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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§4625 Relocation Planning, Assistance Coordination, and Advisory Services

Title 42 › CHAPTER 61 — UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION POLICIES FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER II — UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE › § 4625

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal agencies and projects that use federal money must plan ahead for people, businesses, and farms that will be forced to move. They must spot displacement problems early and work to fix them so people are hurt as little as possible and projects can move forward. The head of any agency that causes moves must offer relocation advisory services to everyone who is displaced. If someone next to the project loses a lot of money because of it, the agency may also offer help to that person. These advisory services must find out what displaced people need and prefer, give up‑to‑date information about available similar homes (prices and rents) and good spots for businesses or farms, and help people move only after they have a fair chance to find a comparable place except in a major disaster (see section 5122(2)), a presidential national emergency, or other immediate danger. Agencies must also help businesses and farms find new sites, tell people about other federal and state aid and help them apply, and provide other help to reduce hardship. Agencies must coordinate with other government actions. When several federal agencies fund related moves, they may use one agency’s procedures or the lead agency will pick which to use. Short‑term renters on property taken for a project can get advisory services as the agency decides.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §4625

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Planning of programs or projects undertaken by Federal agencies or with Federal financial assistance
Programs or projects undertaken by a Federal agency or with Federal financial assistance shall be planned in a manner that (1) recognizes, at an early stage in the planning of such programs or projects and before the commencement of any actions which will cause displacements, the problems associated with the displacement of individuals, families, businesses, and farm operations, and (2) provides for the resolution of such problems in order to minimize adverse impacts on displaced persons and to expedite program or project advancement and completion.
(b)Availability of advisory services
The head of any displacing agency shall ensure that the relocation assistance advisory services described in subsection (c) of this section are made available to all persons displaced by such agency. If such agency head determines that any person occupying property immediately adjacent to the property where the displacing activity occurs is caused substantial economic injury as a result thereof, the agency head may make available to such person such advisory services.
(c)Measures, facilities, or services; description
Each relocation assistance advisory program required by subsection (b) of this section shall include such measures, facilities, or services as may be necessary or appropriate in order to—
(1)determine, and make timely recommendations on, the needs and preferences, if any, of displaced persons for relocation assistance;
(2)provide current and continuing information on the availability, sales prices, and rental charges of comparable replacement dwellings for displaced homeowners and tenants and suitable locations for businesses and farm operations;
(3)assure that a person shall not be required to move from a dwelling unless the person has had a reasonable opportunity to relocate to a comparable replacement dwelling, except in the case of—
(A)a major disaster as defined in section 5122(2) of this title;
(B)a national emergency declared by the President; or
(C)any other emergency which requires the person to move immediately from the dwelling because continued occupancy of such dwelling by such person constitutes a substantial danger to the health or safety of such person;
(4)assist a person displaced from a business or farm operation in obtaining and becoming established in a suitable replacement location;
(5)supply (A) information concerning other Federal and State programs which may be of assistance to displaced persons, and (B) technical assistance to such persons in applying for assistance under such programs; and
(6)provide other advisory services to displaced persons in order to minimize hardships to such persons in adjusting to relocation.
(d)Coordination of relocation activities with other Federal, State, or local governmental actions
The head of a displacing agency shall coordinate the relocation activities performed by such agency with other Federal, State, or local governmental actions in the community which could affect the efficient and effective delivery of relocation assistance and related services.
(e)Selection of implementation procedures
Whenever two or more Federal agencies provide financial assistance to a displacing agency other than a Federal agency, to implement functionally or geographically related activities which will result in the displacement of a person, the heads of such Federal agencies may agree that the procedures of one of such agencies shall be utilized to implement this subchapter with respect to such activities. If such agreement cannot be reached, then the head of the lead agency shall designate one of such agencies as the agency whose procedures shall be utilized to implement this subchapter with respect to such activities. Such related activities shall constitute a single program or project for purposes of this chapter.
(f)Tenants occupying property acquired for programs or projects; eligibility for advisory services
Notwithstanding section 4601(1) of this title, in any case in which a displacing agency acquires property for a program or project, any person who occupies such property on a rental basis for a short term or a period subject to termination when the property is needed for the program or project shall be eligible for advisory services to the extent determined by the displacing agency.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (e), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–646, Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1894, known as the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4601 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1987—Pub. L. 100–17, substituted “Relocation planning, assistance coordination, and advisory services” for “Relocation assistance advisory services” in catchline and amended text generally, revising and restating as subsecs. (a) to (f) provisions formerly contained in subsecs. (a) to (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–17 effective on

Effective Date

provided in

Regulations

promulgated under section 4633 of this title (as amended by section 412 of Pub. L. 100–17), but not later than 2 years after Apr. 2, 1987, see section 418 of Pub. L. 100–17, set out as a note under section 4601 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 4625

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110