{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=859D8005-2737-468B-8D9B-7148B8D67FA8", "NOW LAW: Sen. Moran\u2019s Legislation to Support Affordable Rural Housing", "2026-07-14", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KS", "Jerry Moran", "M000934", "www.moran.senate.gov", "moran", "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "scraper", "Moran\u2019s legislation went into effect on Friday as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today applauded the enactment of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law over the weekend and includes his Streamlining Rural Housing Act to support housing development in rural communities by simplifying the regulatory process for developers. The landmark housing package also includes three additional pieces of legislation cosponsored by Sen. Moran that will expand access to housing in rural America, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy within federal housing programs and increase access to affordable housing for veterans.\n\n\u201cThere is an increasing demand for affordable housing in rural communities, and I\u2019m pleased that the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law, helping address this challenge by streamlining rural housing programs, reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers and expanding opportunities for rural families to find affordable housing,\u201d said Sen. Moran. \u201cThis legislation is the most significant housing package in more than a decade and includes important updates to improve access to rural housing. I\u2019m pleased that my Streamlining Rural Housing Act is now law, and I look forward to seeing the difference this legislation makes for communities in Kansas and across our nation.\u201d\n\nSen. Moran\u2019s rural housing priorities enacted into law:\n\nStreamlining rural housing regulations \u2013 Sen. Moran introduced the bipartisan Streamlining Rural Housing Act, which would simplify the regulatory process for developers by requiring the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to align housing standards. The legislation would help lower costs and shorten project timelines for developers, allowing them to address growing housing needs more efficiently in Kansas and across the country.\n\nSupporting affordable housing in rural communities \u2013 Sen. Moran cosponsored the bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act, which would strengthen federal rural housing programs and bolster the supply of affordable housing in rural America by improving and building upon USDA rural housing programs.\n\nReducing bureaucratic barriers within federal housing programs \u2013 Sen. Moran cosponsored the bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act, which would expand access to affordable housing by reducing HUD inspection delays and allowing units financed through other federal housing programs to automatically satisfy voucher inspection requirements if they are inspected within the past year. The legislation also allows new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing and encourage landlord participation.\n\nIncreasing veterans\u2019 access to affordable housing \u2013 Sen. Moran cosponsored the bipartisan Veterans Affairs Loan Information Disclosure (VALID) Act, which would update Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage disclosures to include Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans alongside FHA and conventional loan options. The legislation would also allow lenders to collect voluntarily provided information regarding an applicant's military service, so they can connect eligible veterans and servicemembers with information about VA loan options early in the homebuying process.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-07-15T07:12:08Z", "2026-07-15T07:13:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=859D8005-2737-468B-8D9B-7148B8D67FA8"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9016471449285746, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}