Introduced in House — H.R. 7701

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7701

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 25, 2026

Mr. Lawler introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to reduce rent in public housing for police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.

Section 1. Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Public Housing Rent Reduction for First Responders Act.

Sec. 2. Supporting affordability and safety for public servants

Section 3(a) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(a)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking Except as provided in paragraph (2) and inserting Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (4); and

(2)

in paragraph (4)—

(A)

in the heading, by striking Occupancy by police officers and inserting, Occupancy by police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians;

(B)

by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);

(C)

by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:

(C) Rental payments
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a family of which one or more members are a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician shall pay as rent for a dwelling unit assisted under this Act the highest of the following amounts, rounded to the nearest dollar:
(i)
15 per centum of the family's monthly adjusted income; or
(ii)
5 per centum of the family's monthly income; and

(D)

by amending subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, to read as follows:

(D) Definitions
In this paragraph:
(i) Police officer
The term police officer means any person determined by a public housing agency to be, during the period of residence of that person in public housing, employed on a full-time basis as a duly licensed professional police officer by a Federal, State, or local government or by any agency thereof (including a public housing agency having an accredited police force).
(ii) Firefighter
The term firefighter means any person determined by a public housing agency to be, during the period of residence of that person in public housing, employed on a full-time basis as a firefighter by a fire department or emergency medical services responder unit of the Federal Government, a State, unit of general local government, or an Indian tribal government.
(iii) Emergency medical technician
The term emergency medical technician means any person determined by a public housing agency to be, during the period of residence of that person in public housing, employed on a full-time basis as an emergency medical technician by a fire department or emergency medical services responder unit of the Federal Government, a State, unit of general local government, or an Indian tribal government.