The Washington Report

On April 20, 2026, the House approved several bipartisan broadband bills aimed at expanding access, streamlining deployment, and improving accountability in federal programs. Two bills were sent to the Senate for consideration, while one cleared the Congress and now heads to the president’s desk for signature.

• H.R. 1681 – Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act: Establishes an interagency strike force to speed federal permitting reviews for broadband projects on public lands; passed 384–9 and sent to the Senate.
• H.R. 1343 – Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act: Requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop a system to track and improve transparency of federal broadband permitting applications; passed by voice vote; also sent to the Senate.
• S. 98 – Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025: Requires the FCC to vet broadband providers receiving Universal Service Fund support and enforce buildout accountability; passed by voice vote and now heads to the president.

The House had also been expected to consider the American Broadband Deployment Act (H.R. 2289) this week, which would streamline federal environmental and historic preservation reviews to accelerate broadband deployment. Consideration was postponed amid concerns from some lawmakers and stakeholders about impacts on local review authority and community input.

NAR will continue to work with Congress and federal agencies to close the digital divide by supporting policies that expand access to reliable, high-speed broadband, promote affordability, and encourage efficient deployment to underserved communities nationwide.

Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced plans to bring newer credit scoring models into the underwriting process. NAR has been advocating for updates and greater competition in credit scoring models for decades, and this move is an important step toward making this a reality.

Introducing competition into the credit scoring process has the potential to lower costs, improve efficiency, and open the door to qualified borrowers who may have been overlooked under older models. By allowing the use of multiple credit scoring approaches, including those that incorporate rent, utility, and other payment histories, this policy can help create a more complete and fair assessment of creditworthiness.

FHFA has been working on the acceptance of these new models over the last five years, and the inclusion of separate models for FHA is a welcome addition. The GSEs will now start accepting VantageScore immediately for 21 firms that are cleared to use it. FHA will release an implementation timeline in the near future.

NAR looks forward to working with the leadership of both FHFA and FHA, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to fully integrate these new models.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) joined a coalition of housing and industry organizations in filing an amicus brief opposing a November 2026 Massachusetts ballot measure that would impose mandatory statewide rent control. If adopted, the proposal would establish one of the most restrictive rent control regimes in the nation. 

The ballot measure would repeal the Massachusetts Rent Control Prohibition Act of 1994, which voters approved more than three decades ago to eliminate rent control statewide. It would replace that law with a uniform, mandatory rent control system across Massachusetts, allowing only limited exemptions. As drafted, the measure provides no mechanism to ensure housing providers can earn a fair net operating income or recover rising costs such as property taxes, insurance, repairs, or capital improvements. It also fails to include any process for housing providers to seek relief from the rent cap in extraordinary or hardship circumstances.

Despite their well‑intentioned goals, decades of economic research consistently show that rent control policies undermine housing affordability rather than improve it. Rent control discourages new construction and long‑term investment, reduces maintenance and upkeep of existing housing stock, and ultimately limits housing choices for renters over time. 

In addition to the litigation, the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® is leading broader advocacy efforts, alongside other industry stakeholders, to oppose the ballot measure by elevating concerns about its significant economic implications and detrimental impact on the housing market. 

NAR continues to advocate for policies that expand housing availability and protect both tenants and property owners. We will continue to monitor any developments in this case and provide updates accordingly.