Mike Lee (R-UT)
Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2025
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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
The "Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act of 2025" aims to nullify several specific regulations, rules, and notices from the Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing." It prohibits the use of Federal funds to create or maintain a database regarding geospatial information on racial or housing access disparities. Additionally, the bill mandates a consultation process between the Secretary and various state, local, and public housing officials. This process requires developing recommendations to further Fair Housing Act policies through collaboration and consensus. The Secretary must publish draft and final reports regarding these recommendations.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill emphasizes local government consultation and limits federal intervention in housing rules.
- Scored +3
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires public review and comment periods for the Secretary's report.
The opposite· 3 of 8
- Scored -6
Would Black Americans be better off under this?
The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access.
- Scored -6
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access.
- Scored -6
Would Asian Americans be better off under this?
The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Collaboration with local leaders: The bill requires the Secretary to consult with State officials, local government officials, and public housing agencies to develop recommendations (Section 4(a)). This could ensure that housing policies are developed with input from those serving local communities.
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Emphasis on consensus: The Secretary can only include recommendations in a draft report if consensus is reached among the Secretary and the consulted officials (Section 4(c)(2)). This provides a mechanism for ensuring that various government entities agree on proposed directions.
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Transparency and public input: The bill requires the draft report to be made available for public review and comment for at least 180 days (Section 4(c)(4)). This allows the people to have a voice in the recommendation process.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Nullification of existing rules: The bill strips the force and effect of several Department of Housing and Urban Development rules and notices related to "Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing" (Section 2). This removes the current regulatory framework established by those specific rules.
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Restriction of information access: The bill prohibits the use of Federal funds to build or maintain a database of geospatial information regarding community racial disparities or disparities in access to affordable housing (Section 3). This prevents the use of federal money for that specific data tool.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill limits the ability to track and address racial disparities in housing access. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The reduction in housing equity oversight may negatively affect low-income access to housing.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill nullifies fair housing rules and prohibits data collection on racial disparities in housing access. Does this make housing cost less? — The bill removes regulatory tools and data tracking intended to address disparities in affordable housing access.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill emphasizes local government consultation and limits federal intervention in housing rules. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires public review and comment periods for the Secretary's report. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill seeks to reduce federal regulatory authority over local zoning and housing rules.
- 3/27/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.