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

Expand all
Sec. 3. Grants to provide assistance relating to heirs’ property resolution Changed · Sep 1

Where this section came from

  1. Feb 26, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Financial Services, Feb 26
  2. 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.
What changed in the text

(a) In general. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall may carry out a program under this section to provide grants each year to eligible entities to use to provide housing counseling, legal assistance, and financial assistance related to title clearing and home retention efforts for owners of heirs’ property.

… 3 unchanged passages …

(B) targeting services to minority underserved and low- and moderate-income persons; and (C) providing services in neighborhoods that have a high concentrations of minority underserved persons or low- and moderate-income persons.

… 2 unchanged passages …

(c) Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, for grants under this section, $10,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. (d) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

… 2 unchanged passages …

(B) a legal services clinics clinic operated by an institute of higher education; or (C) a qualifiying qualifying nonprofit. (2) Heirs’ property Property . The term heirs’ property means residential property for which title passed by operation of law through intestacy and is held by two or more heirs as tenants in common. (3) Hud HUD approved housing counseling agency. The term HUD approved housing counseling agency means a housing counseling agency found eligible to receive assistance by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under section 106(a)(2) of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968.

… 4 unchanged passages …

(B) Exception. If the area described in subparagraph (A) is a high-cost area, as determined by the Secretary, the term “ low- and moderate-income persons ” means a homeowner whose household income does not exceed 140 percent of the median income for the area.

… 2 unchanged passages …

(B) targets services to minority underserved and low- and moderate-income persons; or (C) provides services in neighborhoods that have high concentrations of minority underserved persons and low- and moderate-income persons.

(6) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(d) Sunset. Any program established under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this section.

What is a markup?

A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.

(a) In general. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may carry out a program under this section to provide grants each year to eligible entities to use to provide housing counseling, legal assistance, and financial assistance related to title clearing and home retention efforts for owners of heirs’ property.

(b) Awards. The Secretary shall consider the following when awarding grants under this section:

(1) Whether the eligible entity has a proven track record of—

(A) providing assistance to homeowners;

(B) targeting services to underserved and low- and moderate-income persons; and

(C) providing services in neighborhoods that have a high concentrations of underserved persons or low- and moderate-income persons.

(2) Whether the eligible entity has planned or existing partnerships with other eligible entities.

(3) Whether the eligible entity is located in an area with a high number of owners of heirs’ property, as determined by the Secretary.

(c) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Eligible entity. The term eligible entity means—

(A) a HUD approved housing counseling agency;

(B) a legal services clinic operated by an institute of higher education; or

(C) a qualifying nonprofit.

(2) Heirs’ Property. The term heirs’ property means residential property for which title passed by operation of law through intestacy and is held by two or more heirs as tenants in common.

(3) HUD approved housing counseling agency. The term HUD approved housing counseling agency means a housing counseling agency found eligible to receive assistance by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under section 106(a)(2) of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968.

(4) Low- and moderate-income persons

(A) In general. The term low- and moderate-income persons means a person whose household income does not exceed 120 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary, within which—

(i) the heirs’ property which respect to which the homeowner is seeking assistance is located; or

(ii) the place of residence of the homeowner is located.

(B) Exception. If the area described in subparagraph (A) is a high-cost area, as determined by the Secretary, the term “low- and moderate-income persons” means a homeowner whose household income does not exceed 140 percent of the median income for the area.

(5) Qualifying nonprofit. The term qualifying nonprofit means a nonprofit, mission-driven entity that, as determined by the Secretary—

(A) has a track record of providing assistance to homeowners;

(B) targets services to underserved and low- and moderate-income persons; or

(C) provides services in neighborhoods that have high concentrations of underserved persons and low- and moderate-income persons.

(6) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(d) Sunset. Any program established under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this section.