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the Administrative Law Judge and appear at the ALJ hearing on behalf of the victim, essentially acting as the victim's attorney.

If it determines that prompt judicial action is needed, HUD may go to court and seek a restraining order to hold the housing unit temporarily off the market.

In addition, the bill requires HUD to: issue rules and regulations to implement the Fair Housing Amendments Act within six months of its enactment; report annually to Congress on progress made in eliminating housing discrimination; and provide advice and assistance to persons of low and moderate income seeking equal access to housing.

Q. What is the role of State and local human relations commissions?

A. If a state or local fair housing law affords rights and remedies substantially equivalent to those provided by the Fair Housing Amendments, the complaint is automatically referred to the state or local fair housing agency. Currently, 34 state agencies and some 70 local commissions have mandates recognized by HUD as "substantially equivalent" to the existing fair housing law.

Q. What remedies does the law provide?

A. The ALJ can issue a cease and desist order.

If the aggrieved person prevails, he or she gets the apartment or house. In addition, he or she can be reimbursed for expenses such as those incurred in temporarily renting a motel room or apartment, time lost from work to attend the hearing, and fees for expert witnesses; the victim can also be recompensed for the humiliation, pain and suffering caused by the discriminatory act; and in appropriate cases, civil penalties payable into the Federal Treasury may be assessed.

The ALJ's findings of fact, conclusions of law, the order in the case and recommendations for appropriate disciplinary measures will be forwarded to the violator's home licensing board in appropriate cases. The board could suspend the broker's license and, for repeated violations, revoke it.

Q. Besides the landlord or seller, who else is subject to the law?

A. Fair Housing Amendments apply to all actors in the real estate chain. Mortgage lenders, property insurers, mortgage insurers, real estate appraisers, and mortgage purchasers are explicitly listed as subject to the Fair Housing Act. This makes clear what the courts have been saying over the years with respect to those groups and their practices.