Protect Veteran Students, Job Seekers, and Entrepreneurs Housing Act

Summary

Requires landlords and holders of paramount title to treat certain VA and DoD educational assistance as income when deciding if a servicemember, veteran, or eligible dependent can rent a residence, and limits lease length to the number of months of educational entitlement. It bans landlords who knowingly break these rules from participating in covered federally assisted rental housing programs and creates criminal penalties for knowing violations. Also creates a 60-day grace period before termination of VA education benefits when a covered individual fails to meet a single program requirement: the Secretary must notify the person and may not end benefits until 60 days after that notice.

• Landlords must count specified VA and DoD education benefits as income when assessing lease eligibility for servicemembers, veterans, and eligible dependents.
• Lease terms cannot exceed the number of months remaining in the individual's entitlement to the listed educational assistance.
• Landlords who knowingly violate the rules can be barred from participating in covered federally assisted rental housing programs.
• Knowing violations also carry criminal penalties: fines, up to one year imprisonment, or both.
• Adds a required 60-day notice/grace period before terminating a covered individual's VA education benefits for failure to meet a single program requirement.
• Defines covered individuals and enumerates covered federal housing programs administered by HUD, VA, USDA, and Treasury.
• Examples of program requirements that trigger the 60-day rule include missed recertification, withdrawing from class, death of a veteran relative, or loss of employment.
• Changes amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and chapter 36 of title 38, U.S.C.; no new spending or tax changes are created.