2017 -- S 0236 | |
======== | |
LC001113 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO PROPERTY - FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES | |
| |
Introduced By: Senators Metts, Crowley, Jabour, Ciccone, and Quezada | |
Date Introduced: February 02, 2017 | |
Referred To: Senate 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. |
5 | (a) In the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, hereinafter referred to as the |
6 | state, many people are denied equal opportunity in obtaining housing accommodations and are |
7 | forced to live in circumscribed areas because of discriminatory housing practices based upon |
8 | race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful |
9 | source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or |
10 | general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
11 | disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
12 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
13 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking, relief from any court in the form of a |
14 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse. These practices tend unjustly to condemn |
15 | large groups of inhabitants to dwell in segregated districts or under depressed living conditions in |
16 | crowded, unsanitary, substandard, and unhealthful accommodations. These conditions breed |
17 | intergroup tension as well as vice, disease, juvenile delinquency, and crime; increase the fire |
18 | hazard; endanger the public health; jeopardize the public safety, general welfare, and good order |
19 | of the entire state; and impose substantial burdens on the public revenues for the abatement and |
| |
1 | relief of conditions so created. These discriminatory and segregative housing practices are |
2 | inimical to and subvert the basic principles upon which the colony of Rhode Island and |
3 | Providence Plantations was founded and upon which the state and the United States were later |
4 | established. Discrimination and segregation in housing tend to result in segregation in our public |
5 | schools and other public facilities, which is contrary to the policy of the state and the constitution |
6 | of the United States. Further, discrimination and segregation in housing adversely affect urban |
7 | renewal programs and the growth, progress, and prosperity of the state. In order to aid in the |
8 | correction of these evils, it is necessary to safeguard the right of all individuals to equal |
9 | opportunity in obtaining housing accommodations free of 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. |
31 | The right of all individuals in the state to equal housing opportunities regardless of race, |
32 | color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source |
33 | of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general |
34 | administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
| LC001113 - Page 2 of 13 |
1 | disability, age, familial status, or regardless of the fact that a tenant or applicant or a member of |
2 | the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
3 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking, relief from any court in the form of a |
4 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, is hereby recognized as, and declared to be, |
5 | a civil right. Nothing in this section shall prevent a landlord from proceeding with eviction action |
6 | against a tenant who fails to comply with § 34-18-24(7). |
7 | 34-37-3. Definitions. |
8 | When used in this chapter: |
9 | (1) "Age" means anyone over the age of eighteen (18). |
10 | (2) "Armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant |
11 | Marines, or Air Force of the United States and the Rhode Island National Guard. |
12 | (3) "Commission" means the Rhode Island commission for human rights created by § |
13 | 28-5-8. |
14 | (4) "Disability" means a disability as defined in § 42-87-1. |
15 | Provided, further, that the term "disability" does not include current, illegal use of, or |
16 | addiction to, a controlled substance, as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802. |
17 | (5) "Discriminate" includes segregate, separate, or otherwise differentiate between or |
18 | among individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or |
19 | expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable |
20 | discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed |
21 | forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, housing status, or familial status or because of |
22 | the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
23 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
24 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
25 | origin, disability, age, housing status, or familial status of any person with whom they are, or may |
26 | wish to be, associated. |
27 | (6) The term "domestic abuse" for the purposes of this chapter shall have the same |
28 | meaning as that set forth in § 15-15-1 and include all forms of domestic violence as set forth in § |
29 | 12-29-2, except that the domestic abuse need not involve a minor or parties with minor children. |
30 | (7) (i) "Familial status" means one or more individuals who have not attained the age of |
31 | eighteen (18) years being domiciled with: |
32 | (A) A parent or another person having legal custody of the individual or individuals; or |
33 | (B) The designee of the parent or other person having the custody, with the written |
34 | permission of the parent or other person, provided that, if the individual is not a relative or legal |
| LC001113 - Page 3 of 13 |
1 | dependent of the designee, that the individual shall have been domiciled with the designee for at |
2 | least six (6) months. |
3 | (ii) The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall |
4 | apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any |
5 | individual who has not attained the age of eighteen (18) years. |
6 | (8) The terms, as used regarding persons with disabilities, "auxiliary aids and services", |
7 | "reasonable accommodation", and "reasonable modifications" have the same meaning as those |
8 | terms are defined in § 42-87-1.1. |
9 | (9) The term "gender identity or expression" includes a person's actual or perceived |
10 | gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related |
11 | appearance, or gender-related expression; whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self |
12 | image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally |
13 | associated with the person's sex at birth. |
14 | (10) "Housing accommodation" includes any building or structure, or portion of any |
15 | building or structure, or any parcel of land, developed or undeveloped, that is occupied or is |
16 | intended, designed, or arranged to be occupied, or to be developed for occupancy, as the home or |
17 | residence of one or more persons. |
18 | (11) "Otherwise qualified" includes any person with a disability who, with respect to the |
19 | rental of property, personally or with assistance arranged by the person with a disability, is |
20 | capable of performing all the responsibilities of a tenant as contained in § 34-18-24. |
21 | (12) "Owner" includes any person having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a |
22 | housing accommodation. |
23 | (13) "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, |
24 | corporations, labor organizations, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, receivers, |
25 | legal representatives, trustees, other fiduciaries, or real estate brokers or real estate salespersons |
26 | as defined in chapter 20.5 of title 5. |
27 | (14) "Senior citizen" means a person sixty-two (62) years of age or older. |
28 | (15) The term "sexual orientation" means having, or being perceived as having, an |
29 | orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality. This definition is intended to |
30 | describe the status of persons and does not render lawful any conduct prohibited by the criminal |
31 | laws of this state nor impose any duty on a religious organization. This definition does not confer |
32 | legislative approval of said status, but is intended to ensure the basic human rights of persons to |
33 | hold and convey property and to give and obtain credit, regardless of such status. |
34 | (16) The term "victim" means a family or household member and all other persons |
| LC001113 - Page 4 of 13 |
1 | contained within the definition of those terms as defined in § 12-29-2. |
2 | (17) The term "housing status" means the status of having or not having a fixed or |
3 | regular residence, including the status of living on the streets or in a homeless shelter or similar |
4 | temporary residence. |
5 | (18) The term "lawful source of income" means being the recipient of federal, state or |
6 | local public assistance, including medical assistance, or the recipient of federal, state or local |
7 | housing subsidies, including Section 8, and other rental assistance or rental supplements, or who |
8 | is subject to the requirements of any public assistance, rental assistance or housing subsidy |
9 | program. |
10 | 34-37-4. Unlawful housing practices. |
11 | (a) No owner having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation as |
12 | defined in § 34-37-3(10), or an agent of any of these, shall, directly or indirectly, make, or cause |
13 | to be made, any written or oral inquiry concerning the race, color, religion, sex, sexual |
14 | orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status |
15 | as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, |
16 | servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin or disability, age, familial status |
17 | nor make any written or oral inquiry concerning whether a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
18 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or whether a |
19 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
20 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of any prospective purchaser, occupant, or |
21 | tenant of the housing accommodation; directly or indirectly, refuse to sell, rent, lease, let, or |
22 | otherwise deny to or withhold from any individual the housing accommodation because of the |
23 | race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful |
24 | source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or |
25 | general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
26 | disability, age, or familial status of the individual or the race, color, religion, sex, sexual |
27 | orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status |
28 | as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, |
29 | servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin or disability, age, or familial |
30 | status of any person with whom the individual is or may wish to be associated; or shall, or on the |
31 | basis that a tenant or applicant, or a member of the household, is or has been, or is threatened with |
32 | being, the victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is |
33 | seeking, relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic |
34 | abuse. Nor shall an owner having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a housing |
| LC001113 - Page 5 of 13 |
1 | accommodation as defined in § 34-37-3(10), or an agent of any of these, directly or indirectly, |
2 | issue any advertisement relating to the sale, rental, or lease of the housing accommodation that |
3 | indicates any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based upon race, color, |
4 | religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of |
5 | income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general |
6 | administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, |
7 | disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
8 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
9 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
10 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, or shall, directly or indirectly, discriminate |
11 | against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
12 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
13 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
14 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a |
15 | tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the |
16 | victim of domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking |
17 | relief from any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, in the |
18 | terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale, rental, or lease of any housing accommodation or in |
19 | the furnishing of facilities or services in connection with it. Nothing in this subsection shall be |
20 | construed to prohibit any oral or written inquiry as to whether the prospective purchaser or tenant |
21 | is over the age of eighteen (18). |
22 | (b) No person to whom application is made for a loan or other form of financial |
23 | assistance for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of any housing |
24 | accommodation, whether secured or unsecured shall directly or indirectly make or cause to be |
25 | made any written or oral inquiry concerning the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, |
26 | gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran |
27 | with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember |
28 | in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or any express |
29 | written or oral inquiry into whether a tenant or applicant or a member of the household is, or has |
30 | been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or whether a 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, of any individual seeking the financial assistance, or of existing |
33 | or prospective occupants or tenants of the housing accommodation; nor shall any person to whom |
34 | the application is made in the manner provided, directly or indirectly, discriminate in the terms, |
| LC001113 - Page 6 of 13 |
1 | conditions, or privileges relating to the obtaining or use of any financial assistance against any |
2 | applicant because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or |
3 | expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable |
4 | discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed |
5 | forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or |
6 | applicant or a member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of |
7 | domestic abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from |
8 | any court in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of the applicant or |
9 | of the existing or prospective occupants or tenants. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed |
10 | to prohibit any written or oral inquiry as to whether the applicant is over the age of eighteen (18). |
11 | (c) Nothing in this section contained shall be construed in any manner to prohibit or limit |
12 | the exercise of the privilege of every person and the agent of any person having the right to sell, |
13 | rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation to establish standards and preferences and set |
14 | terms, conditions, limitations, or specifications in the selling, renting, leasing, or letting thereof or |
15 | in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith that do not discriminate on the |
16 | basis of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital |
17 | status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an |
18 | honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of |
19 | ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a |
20 | member of the household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic |
21 | abuse, or that the tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in |
22 | the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of any prospective purchaser, |
23 | lessee, tenant, or occupant thereof or on the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
24 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
25 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
26 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, or familial status of any person with |
27 | whom the prospective purchaser, lessee, tenant, or occupant is or may wish to be associated. |
28 | Nothing contained in this section shall be construed in any manner to prohibit or limit the |
29 | exercise of the privilege of every person and the agent of any person making loans for, or offering |
30 | financial assistance in, the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of |
31 | housing accommodations to set standards and preferences, terms, conditions, limitations, or |
32 | specifications for the granting of loans or financial assistance that do not discriminate on the basis |
33 | of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, |
34 | lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable |
| LC001113 - Page 7 of 13 |
1 | or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral |
2 | origin, disability, age, familial status, or on the basis that a tenant or applicant or a member of the |
3 | household is, or has been, or is threatened with being the victim of domestic abuse, or that the |
4 | tenant or applicant has obtained, or sought, or is seeking relief from any court in the form of a |
5 | restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, of the applicant for the loan or financial |
6 | assistance or of any existing or prospective owner, lessee, tenant, or occupant of the housing |
7 | accommodation. |
8 | (d) An owner may not refuse to allow a person with a disability to make, at his or her |
9 | expense, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by the person |
10 | if the modifications may be necessary to afford the person full enjoyment of the premises, except |
11 | that, in the case of a rental, the owner may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission |
12 | for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition |
13 | that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted. Where it is necessary in |
14 | order to ensure with reasonable certainty that funds will be available to pay for the restorations at |
15 | the end of the tenancy, the landlord may negotiate as part of the restoration agreement a provision |
16 | requiring that the tenant pay into an interest bearing escrow account, over a reasonable period, a |
17 | reasonable amount of money not to exceed the cost of the restorations. The interest in the account |
18 | shall accrue to the benefit of the tenant. The restoration deposition shall be exempt from § 34-18- |
19 | 19(a) but will be subject to § 34-18-19(b) -- (f). |
20 | (e) (1) An owner may not refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, |
21 | practices, or services when those accommodations may be necessary to afford an occupant with a |
22 | disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. |
23 | (2) Every person with a disability who has a guide dog or other personal assistive |
24 | animal, or who obtains a guide dog or other personal assistive animal, shall be entitled to full and |
25 | equal access to all housing accommodations provided for in this section and shall not be required |
26 | to pay extra compensation for the guide dog or other personal assistive animal but shall be liable |
27 | for any damage done to the premises by a guide dog or other personal assistive animal. For the |
28 | purposes of this subsection, a "personal assistive animal" is an animal specifically trained by a |
29 | certified animal training program to assist a person with a disability to perform independent living |
30 | tasks. |
31 | (f) Any housing accommodation of four (4) units or more constructed for first occupancy |
32 | after March 13, 1991, shall be designed and constructed in such a manner that: |
33 | (1) The public use and common use portions of the dwellings are readily accessible to |
34 | and usable by persons with disabilities; |
| LC001113 - Page 8 of 13 |
1 | (2) All the doors designed to allow passage into and within all premises within the |
2 | dwellings are sufficiently wide to allow passage by persons with disabilities in wheelchairs; |
3 | (3) All premises within the dwellings contain the following features of adaptive design: |
4 | (i) Accessible route into and through the dwelling; |
5 | (ii) Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in |
6 | accessible locations; |
7 | (iii) Reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and |
8 | (iv) Usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver |
9 | about the space. To the extent that any state or local building codes, statutes, or ordinances are |
10 | inconsistent with this section, they are hereby repealed. The state building code standards |
11 | committee is hereby directed to adopt rules and regulations consistent with this section as soon as |
12 | possible, but no later than September 30, 1990. |
13 | (g) Compliance with the appropriate requirements of the state building code 14 |
14 | "accessibility for individuals with disabilities for residential use groups" suffices to satisfy the |
15 | requirements of subsection (f). |
16 | (h) As used in subsection (f), the term "housing accommodation of four (4) units or |
17 | more" means: |
18 | (1) Buildings consisting of four (4) or more units if those buildings have one or more |
19 | elevators; and |
20 | (2) Ground floor units in other buildings consisting of four (4) or more units; |
21 | (i) Nothing in subsection (f) shall be construed to limit any law, statute, or regulation that |
22 | requires a greater degree of accessibility to persons with disabilities. |
23 | (j) Nothing in this section requires that a dwelling be made available to an individual |
24 | whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or |
25 | whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others. |
26 | (k) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit an owner, lessee, |
27 | sublessee, or assignee from advertising or selecting a person of the same or opposite gender to |
28 | rent, lease, or share the housing unit that the owner, lessee, sublessee, or assignee will occupy |
29 | with the person selected. |
30 | (l) No person shall aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by |
31 | this section to be an unlawful housing practice; or obstruct or prevent any person from complying |
32 | with the provisions of this chapter or any order issued thereunder; or attempt directly or indirectly |
33 | to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful housing practice. |
34 | (m) No owner; person defined in § 34-37-3(13); person to whom application is made for |
| LC001113 - Page 9 of 13 |
1 | a loan or other form of financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, |
2 | or maintenance of any housing accommodation, whether secured or unsecured; no financial |
3 | organization governed by the provisions of title 19 or any other credit-granting commercial |
4 | institution; or respondent under this chapter; or any agent of these shall discriminate in any |
5 | manner against any individual because he or she has opposed any practice forbidden by this |
6 | chapter, or because he or she has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any manner in any |
7 | investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this chapter. |
8 | (n) Nothing in this section shall prevent a landlord from proceeding with eviction action |
9 | against a tenant who fails to comply with § 34-18-24(7). |
10 | 34-37-4.3. Discrimination in granting credit or loans prohibited. |
11 | No financial organization governed by the provisions of title 19 or any other credit |
12 | granting commercial institution may discriminate in the granting or extension of any form of loan |
13 | or credit, or the privilege or capacity to obtain any form of loan or credit, on the basis of the |
14 | applicant's sex, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
15 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
16 | armed forces, race or color, religion or country of ancestral origin, disability or age or familial |
17 | status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression and the form of loan and credit shall |
18 | not be limited to those concerned with housing accommodations and the commission shall |
19 | prevent any violation hereof in the same manner as it is to prevent unlawful housing practices |
20 | under the provisions of this chapter. |
21 | 34-37-5.2. Discrimination in brokerage services. |
22 | It shall be unlawful to deny any person who meets licensing and other non-discriminatory |
23 | requirements that are also applied to other applicants and members access to, or membership or |
24 | participation in, any real estate listing service, real estate brokers' organization, or other service, |
25 | organization, or facility relating to the business of selling, leasing, or renting a housing |
26 | accommodation or to discriminate against him or her in the terms or conditions of the access, |
27 | membership, or participation on account of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender |
28 | identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an |
29 | honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the |
30 | armed forces, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, or familial status. |
31 | 34-37-5.3. Fostering of segregated housing prohibited. |
32 | It shall be an unlawful discriminatory housing practice to for profit induce, or attempt to |
33 | induce, any person to sell or rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or |
34 | prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, |
| LC001113 - Page 10 of 13 |
1 | marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge |
2 | or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country |
3 | of ancestral origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or |
4 | familial status. |
5 | 34-37-5.4. Discrimination in residential real estate related transactions. |
6 | (a) It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging |
7 | in residential real estate-related transactions to discriminate against any person in making |
8 | available a transaction, or in the terms and conditions of the transaction, because of race, color, |
9 | religion, marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable |
10 | discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed |
11 | forces, country of ancestral origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, |
12 | disability, or familial status. |
13 | (b) As used in this section, the term "residential real estate-related transaction" means |
14 | any of the following: |
15 | (1) The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance: |
16 | (i) For purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling; or |
17 | (ii) Secured by residential real estate. |
18 | (2) The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property. |
19 | (c) Nothing in this chapter prohibits a person engaged in the business of furnishing |
20 | appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, |
21 | marital status, lawful source of income, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge |
22 | or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country |
23 | of ancestral origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or |
24 | familial status. |
25 | SECTION 2. Chapter 34-37 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Fair Housing |
26 | Practices Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: |
27 | 34-37-2.5. Right to equal housing opportunities - Lawful source of income. |
28 | Whenever in this chapter there shall appear the words "marital status" there shall be |
29 | inserted immediately thereafter the words "lawful source of income." |
30 | 34-37-4.6. Discrimination based on lawful source of income - Exemption. |
31 | Nothing in this title shall prohibit an owner of a housing accommodation from refusing to |
32 | rent to a person based on their lawful source of income if the housing accommodation is three (3) |
33 | units or less, one of which is occupied by the owner. |
| LC001113 - Page 11 of 13 |
1 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC001113 | |
======== | |
| LC001113 - Page 12 of 13 |
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. |
======== | |
LC001113 | |
======== | |
| LC001113 - Page 13 of 13 |