H.R. 6644 · 119th Congress
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] (R-AR) · Introduced · 31 cosponsors
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-101.
· from Congress.gov, as of August 8, 2026
Committees
What this stage means
The bill is now law — by the President's signature, by the ten-day rule when the President declines to sign, or by a two-thirds veto override.
Why this matters
There are three constitutional paths to enactment, and only one of them requires the President's approval.
What can happen next
Executive agencies write regulations to implement it; courts may review challenges to it.
Study this bill
AP GovThe constitutional question
Article I, Section 7 in live action: the President refused to sign, demanding Congress first pass an unrelated voter-ID bill — and the Constitution called the bluff. Ten days after presentment (June 29), with Congress in session, the bill became Public Law 119-101 at midnight July 11, and the official record reads 'Sent to Archivist of the United States unsigned.' Had Congress been adjourned, the same inaction would have been a pocket veto. Underneath sits a Unit 1 question: federal law can fund and nudge housing supply, but the binding constraint — local zoning — belongs to a level of government Congress cannot commandeer.
The strongest case for
This is the largest housing-affordability package in decades, and it passed 390–9 and 89–10 — margins that barely exist anymore — because it attacks supply, the actual problem: streamlined environmental review for housing, manufactured-home rules modernized, community-bank investment caps raised for affordable financing, and grants that reward localities for fixing their own zoning rather than ordering them to. The institutional-investor purchase ban (entities holding 350+ single-family homes) responds to families losing bidding wars to all-cash funds in starter-home markets. Nearly thirty housing organizations urged passage, and homebuilders publicly welcomed the revised text. A president calling this 'a big yawn' to extract an unrelated voter-ID bill is exactly why the Framers put a clock on the signature.
The strongest case against
The bill's marquee provision aims at a villain the data says is minor: Freddie Mac researchers describe private-equity ownership as a small share of the single-family market and a small driver of the shortage, and analysts at both the left-leaning Urban Institute and the right-leaning Taxpayers Protection Alliance argue institutional buyers can add supply by renovating homes that would otherwise leave the market — meaning the 350-home purchase ban is symbolic politics with a real cost, and its build-to-rent carve-outs concede the point. Meanwhile the act layers new federal programs onto the one constraint it cannot touch, local zoning, so its grants subsidize around the bottleneck instead of removing it. Broad bipartisan margins often signal a bill that offends no one because it forces no hard choice.
Foundational documents in play
- U.S. Constitution
Article I, Section 7's ten-day rule is why this bill is law without a signature — the clause every student memorizes and almost none ever sees fire.
- Federalist No. 39
The act can fund, streamline, and incentivize — but zoning stays local; Madison's partly-national, partly-federal design is why the biggest lever remains out of federal reach.
- Federalist No. 70
Hamilton's energetic executive has real informal bargaining power — and this bill marks its constitutional edge, where withholding a signature simply stopped working.
Organizations supporting
This has happened before
Presidents have let bills become law unsigned before — it's how a president registers protest without spending a veto he might lose. The instructive contrast is the pocket veto: same presidential inaction, opposite result, decided entirely by whether Congress is in session when the clock runs out. This bill is the live half of that pair; your glossary's pocket-veto entry is the counterfactual. It is also a rare specimen of formal constitutional text defeating informal presidential leverage in public, on a date certain.
Practice FRQ
Concept Application. "In 2026, both chambers passed a housing bill by overwhelming margins. The President announced he would not sign it unless Congress passed an unrelated election bill. Ten days after the bill was presented, with Congress in session, it became law without his signature." (A) Describe the constitutional provision that produced this outcome. (B) Explain how the outcome would have differed if Congress had adjourned. (C) Explain what this episode demonstrates about the limits of informal presidential power.
Sources: www.congress.gov · www.npr.org · en.wikipedia.org
Action history
Every recorded action from Congress.gov — 69 total.
House
Sent to Archivist of the United States unsigned.
Became Public Law No: 119-101.
Became Public Law No: 119-101.
Presented to President.
House
Presented to President.
Senate
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
House
Mr. Hill (AR) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H4151-4193)
House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment.
House
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 358 - 32 (Roll no. 224). (text: CR H4151-4187)
House
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 358 - 32 (Roll no. 224). (text: CR H4151-4187)
House
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Senate
Considered by Senate (Message from the House considered). (consideration: CR S2977, S2982-2984)
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SA 5823) by Yea-Nay Vote. 85 - 5. Record Vote Number: 182.
Senate
Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment (SA 5823) by Yea-Nay Vote. 85 - 5. Record Vote Number: 182.
Senate
Considered by Senate (Message from the House considered). (consideration: CR S2913-2917)
Senate
Cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 with an amendment (SA 5823) invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 8. Record Vote Number: 180.
Senate
Motion by Senator Thune to refer to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs the House message to accompany H.R. 6644 with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 5825) fell when cloture was invoked on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 in Senate.
Senate
Motion to proceed to consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 6644 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 87 - 8. Record Vote Number: 175.
Senate
Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S2813-2316)
Senate
Motion by Senator Thune to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 with an amendment (SA 5823) made in Senate.
Senate
Cloture motion on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644 with an amendment (SA 5823) presented in Senate.
Senate
Motion by Senator Thune to refer to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs the House message to accompany H.R. 6644 with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA5825) made in Senate.
Senate
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate amendment.
Resolving differences -- House actions: House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 1299
House
House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 1299 (consideration: CR H3643-3644)
Senate
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1017, S1021-1024)
Senate
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 89 - 10. Record Vote Number: 53.
Senate
Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 89 - 10. Record Vote Number: 53.
Senate
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S969, S1004-1005)
Senate
Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 82 - 11. Record Vote Number: 52. (CR S1005)
Senate
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S943)
Senate
Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 4313) fell when cloture was invoked on amendment SA 4308 in Senate.
Senate
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S855-856)
Senate
Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S877)
Senate
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S769)
Senate
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 8. Record Vote Number: 45. (CR S773)
Senate
Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S773-777)
Senate
Motion by Senator Thune to commit to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 4313) made in Senate.
Senate
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S741)
Senate
Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S719)
Senate
Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 6. Record Vote Number: 44. (CR S728)
Senate
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S692)
Senate
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S692)
Senate
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 343.
Senate
Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Senate
Received in the Senate.
House
Mr. Hill (AR) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
House
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2050-2074)
House
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6644.
House
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
House
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2082)
House
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 390 - 9 (Roll no. 57). (text: CR H2050-2070)
House
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 390 - 9 (Roll no. 57). (text: CR H2050-2070)
House
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
House
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 119-457, Part I.
House
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 119-457, Part I.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged.
House
Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged.
House
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 392.
House
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
House
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 50 - 1.
House
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
House
Introduced in House
House
Introduced in House
House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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.
House
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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.