H.R. 1640
HEIRS Act of 2025
Sponsor: Nikema Williams · 10 cosponsors
Follow this bill
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Heirs Estate Inheritance Resolution and Succession Act of 2025 or the HEIRS Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide grants to assist individuals with the legal processes associated with inheriting certain real property.
Under the first program, HUD must provide grants to states that have enacted the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) (or similar state law). The UPHPA provides due process protections against forced property sales for individuals who inherit real property from a landowner without a will. Historically, state property laws have provided that recipients of such property become tenants-in-common, which permits a single tenant to exercise their right to partition and sell the property.
A state or local government must use grant funds to assist residents with expenses related to establishing and documenting property ownership rights or settling a decedent's estate, including costs related to
- obtaining title reports, title abstracts, copies of public records, and land surveys;
- estate planning;
- heirs searches or tracing services; and
- recording and filing fees, notary fees, and legal fees and expenses.
Under the second program, HUD must provide grants to housing counseling agencies, legal services clinics at institutions of higher education, and qualified nonprofits. Such organizations must use grant funds to provide housing counseling, legal assistance, and financial assistance related to title clearing and home retention efforts for individuals who inherit property as tenants-in-common.
Text of the bill
Where this section came from
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Feb 26, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Financial Services, Feb 26
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Sep 1, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Financial Services, Jun 30 Reported by House Committee on Financial Services, Sep 1 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
(a) In general. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
shall,
may
not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section,
establish a grant program that provides amounts to eligible entities that— (1) before the date of the enactment of this section, had enacted or adopted the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act as approved and recommended for enactment in all the States by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2010 or a similar law that the Secretary determines is a substantial equivalent;
and
or
… 1 unchanged passage …
(b) Use of amounts.
(1) In general.
Each eligible entity that receives amounts under this section shall use such amounts to assist residents
residing in the jurisdiction
of such eligible entity with bona fide expenses relating to establishing and documenting property ownership rights or settling a decedent’s estate, including fees and costs related to obtaining title reports and title abstracts, copies of public records, land surveys, estate planning, heirs search or tracing services, recording and filing fees, notary fees, and legal fees and expenses. (
2) Layering of assistance. An eligible entity that receives amounts under this section may use such amounts to assist residents of such State who are receiving assistance from other sources, including Federal, State, local, private, public, and nonprofit sources. (
c) Regulations and criteria for selection. The Secretary shall, not later than 1 year after
the
establishing
date
any
of
grant
the
program
enactment
under
of
this section, issue a rule to carry out this section
,
that includes criteria for
the
selecting
selection
eligible
of
entities
recipients
to receive amounts under this section
. (d)
Authorization
Rule
of
appropriations
construction
.
(1)
Nothing
In
in
general.
this
There
section
are
may
authorized
be construed
to
be
prohibit
appropriated
an
to
eligible
the
entity
Secretary
that
of
receives
Housing
amounts
and
under
Urban
this
Development
section
$30,000,000
from
each
using
of
such
year
amounts
fiscal
to
years
assist
2026
residents
through
residing
2036
in
to
the
carry
jurisdiction
out
of
this
such
section.
eligible
(2)
entity
Availability.
who
Any
are
amounts
receiving
appropriated
assistance
under
from
this
other
subsection
sources,
shall
including
remain
Federal,
available
State,
until
local,
expended
private, public, and nonprofit sources
.
… 2 unchanged passages …
(2) Eligible entity. The term eligible entity means
— (A)
a State
, as such term is defined in section 102 of the Housing
and
Community Development Act of 1974; (B)
a unit of general local government
,
as such
terms
term
are
is
defined in section 102 of
title 1 of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
;
(
42 U.S.
C
. 5302
) a territory
,
;
or
and (D)
a Tribal government.
(f) Sunset. Any program established under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this section.
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(a) In general. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may establish a grant program that provides amounts to eligible entities that—
(1) before the date of the enactment of this section, had enacted or adopted the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act as approved and recommended for enactment in all the States by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2010 or a similar law that the Secretary determines is a substantial equivalent; or
(2) on or after the date of the enactment of this section, enact or adopt the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act as approved and recommended for enactment in all the States by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 2010 or a similar law that the Secretary determines is a substantial equivalent.
(b) Use of amounts. Each eligible entity that receives amounts under this section shall use such amounts to assist residents residing in the jurisdiction of such eligible entity with bona fide expenses relating to establishing and documenting property ownership rights or settling a decedent’s estate, including fees and costs related to obtaining title reports and title abstracts, copies of public records, land surveys, estate planning, heirs search or tracing services, recording and filing fees, notary fees, and legal fees and expenses.
(c) Regulations and criteria for selection. The Secretary shall, not later than 1 year after establishing any grant program under this section, issue a rule to carry out this section that includes criteria for selecting eligible entities to receive amounts under this section.
(d) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit an eligible entity that receives amounts under this section from using such amounts to assist residents residing in the jurisdiction of such eligible entity who are receiving assistance from other sources, including Federal, State, local, private, public, and nonprofit sources.
(e) Definitions. In this section:
(1) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(2) Eligible entity. The term eligible entity means—
(A) a State, as such term is defined in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974;
(B) a unit of general local government, as such term is defined in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974;
(C) a territory; and
(D) a Tribal government.
(f) Sunset. Any program established under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this section.