Congress·In Committee·H.R. 4182

Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025

Housing not Handcuffs Act: Protecting Homeless People on Federal Property

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

The Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to several House committees for review, which is where it remains for now. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Very unlikely to pass

This bill is led by progressive Democrats and faces strong opposition in a divided Congress where many members favor stricter enforcement of public camping bans.

Key Points

This bill stops federal agencies from punishing homeless people for doing basic things to survive on federal land. This includes activities like sleeping, sitting, eating, or protecting themselves from the weather in places like federal parks, sidewalks, and parking lots.
The law would protect the right of homeless individuals to move freely in public areas and ask for donations like food or money. It also says they have a right to privacy for their personal belongings, meaning their bags or tents cannot be searched or taken without a good reason, just like a private home.
People living in cars or RVs on federal land would be protected from having their vehicles towed right away. They would be given a chance to move their vehicle first, and if it is towed, they could get it back for free or at a lower cost if they cannot afford the full fee.
Federal agencies could only stop people from sleeping on public land if there is a truly 'adequate' indoor shelter available. To count as adequate, the shelter must be free, allow pets and partners to stay together, and provide a place to cook and stay warm or cool.
If a homeless person is charged with a crime for being on federal land, they can use the lack of available shelter as a legal defense. The bill also allows the government or individuals to sue federal officials who violate these new protections.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jun 26, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Natural Resources, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jun 26, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

News

No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 4182

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Natural Resources, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.