Hurricane Katrina Emergency Housing Act of 2005
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Housing and Community Opportunity.
Hurricane Katrina Emergency Housing Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to waive specified requirements under the section 8 (United States Housing Act of 1937) housing voucher and project-based assistance programs for an individual or family: (1) who resides or resided on August 25, 2005, in any area subject to a presidential disaster or emergency declaration in connection with Hurricane Katrina, or who resides or resided on September 24, 2005, in any area subject to a presidential disaster or emergency declaration in connection with Hurricane Rita; (2) whose residence became uninhabitable or inaccessible as a result of such disasters or emergencies; and (3) who was receiving such rental benefits as of such applicable date.
Specifies voucher requirements that may be waived as: (1) tenant rent contributions; (2) assistance eligibility; (3) income verification; (4) one-year lease requirement; (5) public housing agency (PHA) initial housing inspection; (6) portability restrictions; (7) certain lease addenda permitting termination of tenancy; and (8) access to federally funded programs by persons having limited English proficiency.
Terminates waiver authority 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, unless the Secretary determines that such waivers are no longer needed, in which case the period specified is the six-month period beginning on such date of enactment.
(Sec. 3) Authorizes the Secretary to directly administer section 8 vouchers if the appropriate PHA is unable to do so because of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
(Sec. 4) Specifies project-based requirements that may be waived as: (1) tenant rent contributions; (2) income verification; (3) one-year lease requirement; (4) public housing agency (PHA) initial housing inspection; (5) certain lease addenda permitting termination of tenancy; and (6) access to federally funded programs by persons having limited English proficiency.
Terminates waiver authority 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, unless the Secretary determines that such waivers are no longer needed, in which case the period specified is the six-month period beginning on such date of enactment.
The summary continues for 4 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed House amended" stage on October 6, 2005. 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 January 4, 2006: Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
- 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 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 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?
Rodney Alexander (R-LA) introduced it on September 26, 2005, and 6 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 4 Republicans.
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 September 26, 2005, 7701 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7601 days ago, on January 4, 2006.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 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