The Keeping Renters Safe Act was a major new piece of legislation in Congress. It was introduced to the House of Representatives on September 21, 2021.
It was intended to reinstate the eviction moratorium that was introduced following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. This was ended in August after the Supreme Court ruled that the CDC didn’t have the legal authority to order a federal eviction moratorium without the support of Congress.
This article looks over the key details of the Keeping Renters Safe Act to explain what happened with the proposed new legislation.
What Was in the Keeping Renters Safe Act?
The key goal of the proposed Keeping Renters Safe Act was to amend Section 361 of the Public Health Services Act.
This intended to give new powers to major health bodies such as Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Under these changes, they would have been able to unilaterally implement eviction moratoriums if there were a major public health crisis.
Most importantly it would have given these health bodies sufficient authority to implement eviction moratoria without needing to ask Congress in order to respond to emergencies more quickly.
Keeping Renters Safe Act Key Points
There were a number of key points in the Keeping Renters Safe Act that new laws would address. These would make it easier for health authorities to institute a ban on evictions under new disease control powers.
If the new act had passed it would have:
- Classified evictions as spreading communicable disease
- Given the HHS and CDC the permanent authority to implement eviction moratoriums during health crises
Who Was Behind the Bill?
The Keeping Renters Safe Act was proposed by liberal House representatives.
The two main proponents of the new legislation were:
- Cori Bush
- Elizabeth Warren
On introducing the bill in Congress, Warren said to the media, “This pandemic isn’t over, and we have to do everything we can to protect renters from the harm and trauma of needless eviction, which upends the lives of those struggling to get back on their feet”.
Senator Warren’s comments were echoed by Bush, who also stated, "This is the only way we make sure that we are keeping people safe, especially now that we are dealing with this pandemic that continues to surge and is just out of control."
Did Bush and Warren Have Enough Support in Congress?
A big question over the Keep Renters Safe Act was whether it had enough support in the Senate to get passed.
Whilst it had the support of many progressive Democrats in both houses, the party had a tiny majority in the Senate. It therefore required broad support within the Democratic Party to pass.
Not only that but a Republican filibuster remained a threat. This slowed or even halted the legislation entirely.
Ultimately, the bill was not passed, and it will be seen if legislation like it will be reintroduced in the future.
The Keeping Renters Safe Act was a major new piece of legislation in Congress. It was introduced to the House of Representatives on September 21, 2021.
It was intended to reinstate the eviction moratorium that was introduced following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. This was ended in August after the Supreme Court ruled that the CDC didn’t have the legal authority to order a federal eviction moratorium without the support of Congress.
This article looks over the key details of the Keeping Renters Safe Act to explain what happened with the proposed new legislation.
What Was in the Keeping Renters Safe Act?
The key goal of the proposed Keeping Renters Safe Act was to amend Section 361 of the Public Health Services Act.
This intended to give new powers to major health bodies such as Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Under these changes, they would have been able to unilaterally implement eviction moratoriums if there were a major public health crisis.
Most importantly it would have given these health bodies sufficient authority to implement eviction moratoria without needing to ask Congress in order to respond to emergencies more quickly.
Keeping Renters Safe Act Key Points
There were a number of key points in the Keeping Renters Safe Act that new laws would address. These would make it easier for health authorities to institute a ban on evictions under new disease control powers.
If the new act had passed it would have:
- Classified evictions as spreading communicable disease
- Given the HHS and CDC the permanent authority to implement eviction moratoriums during health crises
Who Was Behind the Bill?
The Keeping Renters Safe Act was proposed by liberal House representatives.
The two main proponents of the new legislation were:
- Cori Bush
- Elizabeth Warren
On introducing the bill in Congress, Warren said to the media, “This pandemic isn’t over, and we have to do everything we can to protect renters from the harm and trauma of needless eviction, which upends the lives of those struggling to get back on their feet”.
Senator Warren’s comments were echoed by Bush, who also stated, "This is the only way we make sure that we are keeping people safe, especially now that we are dealing with this pandemic that continues to surge and is just out of control."
Did Bush and Warren Have Enough Support in Congress?
A big question over the Keep Renters Safe Act was whether it had enough support in the Senate to get passed.
Whilst it had the support of many progressive Democrats in both houses, the party had a tiny majority in the Senate. It therefore required broad support within the Democratic Party to pass.
Not only that but a Republican filibuster remained a threat. This slowed or even halted the legislation entirely.
Ultimately, the bill was not passed, and it will be seen if legislation like it will be reintroduced in the future.
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