House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	June 29, 2020 03:04 PM
From:	Representative Maureen E. Madden and Rep. Michael H. Schlossberg
To:	All House members
Subject:	COVID-19 Eviction Mitigation Bill Package

Among all the hardships Pennsylvanians are facing across the state due to COVID-19, the fear of possibly losing their home is one of the most prominent. While our constituents are undergoing record levels of unemployment and hour reduction, they now have to face the grueling reality of paying rent. While we work hard to protect our essential workers and our most at risk individuals, it is our duty to also ensure that they can stay safe and secure in their own homes.

For this reason, we plan on introducing a bill package to help renters by establishing the Tenant Eviction Mitigation Program. The bill package will:

require landlords to create a payment plan option for tenants that may have lost income due to a statewide emergency like COVID-19;
prohibit landlords from charging late fees on rent payments to tenants with lost income during a statewide emergency; and
create a landlord-tenant mediation and counseling program to help resolve issues before an eviction is required.

Being evicted from a home is traumatizing for tenants and overwhelmingly costly to landlords, especially during a global pandemic when everyone’s safety is threatened. We must ensure that all Pennsylvania residents are equipped to continue battling this pandemic, future pandemics, and all declarations of emergency to come. We hope you will join us in maintaining what we as legislators were elected to do: protecting and advocating for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Document #1

Introduced as HB2838

Description:	Require landlords to create a payment plan option for tenants that may have lost income due to a statewide emergency like COVID-19.

Document #2

Introduced as HB2839

Description:	Prohibit landlords from charging late fees on rent payments to tenants with lost income during a statewide emergency.

Document #3

Introduced as HB2840

Description:	Create a landlord-tenant mediation and counseling program to help resolve issues before an eviction is required.

Memo Updated: June 29, 2020 03:09 PM