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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

The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act (S884) came closer than ever to passage last Thursday when it was attached, however briefly, to the Appropriations Bill in conference committee.

Jeff Lebakken (who's who), owner of Lebakkens Rent to Own in Wisconsin, along with Kris Korst (Rent A Center General Counsel), and lobbyist Ron Waters, were in Washington, DC rallying House and Senate members in one last attempt at passage this session. "[S884] actually made it into the Appropriations bill in conference committee Thursday night," said Lebakken. It was later removed because it had never been "Marked Up" (the process where a committee hears testimony and makes changes/amendments) in the Senate."

Unlike previous sessions however, controversy surrounding the S884 played no part in the conference committee's decision. Lebakken explained that, As a policy bill, S884 wasn't even supposed to be included in Appropriations. "Broad support from both sides of the isle got the Act on the conference committee agenda."

But in the end, it was decided that, since S884 had never been marked-up in the Senate, it would not be appropriate to include. The Senate Banking Committee held a brief hearing on the Act in June (audio), but a markup session was never scheduled.

Although, barring a last minute miracle, supporters will have to start from scratch in 2005, Lebakken is confident in passage. "This is farther than we have ever been," he said. "It was very exciting, everyone was upbeat about the bill and people were behind us. We just need to get farther in the Senate."

This session marks the seventh time Rental Purchase legislation has been introduced in Congress since 1985. The 1985 version (HR2730) gained 16 co-sponsors in the House and was never introduced in the Senate. During this session, S884 had 95 co-sponsors in the House, 27 co-sponsors in the Senate and, for the first time, had a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.