# 119-hr-8378: Pets Belong with Families Act

119-hr-8378, Pets Belong with Families Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8378
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8378
- Congress: 119
- Title: Pets Belong with Families Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Policy area: Housing and Community Development
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Would ban breed, size, and weight restrictions on pets in public housing.** The Pets Belong with Families Act would set clear, limited rules for pet policies in public housing. It would allow a pet deposit up to 10% of a tenant's monthly base rent, let that deposit be spread over at least three months, and require returning any unused portion within 30 days after move-out. The bill would bar withholding a pet deposit for damage unrelated to the pet, including ordinary wear. It would also permit reasonable limits on animal numbers by unit size, prohibit species barred by state or local law, and allow excluding animals declared a public health or safety threat by a court.

## Cosponsors (9)

- Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] (D-CO), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14] (D-IL), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2026-08-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Lower pet deposits for public housing: benefit, low. If enacted, public housing agencies would be able to require a pet deposit up to 10% of your monthly base rent. You would be able to pay that deposit over at least 3 months as part of your rent. Any unused deposit must be reimbursed within 30 days after you move out. A public housing agency would n…
- Public housing: no breed or size bans: benefit, low. If enacted, a public housing agency would not be allowed to ban pets because of an animal's breed, size, or weight. The agency would still be able to limit how many animals are in a unit based on unit size or other relevant rules. The agency would also be able to prohibit an individual animal a cou…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 119-hr-2036: Credit for Caring Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8378 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8378)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1065)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3277)
- [119-hr-2036: Credit for Caring Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2036)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8378 (as of 2026-09-21).