A State or locality that declines a guideline may not be penalized
What the document says“Nothing in this section may be construed to permit the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take an adverse action against or fail to provide otherwise offered actions or services for any State or locality if the State or locality declines to adopt a guideline or best practice under subsection (b).”
The section states that nothing in it may be read as letting the Department of Housing and Urban Development take adverse action against a State or locality, or withhold actions or services it otherwise offers, because that State or locality declined to adopt a guideline or best practice.
What the document actually says“Nothing in this section may be construed to permit the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take an adverse action against or fail to provide otherwise offered actions or services for any State or locality if the State or locality declines to adopt a guideline or best practice under subsection (b).”
A state or town may say no to the advice. If it does, the housing agency may not punish it. It may not hold back help it would give anyway.
This makes clear the guide is advice only. A place that ignores it keeps what it had. The rule stops the guide from becoming a hidden condition.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.