PORTABILITY OF SECTION 8 CERTIFICATES AND VOUCHERS.

SEC. 145. PORTABILITY OF SECTION 8 CERTIFICATES AND VOUCHERS. Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (as amended by section 144 of this Act) is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(r) (1) Any family assisted under subsection (b) or (o) may receive such assistance to rent an eligible dwelling unit if the dwelling unit to which the family moves is within the same, or a contiguous, metropolitan statistical area as the metropolitan statistical area within which is located the area of jurisdiction of the public housing agency approving such assistance. “(2) The public housing agency having authority with respect to the dwelling unit to which a family moves under this subsection shall have the responsibility of carrying out the provisions of this subsection with respect to the family. If no public housing agency has authority with respect to the dwelling unit to which a family moves under this subsection, the public housing agency approving the assistance shall have such responsibility. “(3) In providing assistance under subsection (b) or (o) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall give consideration to any reduction in the number of resident families incurred by a public housing agency in the preceding fiscal year as a result of the provisions of this subsection. “(4) The provisions of this subsection may not be construed to restrict any authority of the Secretary under any other provision of law to provide for the portability of assistance under this section.”.