Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025

This bill, titled the "Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025," aims to prevent the criminalization of homelessness on federal public lands. It explicitly prohibits any federal agency from imposing penalties on homeless individuals for engaging in specific, permitted uses of these lands. The legislation seeks to ensure that individuals without housing are not penalized for basic survival activities. The bill outlines several permitted uses of public lands for homeless individuals. These include conducting life-sustaining activities such as resting, sleeping, eating, and protecting oneself from the elements. Individuals are also allowed to use public accommodations, solicit or share donations, store personal possessions with privacy, and engage in religious practices. Furthermore, the bill permits occupying lawfully parked motor or recreational vehicles and provides provisions for relocating such vehicles or retrieving them from storage. An important exception states that life-sustaining activities are not permitted on public land if adequate alternative indoor space is available. This alternative space must be legally and physically accessible, offered indefinitely and free of charge, and accommodate disabilities, pets, partners, family, and possessions. It can include tiny homes with essential facilities or permitted parking areas with sanitary facilities, and if located in another jurisdiction, free transportation must be provided. To ensure compliance, the bill grants the Attorney General the authority to bring civil actions against government officials who violate these prohibitions. Additionally, it establishes a private right of action , allowing individuals harmed by violations to seek equitable relief and recover litigation costs and attorney's fees. The legislation also creates an affirmative necessity defense for homeless individuals charged with criminalizing life-sustaining activities, asserting that they had no access to adequate alternative indoor space, with a rebuttable presumption that such space was unavailable.