2016 -- H 7599 | |
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LC004811 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO PROPERTY - FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Williams, Kazarian, O`Grady, Almeida, and Hull | |
Date Introduced: February 12, 2016 | |
Referred To: House Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Sections 34-37-1, 34-37-2, 34-37-3, 34-37-4, 34-37-4.3, 34-37-5.2, 34-37- |
2 | 5.3 and 34-37-5.4 of the General Laws in Chapter 34-37 entitled "Rhode Island Fair Housing |
3 | Practices Act" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
4 | 34-37-1. Finding and declaration of policy. -- (a) In the State of Rhode Island and |
5 | Providence Plantations, hereinafter referred to as the state, many people are denied equal |
6 | opportunity in obtaining housing accommodations and are forced to live in circumscribed areas |
7 | because of discriminatory housing practices based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual |
8 | orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status |
9 | as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, |
10 | servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or |
11 | on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is |
12 | threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or |
13 | sought, or is seeking, relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from |
14 | domestic abuse. These practices tend unjustly to condemn large groups of inhabitants to dwell in |
15 | segregated districts or under depressed living conditions in crowded, unsanitary, substandard, and |
16 | unhealthful accommodations. These conditions breed intergroup tension as well as vice, disease, |
17 | juvenile delinquency, and crime; increase the fire hazard; endanger the public health; jeopardize |
18 | the public safety, general welfare, and good order of the entire state; and impose substantial |
19 | burdens on the public revenues for the abatement and relief of conditions so created. These |
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1 | discriminatory and segregative housing practices are inimical to and subvert the basic principles |
2 | upon which the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was founded and upon which |
3 | the state and the United States were later established. Discrimination and segregation in housing |
4 | tend to result in segregation in our public schools and other public facilities, which is contrary to |
5 | the policy of the state and the constitution of the United States. Further, discrimination and |
6 | segregation in housing adversely affect urban renewal programs and the growth, progress, and |
7 | prosperity of the state. In order to aid in the correction of these evils, it is necessary to safeguard |
8 | the right of all individuals to equal opportunity in obtaining housing accommodations free of |
9 | discrimination. |
10 | (b) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to assure to all individuals regardless |
11 | of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
12 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
13 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
14 | origin, or disability, age, familial status, housing status, or those tenants or applicants or members |
15 | of a household who are, or have been, or are threatened with being the victims of domestic abuse, |
16 | or those tenants or applicants who have obtained, or sought, or are seeking relief from any court |
17 | in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, equal opportunity to live in |
18 | decent, safe, sanitary, and healthful accommodations anywhere within the state in order that the |
19 | peace, health, safety, and general welfare of all the inhabitants of the state may be protected and |
20 | ensured. |
21 | (c) The practice of discrimination in rental housing based on the potential or actual |
22 | tenancy of a person with a minor child, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of |
23 | the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
24 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
25 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse is declared to be against public policy. |
26 | (d) This chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state for the |
27 | protection of the public welfare, prosperity, health, and peace of the people of the state. |
28 | (e) Nothing in this section shall prevent a landlord from proceeding with eviction action |
29 | against a tenant who fails to comply with § 34-18-24(7). |
30 | 34-37-2. Right to equal housing opportunities -- Civil rights. -- The right of all |
31 | individuals in the state to equal housing opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, |
32 | sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military |
33 | status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative |
34 | discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial |
| LC004811 - Page 2 of 12 |
1 | status, or regardless of the fact that a tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has |
2 | been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has |
3 | obtained, or sought, or is seeking, relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for |
4 | protection from domestic abuse, is hereby recognized as, and declared to be, a civil right. Nothing |
5 | in this section shall prevent a landlord from proceeding with eviction action against a tenant who |
6 | fails to comply with § 34-18-24(7). |
7 | 34-37-3. Definitions. -- When used in this chapter: |
8 | (1) "Age" means anyone over the age of eighteen (18). |
9 | (2) "Armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant |
10 | Marines, or Air Force of the United States and the Rhode Island National Guard. |
11 | (3) "Commission" means the Rhode Island commission for human rights created by § |
12 | 28-5-8. |
13 | (4) "Disability" means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1. |
14 | Provided, further, that the term "disability" does not include current, illegal use of, or |
15 | addiction to, a controlled substance, as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802. |
16 | (5) "Discriminate" includes segregate, separate, or otherwise differentiate between or |
17 | among individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or |
18 | expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable |
19 | discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed |
20 | forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, housing status, or familial status or because of |
21 | the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
22 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
23 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
24 | origin, disability, age, housing status, or familial status of any person with whom they are, or may |
25 | wish to be, associated. |
26 | (6) The term "domestic abuse" for the purposes of this chapter shall have the same |
27 | meaning as that set forth in § 15-15-1 and include all forms of domestic violence as set forth in § |
28 | 12-29-2, except that the domestic abuse need not involve a minor or parties with minor children. |
29 | (7) (i) "Familial status" means one or more individuals who have not attained the age of |
30 | eighteen (18) years being domiciled with: |
31 | (A) A parent or another person having legal custody of the individual or individuals; or |
32 | (B) The designee of the parent or other person having the custody, with the written |
33 | permission of the parent or other person, provided that, if the individual is not a relative or legal |
34 | dependent of the designee, that the individual shall have been domiciled with the designee for at |
| LC004811 - Page 3 of 12 |
1 | least six (6) months. |
2 | (ii) The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall |
3 | apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any |
4 | individual who has not attained the age of eighteen (18) years. |
5 | (8) The terms, as used regarding persons with disabilities, "auxiliary aids and services", |
6 | "reasonable accommodation", and "reasonable modifications" have the same meaning as those |
7 | terms are defined in § 42-87-1.1. |
8 | (9) The term "gender identity or expression" includes a person's actual or perceived |
9 | gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related |
10 | appearance, or gender-related expression; whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self |
11 | image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally |
12 | associated with the person's sex at birth. |
13 | (10) "Housing accommodation" includes any building or structure, or portion of any |
14 | building or structure, or any parcel of land, developed or undeveloped, that is occupied or is |
15 | intended, designed, or arranged to be occupied, or to be developed for occupancy, as the home or |
16 | residence of one or more persons. |
17 | (11) "Otherwise qualified" includes any person with a disability who, with respect to the |
18 | rental of property, personally or with assistance arranged by the person with a disability, is |
19 | capable of performing all the responsibilities of a tenant as contained in § 34-18-24. |
20 | (12) "Owner" includes any person having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a |
21 | housing accommodation. |
22 | (13) "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, |
23 | corporations, labor organizations, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, receivers, |
24 | legal representatives, trustees, other fiduciaries, or real estate brokers or real estate salespersons |
25 | as defined in chapter 20.5 of title 5. |
26 | (14) "Senior citizen" means a person sixty-two (62) years of age or older. |
27 | (15) The term "sexual orientation" means having, or being perceived as having, an |
28 | orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality. This definition is intended to |
29 | describe the status of persons and does not render lawful any conduct prohibited by the criminal |
30 | laws of this state nor impose any duty on a religious organization. This definition does not confer |
31 | legislative approval of said status, but is intended to ensure the basic human rights of persons to |
32 | hold and convey property and to give and obtain credit, regardless of such status. |
33 | (16) The term "victim" means a family or household member and all other persons |
34 | contained within the definition of those terms as defined in § 12-29-2. |
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1 | (17) The term "housing status" means the status of having or not having a fixed or |
2 | regular residence, including the status of living on the streets or in a homeless shelter or similar |
3 | temporary residence. |
4 | (18) The term "lawful source of income" means being the recipient of federal, state or |
5 | local public assistance, including medical assistance, or the recipient of federal, state or local |
6 | housing subsidies, including Section 8, and other rental assistance or rental supplements, or who |
7 | is subject to the requirements of any public assistance, rental assistance or housing subsidy |
8 | program. |
9 | 34-37-4. Unlawful housing practices. -- (a) No owner having the right to sell, rent, |
10 | lease, or manage a housing accommodation as defined in § 34-37-3(12), or an agent of any of |
11 | these, shall, directly or indirectly, make, or cause to be made, any written or oral inquiry |
12 | concerning the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital |
13 | status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an |
14 | honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of |
15 | ancestral origin or disability, age, familial status nor make any written or oral inquiry concerning |
16 | whether a tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with |
17 | being the victim of domestic abuse, or whether a tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is |
18 | seeking relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic |
19 | abuse, of any prospective purchaser, occupant, or tenant of the housing accommodation; directly |
20 | or indirectly, refuse to sell, rent, lease, let, or otherwise deny to or withhold from any individual |
21 | the housing accommodation because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
22 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
23 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
24 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, or familial status of the individual or the |
25 | race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful |
26 | source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or |
27 | general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin |
28 | or disability, age, or familial status of any person with whom the individual is or may wish to be |
29 | associated; or shall, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant, or a member of the household, is or |
30 | has been, or is threatened with being, the victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant |
31 | has obtained, or sought, or is seeking, relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for |
32 | protection from domestic abuse. Nor shall an owner having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage |
33 | a housing accommodation as defined in § 34-37-3(12), or an agent of any of these, directly or |
34 | indirectly, issue any advertisement relating to the sale, rental, or lease of the housing |
| LC004811 - Page 5 of 12 |
1 | accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based |
2 | upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
3 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
4 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
5 | origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
6 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
7 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
8 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, or shall, directly or indirectly, discriminate |
9 | against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
10 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
11 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
12 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a |
13 | tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the |
14 | victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking |
15 | relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, in the |
16 | terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale, rental, or lease of any housing accommodation or in |
17 | the furnishing of facilities or services in connection with it. Nothing in this subsection shall be |
18 | construed to prohibit any oral or written inquiry as to whether the prospective purchaser or tenant |
19 | is over the age of eighteen (18). |
20 | (b) No person to whom application is made for a loan or other form of financial |
21 | assistance for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of any housing |
22 | accommodation, whether secured or unsecured shall directly or indirectly make or cause to be |
23 | made any written or oral inquiry concerning the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, |
24 | gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran |
25 | with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember |
26 | in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or any express |
27 | written or oral inquiry into whether a tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has |
28 | been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or whether a tenant or applicant |
29 | has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for |
30 | protection from domestic abuse, of any individual seeking the financial assistance, or of existing |
31 | or prospective occupants or tenants of the housing accommodation; nor shall any person to whom |
32 | the application is made in the manner provided, directly or indirectly, discriminate in the terms, |
33 | conditions, or privileges relating to the obtaining or use of any financial assistance against any |
34 | applicant because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or |
| LC004811 - Page 6 of 12 |
1 | expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable |
2 | discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed |
3 | forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or |
4 | applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of |
5 | domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from |
6 | any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of the applicant or |
7 | of the existing or prospective occupants or tenants. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed |
8 | to prohibit any written or oral inquiry as to whether the applicant is over the age of eighteen (18). |
9 | (c) Nothing in this section contained shall be construed in any manner to prohibit or limit |
10 | the exercise of the privilege of every person and the agent of any person having the right to sell, |
11 | rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation to establish standards and preferences and set |
12 | terms, conditions, limitations, or specifications in the selling, renting, leasing, or letting thereof or |
13 | in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith that do not discriminate on the |
14 | basis of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital |
15 | status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an |
16 | honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of |
17 | ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a |
18 | member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic |
19 | abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in |
20 | the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of any prospective purchaser, |
21 | lessee, tenant, or occupant thereof or on the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
22 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
23 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
24 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, or familial status of any person with |
25 | whom the prospective purchaser, lessee, tenant, or occupant is or may wish to be associated. |
26 | Nothing contained in this section shall be construed in any manner to prohibit or limit the |
27 | exercise of the privilege of every person and the agent of any person making loans for, or offering |
28 | financial assistance in, the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of |
29 | housing accommodations to set standards and preferences, terms, conditions, limitations, or |
30 | specifications for the granting of loans or financial assistance that do not discriminate on the basis |
31 | of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
32 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
33 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
34 | origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
| LC004811 - Page 7 of 12 |
1 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
2 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
3 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of the applicant for the loan or financial |
4 | assistance or of any existing or prospective owner, lessee, tenant, or occupant of the housing |
5 | accommodation. |
6 | (d) An owner may not refuse to allow a person with a disability to make, at his or her |
7 | expense, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by the person |
8 | if the modifications may be necessary to afford the person full enjoyment of the premises, except |
9 | that, in the case of a rental, the owner may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission |
10 | for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition |
11 | that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted. Where it is necessary in |
12 | order to ensure with reasonable certainty that funds will be available to pay for the restorations at |
13 | the end of the tenancy, the landlord may negotiate as part of the restoration agreement a provision |
14 | requiring that the tenant pay into an interest bearing escrow account, over a reasonable period, a |
15 | reasonable amount of money not to exceed the cost of the restorations. The interest in the account |
16 | shall accrue to the benefit of the tenant. The restoration deposition shall be exempt from § 34-18- |
17 | 19(a) but will be subject to § 34-18-19(b) -- (f). |
18 | (e) (1) An owner may not refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, |
19 | practices, or services when those accommodations may be necessary to afford an occupant with a |
20 | disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. |
21 | (2) Every person with a disability who has a guide dog or other personal assistive |
22 | animal, or who obtains a guide dog or other personal assistive animal, shall be entitled to full and |
23 | equal access to all housing accommodations provided for in this section and shall not be required |
24 | to pay extra compensation for the guide dog or other personal assistive animal but shall be liable |
25 | for any damage done to the premises by a guide dog or other personal assistive animal. For the |
26 | purposes of this subsection, a "personal assistive animal" is an animal specifically trained by a |
27 | certified animal training program to assist a person with a disability to perform independent living |
28 | tasks. |
29 | (f) Any housing accommodation of four (4) units or more constructed for first occupancy |
30 | after March 13, 1991, shall be designed and constructed in such a manner that: |
31 | (1) The public use and common use portions of the dwellings are readily accessible to |
32 | and usable by persons with disabilities; |
33 | (2) All the doors designed to allow passage into and within all premises within the |
34 | dwellings are sufficiently wide to allow passage by persons with disabilities in wheelchairs; |
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1 | (3) All premises within the dwellings contain the following features of adaptive design: |
2 | (i) Accessible route into and through the dwelling; |
3 | (ii) Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in |
4 | accessible locations; |
5 | (iii) Reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and |
6 | (iv) Usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver |
7 | about the space. To the extent that any state or local building codes, statutes, or ordinances are |
8 | inconsistent with this section, they are hereby repealed. The state building code standards |
9 | committee is hereby directed to adopt rules and regulations consistent with this section as soon as |
10 | possible, but no later than September 30, 1990. |
11 | (g) Compliance with the appropriate requirements of the state building code 14 |
12 | "accessibility for individuals with disabilities for residential use groups" suffices to satisfy the |
13 | requirements of subsection (f). |
14 | (h) As used in subsection (f), the term "housing accommodation of four (4) units or |
15 | more" means: |
16 | (1) Buildings consisting of four (4) or more units if those buildings have one or more |
17 | elevators; and |
18 | (2) Ground floor units in other buildings consisting of four (4) or more units; |
19 | (i) Nothing in subsection (f) shall be construed to limit any law, statute, or regulation that |
20 | requires a greater degree of accessibility to persons with disabilities. |
21 | (j) Nothing in this section requires that a dwelling be made available to an individual |
22 | whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or |
23 | whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others. |
24 | (k) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit an owner, lessee, |
25 | sublessee, or assignee from advertising or selecting a person of the same or opposite gender to |
26 | rent, lease, or share the housing unit that the owner, lessee, sublessee, or assignee will occupy |
27 | with the person selected. |
28 | (l) No person shall aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by |
29 | this section to be an unlawful housing practice; or obstruct or prevent any person from complying |
30 | with the provisions of this chapter or any order issued thereunder; or attempt directly or indirectly |
31 | to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful housing practice. |
32 | (m) No owner; person defined in § 34-37-3(13); person to whom application is made for |
33 | a loan or other form of financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, |
34 | or maintenance of any housing accommodation, whether secured or unsecured; no financial |
| LC004811 - Page 9 of 12 |
1 | organization governed by the provisions of title 19 or any other credit-granting commercial |
2 | institution; or respondent under this chapter; or any agent of these shall discriminate in any |
3 | manner against any individual because he or she has opposed any practice forbidden by this |
4 | chapter, or because he or she has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any manner in any |
5 | investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this chapter. |
6 | (n) Nothing in this section shall prevent a landlord from proceeding with eviction action |
7 | against a tenant who fails to comply with § 34-18-24(7). |
8 | 34-37-4.3. Discrimination in granting credit or loans prohibited. -- No financial |
9 | organization governed by the provisions of title 19 or any other credit granting commercial |
10 | institution may discriminate in the granting or extension of any form of loan or credit, or the |
11 | privilege or capacity to obtain any form of loan or credit, on the basis of the applicant's sex, |
12 | marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge |
13 | or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, race or |
14 | color, religion or country of ancestral origin, disability or age or familial status, sexual |
15 | orientation, or gender identity or expression and the form of loan and credit shall not be limited to |
16 | those concerned with housing accommodations and the commission shall prevent any violation |
17 | hereof in the same manner as it is to prevent unlawful housing practices under the provisions of |
18 | this chapter. |
19 | 34-37-5.2. Discrimination in brokerage services. -- It shall be unlawful to deny any |
20 | person who meets licensing and other non-discriminatory requirements that are also applied to |
21 | other applicants and members access to, or membership or participation in, any real estate listing |
22 | service, real estate brokers' organization, or other service, organization, or facility relating to the |
23 | business of selling, leasing, or renting a housing accommodation or to discriminate against him or |
24 | her in the terms or conditions of the access, membership, or participation on account of race, |
25 | color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source |
26 | of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general |
27 | administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
28 | disability, age, or familial status. |
29 | 34-37-5.3. Fostering of segregated housing prohibited. -- It shall be an unlawful |
30 | discriminatory housing practice to for profit induce, or attempt to induce, any person to sell or |
31 | rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the |
32 | neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, marital status, lawful |
33 | source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or |
34 | general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
| LC004811 - Page 10 of 12 |
1 | sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or familial status. |
2 | 34-37-5.4. Discrimination in residential real estate related transactions. -- (a) It shall |
3 | be unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real |
4 | estate-related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available a transaction, or |
5 | in the terms and conditions of the transaction, because of race, color, religion, marital status, |
6 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
7 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
8 | origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or familial status. |
9 | (b) As used in this section, the term "residential real estate-related transaction" means |
10 | any of the following: |
11 | (1) The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance: |
12 | (i) For purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling; or |
13 | (ii) Secured by residential real estate. |
14 | (2) The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property. |
15 | (c) Nothing in this chapter prohibits a person engaged in the business of furnishing |
16 | appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, |
17 | marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge |
18 | or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country |
19 | of ancestral origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or |
20 | familial status. |
21 | SECTION 2. Chapter 34-37 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Fair Housing |
22 | Practices Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: |
23 | 34-37-2.5. Right to equal housing opportunities -- Lawful source of income. -- |
24 | Whenever in this chapter there shall appear the words "marital status" there shall be |
25 | inserted immediately thereafter the words "lawful source of income." |
26 | 34-37-4.6. Discrimination based on lawful source of income - Exemption. -- Nothing |
27 | in this title shall prohibit an owner of a housing accommodation from refusing to rent to a person |
28 | based on their lawful source of income if the housing accommodation is three (3) units or less, |
29 | one of which is occupied by the owner. |
30 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004811 - Page 11 of 12 |
EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO PROPERTY - FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES | |
*** | |
1 | This act would prohibit discrimination in housing against those persons who have a |
2 | lawful source of income. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004811 - Page 12 of 12 |