costs that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 1078. Clause
3(d)(2)(B) of that Rule provides that this requirement does not
apply when, as with the present report, the Committee adopts as
its own the cost estimate for the bill prepared by the Director
of the Congressional Budget Office.
New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect
to requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee adopts as its
own the cost estimate for the bill prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 1078 would repeal the federal requirement that
landlords provide tenants with a 30-day notice to vacate a unit
in federally assisted or backed housing as required by the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Using information from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1078 would
cost less than $500,000. Any related spending would be subject
to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Zunara Naeem.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Unfunded Mandates Statement
Pursuant to Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-344 (as amended
by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of
1995, Pub. L. No. 104-4), the Committee adopts as its own the
cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
Earmark Statement
In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI.
Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
Applicability to the Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Duplication of Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee states that no
provision of the bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another
Federal program, including any program that was included in a
report to Congress pursuant to section 21 of the Public Law
111-139 or the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance.
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 provides the short title is the ``Respect State
Housing Laws Act.''
Section 2. Clarification
Section 2 strikes subsection (c) of section 4024 of the
CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9058).
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets and
existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
CARES ACT
* * * * * * *
DIVISION A--KEEPING WORKERS PAID AND EMPLOYED,
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, AND ECONOMIC
STABILIZATION
* * * * * * *
TITLE IV--ECONOMIC STABILIZATION AND ASSISTANCE
TO SEVERELY DISTRESSED SECTORS OF
THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY
Subtitle A--Coronavirus Economic
Stabilization Act of 2020
* * * * * * *
SEC. 4024. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON EVICTION FILINGS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered dwelling.--The term ``covered dwelling''
means a dwelling that--
(A) is occupied by a tenant--
(i) pursuant to a residential lease;
or
(ii) without a lease or with a lease
terminable under State law; and
(B) is on or in a covered property.
(2) Covered property.--The term ``covered property''
means any property that--
(A) participates in--
(i) a covered housing program (as
defined in section 41411(a) of the
Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34
U.S.C. 12491(a))); or
(ii) the rural housing voucher
program under section 542 of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490r);
or
(B) has a--
(i) Federally backed mortgage loan;
or
(ii) Federally backed multifamily
mortgage loan.
(3) Dwelling.--The term ``dwelling''--
(A) has the meaning given the term in section
802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3602);
and
(B) includes houses and dwellings described
in section 803(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
3603(b)).
(4) Federally backed mortgage loan.--The term
``Federally backed mortgage loan'' includes any loan
(other than temporary financing such as a construction
loan) that--
(A) is secured by a first or subordinate lien
on residential real property (including
individual units of condominiums and
cooperatives) designed principally for the
occupancy of from 1 to 4 families, including
any such secured loan, the proceeds of which
are used to prepay or pay off an existing loan
secured by the same property; and
(B) is made in whole or in part, or insured,
guaranteed, supplemented, or assisted in any
way, by any officer or agency of the Federal
Government or under or in connection with a
housing or urban development program
administered by the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development or a housing or related
program administered by any other such officer
or agency, or is purchased or securitized by
the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or
the Federal National Mortgage Association.
(5) Federally backed multifamily mortgage loan.--The
term ``Federally backed multifamily mortgage loan''
includes any loan (other than temporary financing such
as a construction loan) that--
(A) is secured by a first or subordinate lien
on residential multifamily real property
designed principally for the occupancy of 5 or
more families, including any such secured loan,
the proceeds of which are used to prepay or pay
off an existing loan secured by the same
property; and
(B) is made in whole or in part, or insured,
guaranteed, supplemented, or assisted in any
way, by any officer or agency of the Federal
Government or under or in connection with a
housing or urban development program
administered by the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development or a housing or related
program administered by any other such officer
or agency, or is purchased or securitized by
the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or
the Federal National Mortgage Association.
(b) Moratorium.--During the 120-day period beginning on the
date of enactment of this Act, the lessor of a covered dwelling
may not--
(1) 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 for nonpayment of rent or other fees or charges;
or
(2) charge fees, penalties, or other charges to the
tenant related to such nonpayment of rent.
[(c) Notice.--The lessor of a covered dwelling unit--
[(1) may not require the tenant to vacate the covered
dwelling unit before the date that is 30 days after the
date on which the lessor provides the tenant with a
notice to vacate; and
[(2) may not issue a notice to vacate under paragraph
(1) until after the expiration of the period described
in subsection (b).]
* * * * * * *
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
MINORITY VIEWS
H.R. 1078 would strike a provision in the CARES Act that
requires landlords and Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to
issue minimum 30-day eviction notice to renters living in
certain housing receiving federal assistance or financed
through federally backed and insured mortgages, prior to
evicting a tenant.
During the height of the pandemic, Republicans supported
the CARES Act's minimum eviction notice requirement to help
protect millions of families who were on the brink of eviction
due to no fault of their own. While other provisions in the
CARES Act have explicit sunsets or expirations dates, this
minimum eviction notice requirement in the CARES Act does not.
While Republicans are calling this an error, the CARES Act was
signed into law by President Trump and did not include a
provision saying it would cease to apply after COVID ended.
There is no basis for their claim or rationale to explain why
they are arbitrarily deciding to strip this protection for
families now.
Widely recognized as best practice in the housing field,
30-day eviction notices help reduce evictions, promote housing
stability, and offset homelessness by providing renters with
adequate notice and information about the reason for
eviction.\1\ Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated
that 30-day notices of evictions for non-payment of rent alone
reduce the level of evictions by between 1,600 and 4,900
annually.\2\
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\1\ The White House, Blueprint for A Renters Bill of Rights (Jan.
2023).
\2\ HUD, 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior to Termination of
Lease for Nonpayment of Rent, 88 FR 83877 (Dec. 1, 2023) (proposed
rule); See also HUD, 30-Day Notification Requirement Prior To
Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent (Accessed Dec. 13, 2025)
(final rule).
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The provision of 30-day written notice of eviction not only
provides tenants with additional time to avoid eviction but
also reduces the time and cost burdens on landlords and PHAs
that are associated with evictions. Eviction notices may also
prompt renters to seek legal representation, remedy arrears and
other potential lease violations, identify available housing
alternatives, and learn about alternative forms of assistance
through HUD administrative flexibilities and local eviction
diversion and prevention programs.\3\ The CARES Act notice
requirements also align with the Biden-Harris Administration's
Blueprint for Renters' Bill of Rights, which supported the best
practice of 30-day eviction notices.\4\
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\3\ GW Law, Federal 30-Day Eviction Notice Research Packet
(Accessed Dec. 13, 2025).
\4\ The White House, Blueprint for A Renters Bill of Rights (Jan.
2023).
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H.R. 1078 is opposed by the National Low Income Housing
Coalition and the National Housing Law Project. For these
reasons stated above, we oppose H.R. 1078.
Sincerely,
Maxine Waters,
Ranking Member.
Al Green,
Bill Foster,
Joyce Beatty,
Ayanna Pressley,
Rashida Tlaib,
Sylvia R. Garcia,
Nikema Williams,
Members of Congress.
[all]