A Democratic bill with 20 Democratic cosponsors · See all 20 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Housing FIRST Act," seeks to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act regarding tenant screening. It establishes a new definition for "tenant screening purposes" to include reports used for evaluating or retaining rental housing. The legislation prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including specific criminal-related information in these reports, such as arrests, certain juvenile adjudications, and completed sentences. It also implements new requirements for those who use these reports to make housing decisions. Finally, it mandates that users provide specific notice and reasons to consumers when an adverse action, like a rental denial, is taken.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill enhances consumer rights by requiring specific notices and reasons when rental applications are denied based on consumer reports.
- Scored +5
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?
By limiting the use of criminal records in tenant screening, the bill helps mitigate racial disparities often driven by criminal justice history.
- Scored +5
Does this make housing cost less?
The bill increases housing accessibility for people with criminal histories by restricting the information used to deny them housing.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prohibition of specific criminal records: Consumer reporting agencies would be barred from including information such as arrests, juvenile adjudications, non-criminal citations, and completed sentences in tenant screening reports (Section 3). This prevents certain past legal issues from affecting a person's ability to secure housing.
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Protection for those with completed sentences or specific legal statuses: The bill prevents the inclusion of convictions where the consumer has completed their sentence or is on probation/parole (Section 3, subsection 5). It also protects those whose cases were resolved through programs like drug court or diversion (Section 3, subsection 4).
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Elimination of certain debt-related records: Information regarding offenses related to fees or back payments from court costs or incarceration cannot be included (Section 3, subsection 6).
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Improved transparency for housing decisions: People who are denied rental housing based on a consumer report must receive a notice within 3 days of the adverse action (Section 6, subsection 1).
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Clearer understanding of denials: Users of these reports must provide the specific reasons for an adverse action, including the specific information in the report that led to the decision (Section 6, subsection 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill increases housing accessibility for people with criminal histories by restricting the information used to deny them housing. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — By limiting the use of criminal records in tenant screening, the bill helps mitigate racial disparities often driven by criminal justice history. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — By removing barriers to rental housing, the bill helps people secure stable living arrangements. Does this shorten or soften prison sentences? — The bill assists reintegration by preventing past arrests and completed sentences from negatively impacting housing access. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Improving housing stability for those with criminal records helps prevent cycles of poverty and homelessness.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill benefits low-income households by removing financial-related criminal records as a barrier to rental housing. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill may help reduce systemic barriers to housing that disproportionately affect Black Americans due to criminal justice records. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill helps young adults by preventing juvenile adjudications from affecting their ability to rent housing. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill facilitates easier access to rental housing for many people living in urban environments. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill may indirectly help those with disabilities who have been involved in the legal system through diversion programs.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer rights by requiring specific notices and reasons when rental applications are denied based on consumer reports.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates that housing providers provide specific reasons for adverse actions, increasing transparency in the decision process.
- 4/30/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/29/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 19 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Greg CasarDemocrat · Texas
Maxwell FrostDemocrat · Florida
Jimmy GomezDemocrat · California
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Robin KellyDemocrat · Illinois
Sydney Kamlager-DoveDemocrat · California
Summer LeeDemocrat · Pennsylvania
James McGovernDemocrat · Massachusetts
LaMonica McIverDemocrat · New Jersey
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDemocrat · New York
Ilhan OmarDemocrat · Minnesota
Delia RamirezDemocrat · Illinois
Janice SchakowskyDemocrat · Illinois
Lateefah SimonDemocrat · California
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia
Bonnie Watson ColemanDemocrat · New Jersey