PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 6, 2012
Section 8 Reform, Responsibility, and Accountability Act of 2012 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 (USHA) to prohibit section 8 rental assistance (including tenant- and project-based assistance) from being provided to any family that includes a convicted felon or illegal alien.
Places a five-year limitation on section 8 rental assistance, disregarding any month during which such individual was a member of a disabled or elderly family so assisted.
Prohibits such assistance on behalf of any family, unless each member of the family who is 18 years of age or older performs at least 20 hours of work activities per week.
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Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to exempt from such prohibition any individual family member who meets certain requirements.
Requires a public housing agency (PHA), in providing such housing assistance, to give preference to families that include a member who is a veteran that will reside in the dwelling unit.
Declares that requirements relating to termination of housing assistance and termination of tenancy shall apply to any section 8 housing assistance provided, any housing assistance payments contract, and any tenant of a unit assisted.
Prohibits any requirement of USHA, or of any housing assistance payments contract under USHA, from being construed to annul, alter, affect, or exempt any person or housing assisted under it or under such a contract from complying with the laws of any state or local government. Expresses the sense of Congress that the HUD Moving to Work demonstration program under the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 should be expanded to include significantly more PHAs.
Authorizes the use of unspent section 8 housing assistance payments for section 8 compliance measures.
Requires approved PHA plans, including modifications and amendments, to be made public at the PHA's office and in electronic form on the World Wide Web.
People & committees
Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1] · R–OH
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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