Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1979 - Amends Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (the Fair Housing Act) to exempt only the renting of space within a single family dwelling unit by the occupant of such unit to any other person from the prohibitions against discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. Prohibits insurers against hazards from discriminating in housing insurance contracts. Includes the handicapped within the groups that may not be discriminated against in housing. Prohibits discrimination in housing finance because of the national origins of people residing in the vicinity of the dwelling involved. Prohibits discrimination in the buying of debts secured by real property. Includes Federal agencies having regulatory authority over financial institutions within the administrative authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Revises the procedures for enforcing the fair housing antidiscrimination provisions of the Act. Permits the Secretary to enforce the provisions upon receiving a charge filed by an aggrieved party within one year after the alleged discrimination occurred or upon the Secretary's initiative. Permits the Secretary to refer charges to certified State or local agencies to take action. Directs the Secretary and other Federal agencies to cooperate and avoid duplication of their efforts. Authorizes the Secretary to order preliminary relief in certain circumstances. Sets forth the procedures to be followed when the Secretary has an administrative hearing on a complaint. Permits aggrieved individuals to commence civil actions within three years of the alleged discriminatory practice. Prohibits proceedings by both the Secretary and the aggrieved individual. Authorizes the Attorney General (1) to intervene in an aggrieved individual's civil action and (2) to commence a civil action (a) against a person engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to these provisions or (b) to enforce the Secretary's findings or orders. Permits the aggrieved individual to intervene in an action commenced by the Attorney General. Allows prevailing parties reasonable attorney fees. Grants exclusive jurisdiction to the court of appeals to determine the validity of the Secretary's final orders under this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 1, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 1, 1979: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
DON EDWARDS (D-CA) introduced it on March 1, 1979, and 46 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 42 Democrats, 3 Republicans, 1 independent.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 1, 1979, 17360 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17360 days ago, on March 1, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers