Housing FIRST Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8588

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Finance and Financial Sector

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Last Updated

2026-05-20T20:19:08Z

AI-Generated Summary

Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy Act (H.R. 8588) or "Housing FIRST Act"

Purpose

This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that regulates how consumer reporting agencies (like credit bureaus) collect and share personal information, to limit the use of certain criminal records in tenant screening reports. The goal is to help people with criminal histories—especially formerly incarcerated individuals—access rental housing by preventing irrelevant or outdated information from blocking their applications.

Key Provisions

• Defines "tenant screening purposes": A consumer report used to evaluate someone for renting housing or keeping them as a tenant.
• Prohibits specific information in tenant screening reports (new Section 605D):
• Arrest records.
• Juvenile convictions or adjudications (even if tried as an adult).
• Non-criminal citations by police.
• Cases resolved through diversion programs, drug courts, or similar (e.g., deferred adjudication).
• Convictions where the sentence is completed or the person is on probation/parole.
• Offenses tied to court fees or incarceration costs.
• Expunged, sealed, vacated, pardoned, or similar records.
• User duties for housing reports (amends Section 615):
• Landlords or housing providers taking adverse actions (e.g., denying a rental) based on a report must notify the applicant within 3 days and provide specific reasons, including the exact report details used.
• Conditions for sharing reports: Aligns tenant screening with employment rules, requiring certification of legitimate use and compliance with fair housing laws.
• Other changes:
• Clarifies sources of report information.
• Limits state laws on how long excluded information stays "obsolete" in reports.
• Removes the exception allowing convictions to be reported beyond 7–10 years (under existing FCRA time limits).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Expands FCRA protections: Treats tenant screening similarly to employment screening by adding definitions, prohibitions, and duties.
• Broadens exclusions: Bans more types of criminal data than before, including some convictions (e.g., completed sentences) and aligns all arrest/conviction records with standard 7–10-year obsolescence rules (no special carve-out for convictions).
• Tightens notices: Shortens adverse action notice timeline to 3 days (from typical 30 days in some cases) and requires itemized reasons.
• Preempts states: Prevents states from overriding federal time limits on obsolete information.

Potential Impacts

• On citizens: Improves housing access for formerly incarcerated people and those with minor/old records, reducing homelessness risks and aiding reentry.
• On housing providers/landlords: Increases compliance burdens (e.g., faster, detailed notices) but limits reliance on certain criminal data, potentially simplifying screening.
• On consumer reporting agencies: Restricts what they can include in reports, possibly reducing liability but requiring system updates.
• On government: Minimal direct impact; enforces via existing FCRA mechanisms (e.g., Federal Trade Commission oversight). No notable effects on international relations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Formerly incarcerated individuals and renters with records: Primary beneficiaries through fewer barriers to housing.
• Landlords and housing providers: Must adapt screening and notification processes.
• Consumer reporting agencies: Face new limits on report content and potential audits.
• Fair housing advocates and civil rights groups: Gain tools to challenge discriminatory practices.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens FCRA enforcement for housing, aligning it with fair housing laws (e.g., no discrimination based on irrelevant criminal history). Preempts conflicting state laws on report timelines.
• Constitutional: No direct challenges noted; supports equal protection by addressing barriers to housing, a basic need.
• Political: Promotes reentry and equity goals; could spark debate on landlord rights vs. tenant protections, with cosponsors from progressive Democrats signaling partisan focus.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]

Cosponsors (20)

Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

Recent Actions

• 2026-04-29: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
• 2026-04-29: Introduced in House
• 2026-04-29: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy Act — issued 2026-04-29 — PDF (9 pages)