Private Property Model Legislation
Economic Liberty | Private Property | Zoning Justice Project
Restoring Options in Occupancy Models (ROOM) Act
Co-living or single-room occupancy (SRO) housing was once a common and lawful part of America’s housing landscape, from spare bedrooms and small boarding houses to large residential hotels in the city. Together, these rooms…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Criminal Forfeiture Process Act
Civil forfeiture allows the government to seize cars, cash, and other property with few safeguards for property owners. To lose your property in most states, prosecutors do not have to charge you, let…
Economic Liberty | Private Property | Zoning Justice Project
Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME) Act
America’s housing shortage has many causes, but burdensome zoning laws make it harder for property owners to build homes and harder for families to find them. Scholars, state legislators, and municipal officials from different backgrounds increasingly agree that expanding housing supply requires…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Anti-Circumvention Forfeiture Act
Under civil forfeiture, the state can permanently confiscate your cash, car, and other property—without a prosecutor convicting or even charging you with a crime. Although some states have acted to protect innocent property owners,…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Fair Funding for Courts Act
The justice system is a core government function that benefits all Americans. State legislators should fund courts from general revenue, not from individuals involved in the system. Fees charged to users of the judicial system are hidden taxes that cause numerous problems. …
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act
Civil forfeiture—where the government can take and keep your property without ever charging you with a crime, let alone convicting you of one—is one of the greatest threats to property rights in the nation.
Fines and Fees
Fines and Fees Reporting Act
Most municipalities allow law or code enforcement officers to cite residents for violations that may result in fines. Unfortunately, some use this power to generate revenue rather than solely to protect public safety and…
Food Freedom | Private Property
Vegetable Garden Protection Act
People have used their property to grow food since the dawn of modern civilization. Americans are no different. Our national identity is rooted in the Jeffersonian ideal of farmers and settlers. While fewer people earn their…
Economic Liberty | Private Property | Zoning Justice Project
Home-Based Business and Occupation Act
The pre-COVID custom of Americans living in one place and working in another is historically unusual. As one scholar noted, “The phenomenon of leaving home to go to work did not become the norm until the…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Eminent Domain Act
Despite mass public outcry following the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous decision in Kelo v. City of New London, eminent domain for private gain continues to threaten homeowners and small businesses. While 43 states reformed their…
Fines and Fees
Driver’s License Suspensions and Revocations
Eleven million Americans face the suspension of driving privileges because of unpaid fines and fees. Suspending and revoking licenses for the collection of court debt, and not violations…
Fines and Fees
Fines and Fees at Sentencing Act
Fines and fees are a routine feature of criminal sentences. Many courts, however, fail to consider an offender’s ability to pay before assessing them. In fact, offenders often are ordered to pay fines and fees beyond their means. If…