A housing and transportation appropriations bill with a CUNA-backed amendment that would prohibit the use of funds to enforce the “disparate impact” concept in providing housing services was adopted late Tuesday night by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House voted 216-210 to adopt the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 2577), which contains the amendment.

The amendment would prohibit Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding to implement, administer or enforce the disparate impact concepts contained in the final rule. The House originally voted 231-195 to include the amendment, sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) in the bill.

CUNA and a coalition of housing and financial services groups sent a letter last week to lawmakers citing their unflagging support for the Fair Housing Act and the amendment (News Now June 5).

The act has prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of dwellings and in other housing-related activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin since 1968.

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