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Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995

Public Law 104-76 · H.R. 660 · 104th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Dec 28, 1995 · Housing and Community Development

Sponsor: Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL-22)

Cosponsors (23): Rep. Sonny Bono,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateRecorded vote: 94 yea, 3 nay94–3
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 - Amends the Fair Housing Act with regard to the definition of housing for older persons by: (1) deleting the "significant facilities and services" requirement; and (2) requiring at least 80 percent of occupied units to be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older. (Thus modifying the exemption from certain familial status discrimination prohibitions.)

Makes a good faith attempt at compliance a defense against civil money damages.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 104th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 94 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

94 yea3 nay2 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(43)

  • Sen. Paul WellstoneD-MN
  • Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA
  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Daniel AkakaD-HI
  • Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
  • Sen. Russell FeingoldD-WI
  • Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
  • Sen. Patty MurrayD-WA
  • Sen. Tom DaschleD-SD
  • Sen. David PryorD-AR
  • Sen. Paul SimonD-IL
  • Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
  • Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
  • Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
  • Sen. John KerryD-MA
  • Sen. Carol Moseley BraunD-IL
  • Sen. Byron DorganD-ND
  • Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV
  • Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
  • Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
  • Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
  • Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
  • Sen. John GlennD-OH
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. Herb KohlD-WI
  • Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
  • Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
  • Sen. Richard BryanD-NV
  • Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
  • Sen. Bob GrahamD-FL
  • Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA
  • Sen. Robert KerreyD-NE
  • Sen. Harry ReidD-NV
  • Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
  • Sen. John BreauxD-LA
  • Sen. Charles RobbD-VA
  • Sen. James ExonD-NE
  • Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT
  • Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
  • Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
  • Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL

Republicans who voted yea(51)

  • Sen. Jim JeffordsR-VT
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. William CohenR-ME
  • Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. Ben CampbellD-CO
  • Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
  • Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
  • Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Mike DeWineR-OH
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Kit BondR-MO
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
  • Sen. Spencer AbrahamR-MI
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Bill FristR-TN
  • Sen. Rick SantorumR-PA
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Conrad BurnsR-MT
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
  • Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
  • Sen. Fred ThompsonR-TN
  • Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Connie MackR-FL
  • Sen. Craig ThomasR-WY
  • Sen. Paul CoverdellR-GA
  • Sen. Daniel CoatsR-IN
  • Sen. Dirk KempthorneR-ID
  • Sen. Trent LottR-MS
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. John McCainR-AZ
  • Sen. Rod GramsR-MN
  • Sen. John AshcroftR-MO
  • Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
  • Sen. Hank BrownR-CO
  • Sen. Phil GrammR-TX
  • Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
  • Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
  • Sen. Bob SmithR-NH
  • Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 590 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Dec 28, 1995Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-76.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 19, 1995PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 18, 1995Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Canady moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  7. Dec 6, 1995FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 94-3. Record Vote No: 590.Senate roll call 590
  8. Nov 10, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  9. Oct 26, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. Aug 2, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  12. Aug 1, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. Apr 7, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  14. Apr 6, 1995FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  15. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 424 - 5 (Roll no. 297).House roll call 297
  16. FloorFloor · The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
  17. FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 126 passed House.
  18. Mar 29, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  19. Mar 22, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
  20. Mar 15, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  22. Mar 10, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  23. Jan 24, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  24. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.