Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently reintroduced the “HUD Inspection Process and Enforcement Reform Act of 2019.” The legislation was first introduced by him in 2015 and it aims to improve federal housing inspections and to hold landlords accountable for misusing taxpayer dollars or endangering tenant health and safety.

The legislation requires HUD to publish reports detailing facility inspection scores and allows the HUD secretary to better enforce standards. The secretary would have the ability to impose civil monetary penalties, transfer property ownership from landlords, and prohibit them from receiving other federal funding. The bill also allows HUD to reduce the grade or pay of certain HUD employees for misconduct or even to remove them. Whistleblowers who report misconduct to the Office of Special Counsel are protected by the legislation.