Factoids

Rent to Own Online Government Workshop new Rent to Own and Government New Side By Side Comparison of Any State Statute to the Proposed Federal Legislation Related articles most recent first 109th Congress Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2005 Introduced In Senate Opposing Forces; Two Groups At Legislative Odds 108th Congress Session Ends Without Passage Of Rental Purchase Agreement Act; Last Minute Efforts Nearly Win The Day Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Endorses Rental Purchase Agreement Act Rental Purchase Act Looses 5 Key Supporters Schrock And Clay Cosponsor Rental Purchase Agreement Act Text Of Landrieu Statement To The Senate Banking Committee Supporting The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act "Even Congressmen Use Rent to Own"; Senator Mary Landrieu Opening Statement Audio Senate To Hear Testimony On Rental Purchase Agreement Act Today Virginia Senator Allen Endorses Rental Purchase Agreement Act; Hearing Scheduled For 22nd Washington Senator Patty Murray Cosponsors Rental Purchase Agreement Act; Senate Co-sponsor Count At 50% Shuster and Lampson Cosponsor Rental Purchase Agreement Act Senate Powerhouse Tom Daschle Cosponsors Rental Purchase Agreement Act; Senate Co-sponsor Count Nears 50% Six New Cosponsors For Rental Purchase Agreement Act North Dakota Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan Cosponsors S884; Senate Co-sponsor Count at 23 Missouri Republican Todd Akin Supports Rental Purchase Agreement Act Southern Democrats Co-sponsor Rental Purchase Agreement Act Rent to Own Industry Supporter Doug Bereuter Resigning House Seat For Private Sector Missouri Republican Senator Christopher Bond Cosponsors S884 Senate Co-sponsor Count at 22 Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act Co-Sponsor Rep. Tiberi Introduces "No Down Payment Act" Rent to Own Online Introduces New State Statute Application 20% of Lawmakers Co-Sponsor Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act Illinois Republican Becomes 82nd Representative to Co-sponsor HR996 11 Term Texas Democrat Becomes 81st Representative to Co-sponsor HR996 Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith Cosponsors S884 Senate Co-sponsor Count at 21 Six Term Democrat Tim Holden (PA) Becomes 80th Co-Sponsor of HR996 Senators Roberts and Craig Cosponsor S884 Industry Hits Goal of 20 Co-sponsors by Mid September Kansas Democrat Becomes 79th Co-Sponsor of HR996 Bayh and Baucus Bring Senate Cosponsor Count to 18 Oregon Republican Switches Sides and Becomes 78th Co-Sponsor of HR996 ; Total at 78 Iowa Republican Steve King Co-Sponsors HR996 ; Total at 77 North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad Brings Senate Cosponsor Count to 16 Kansas Republican Sam Brownback Brings Senate Cosponsor Count to 15 2 More House Democrats Cosponsors HR996; Total at 76 11 New House Cosponsors HR996; Total at 74 Trent Lott (R-MS), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Bring Senate Cosponsor Count to 14 update HR996 Sponsorship... What's The Real Number? HR996; Movement In House Unlikely Till Senate Gets Off Dime HR 996: Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act Thomas Carper (D-DE) Becomes 12th Senate Cosponsor of RTO Legislation Michael Crapo (R-ID) Becomes 11th Senate Cosponsor of RTO Legislation Avalanche of Co-Sponsors for Rent to Own Legislation During APRO Legislative Conference 32 More Stories on Rental Purchase Agreement Act The bill was first introduced by Representative Walter B. Jones of NC in May, 2001. Click here for Rep. Jones Home Page

"We expect the first quarter of next year to be a busy time for RTO legislation"
John Raffaelli
Chairman and Founding Partner of The Washington Group

20% of all lawmakers are co-sponsoring the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act. With 82 House and 21 Senate co-sponsors, debate could begin as early as the first quarter of 2004. (a complete list of co-sponsors as well as a complete history of the legislation, dating back to 1985, is available in RTO.GOV)

The House and Senate will set 2004's agenda over the next four to six weeks. Passage in the House is considered likely (HR1701, last sessions version, was narrowly passed by the House 215 - 201 with 15 members not voting), but the Senate has never debated the issue.

Although the Act was introduced in the Senate by Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in September, 2002 and referred to the Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, hearings were never scheduled by then Chairman Paul Sarbanes (D-MD). Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), a Rent to Own industry supporter and co-sponsor of the Act, took over as Chairman of the Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee when the Republicans took control of the Senate in 2002.

The Senate may debate the bill, or simply attach it to some other bill for passage. Either way, action may come early in 2004.

According to John Raffaelli, Chairman and Founding Partner of The Washington Group, an industry lobbyist, "We expect the first quarter of next year to be a busy time for RTO legislation."