Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB928 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0928
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 928
8	8	D5, N1 2lr0345
9	9	CF 2lr0347
10	10	By: Delegate Palakovich Carr
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Discrimination in Housing – Citizenship, Immigration Status, and National 2
19	19	Origin 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of stating the policy of the State to provide fair housing, regardless of 4
22	22	certain citizenship or immigration status; prohibiting certain discrimination related 5
23	23	to the sale or rental of a dwelling on the basis of citizenship or immigration status, 6
24	24	subject to certain exceptions; prohibiting certain inquiries and disclosures relating 7
25	25	to a person’s citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in connection with 8
26	26	the rental of a dwelling; and generally relating to discriminatory housing practices. 9
27	27
28	28	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
29	29	Article – State Government 11
30	30	Section 20–701(a) and 20–1020(a) 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2021 Replacement Volume) 14
33	33
34	34	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
35	35	Article – State Government 16
36	36	Section 20–701(c), 20–702, 20–705, 20–707, 20–901, 20–1020(e), and 20–1103 17
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 18
38	38	(2021 Replacement Volume) 19
39	39
40	40	BY adding to 20
41	41	Article – State Government 21
42	42	Section 20–708.1 22
43	43	Annotated Code of Maryland 23
44	44	(2021 Replacement Volume) 24
45	45
46	46	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 25
47	47	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 26
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 928
49	49
50	50
51	51	Article – State Government 1
52	52
53	53	20–701. 2
54	54
55	55	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 3
56	56
57	57	(c) “Discriminatory housing practice” means an act that is prohibited under § 4
58	58	20–705, § 20–706, § 20–707, [or] § 20–708, OR § 20–708.1 of this subtitle. 5
59	59
60	60	20–702. 6
61	61
62	62	(a) It is the policy of the State: 7
63	63
64	64	(1) to provide for fair housing throughout the State to all, regardless of 8
65	65	race, color, religion, sex, familial status, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national 9
66	66	origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or source of income; 10
67	67	and 11
68	68
69	69	(2) to that end, to prohibit discriminatory practices with respect to 12
70	70	residential housing by any person, in order to protect and ensure the peace, health, safety, 13
71	71	prosperity, and general welfare of all. 14
72	72
73	73	(b) This subtitle: 15
74	74
75	75	(1) is an exercise of the police power of the State for the protection of the 16
76	76	people of the State; and 17
77	77
78	78	(2) shall be administered and enforced by the Commission and, as provided 18
79	79	in this title, enforced by the appropriate State court. 19
80	80
81	81	20–705. 20
82	82
83	83	Except as provided in §§ 20–703 and 20–704 of this subtitle, a person may not: 21
84	84
85	85	(1) refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, refuse to 22
86	86	negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any 23
87	87	person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual 24
88	88	orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or 25
89	89	source of income; 26
90	90
91	91	(2) discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges 27
92	92	of the sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection 28
93	93	with the sale or rental of a dwelling, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital 29
94	94	status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION 30
95	95	STATUS, national origin, or source of income; 31
96	96	HOUSE BILL 928 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(3) make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published, any 1
100	100	notice, statement, or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that 2
101	101	indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, 3
102	102	disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, 4
103	103	CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or source of income, or an intention 5
104	104	to make any preference, limitation, or discrimination; 6
105	105
106	106	(4) represent to any person, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, 7
107	107	marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, 8
108	108	IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or source of income, that any dwelling is not 9
109	109	available for inspection, sale, or rental when the dwelling is available; or 10
110	110
111	111	(5) for profit, induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent any 11
112	112	dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood 12
113	113	of a person of a particular race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, 13
114	114	sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national 14
115	115	origin, or source of income. 15
116	116
117	117	20–707. 16
118	118
119	119	(a) In this section, “residential real estate–related transaction” means: 17
120	120
121	121	(1) the making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial 18
122	122	assistance: 19
123	123
124	124	(i) for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or 20
125	125	maintaining a dwelling; or 21
126	126
127	127	(ii) secured by residential real estate; or 22
128	128
129	129	(2) the selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property. 23
130	130
131	131	(b) (1) A person whose business includes engaging in residential real 24
132	132	estate–related transactions may not discriminate against any person in making available 25
133	133	a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of a transaction, because of race, color, religion, 26
134	134	sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, 27
135	135	CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or source of income. 28
136	136
137	137	(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not prohibit a person engaged in 29
138	138	the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors 30
139	139	other than race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual 31
140	140	orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or 32
141	141	source of income. 33
142	142
143	143	(c) A person may not, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital 34
144	144	status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION 35 4 HOUSE BILL 928
145	145
146	146
147	147	STATUS, national origin, or source of income: 1
148	148
149	149	(1) deny a person access to, or membership or participation in, a 2
150	150	multiple–listing service, real estate brokers’ organization, or other service, organization, or 3
151	151	facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings; or 4
152	152
153	153	(2) discriminate against a person in the terms or conditions of membership 5
154	154	or participation. 6
155	155
156	156	20–708.1. 7
157	157
158	158	(A) UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE D BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW OR 8
159	159	COURT ORDER , IN CONNECTION WITH THE RENTAL OF A DWEL LING, A PERSON MAY 9
160	160	NOT: 10
161	161
162	162	(1) INQUIRE ABOUT A PERSON’S CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , 11
163	163	OR NATIONAL ORIGIN ; OR 12
164	164
165	165	(2) DISCLOSE OR THREATEN TO DISCLOSE INFORMAT ION REGARDING 13
166	166	A PERSON’S ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , OR 14
167	167	NATIONAL ORIGIN TO A NY OTHER PERSON, INCLUDING AN IMMIGRA TION 15
168	168	AUTHORITY OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. 16
169	169
170	170	(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT A PERSON FROM : 17
171	171
172	172	(1) COMPLYING WITH A LEG AL OBLIGATION OR ACTING PURSUANT TO 18
173	173	A CONDITION FOR FUND ING UNDER A FEDERAL , STATE, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT 19
174	174	PROGRAM; 20
175	175
176	176	(2) REQUESTING INFORMATION OR DOCUM ENTATION AS PART OF A 21
177	177	STANDARD RENTAL PRAC TICE TO VERIFY THE F INANCIAL QUALIFICATI ONS OR 22
178	178	IDENTITY OF A POTENT IAL RENTER IF THE SAME INFORMATION OR 23
179	179	DOCUMENTATION IS REQ UESTED OF EVERY POTE NTIAL RENTER; OR 24
180	180
181	181	(3) PROVIDING NOTICE TO A RENTER REGARDING C ONDUCT BY THE 25
182	182	RENTER THAT MAY VIOL ATE AN APPLICABLE RENTAL AGREEMENT OR LAW OR 26
183	183	REGULATION . 27
184	184
185	185	20–901. 28
186	186
187	187	(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a unit, officer, or employee 29
188	188	of the State, a county, or a municipal corporation may not engage in a discriminatory act 30
189	189	prohibited by § 20–304, § 20–606, § 20–705, § 20–706, § 20–707, [or] § 20–708, OR § 31
190	190	20–708.1 of this title. 32 HOUSE BILL 928 5
191	191
192	192
193	193
194	194	(b) Sections 20–304, 20–705, [and] 20–706, AND 20–708.1 of this title do not 1
195	195	prohibit the State, a county, or a municipality from: 2
196	196
197	197	(1) providing separate facilities for males and females in 3
198	198	government–owned or government–operated public institutions; or 4
199	199
200	200	(2) operating or funding special or separate programs and facilities for 5
201	201	children, seniors, or other special populations. 6
202	202
203	203	20–1020. 7
204	204
205	205	(a) In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. 8
206	206
207	207	(e) “Discriminatory housing practice” means an act that is prohibited under § 9
208	208	20–705, § 20–706, § 20–707, [or] § 20–708, OR § 20–708.1 of this title. 10
209	209
210	210	20–1103. 11
211	211
212	212	(a) In this section, “disability”, “dwelling”, “familial status”, “marital status”, 12
213	213	“rent”, and “source of income” have the meanings stated in § 20–701 of this title. 13
214	214
215	215	(b) Whether or not acting under color of law, a person may not, by force or threat 14
216	216	of force, willfully injure, intimidate, interfere with, or attempt to injure, intimidate, or 15
217	217	interfere with: 16
218	218
219	219	(1) any person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital 17
220	220	status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION 18
221	221	STATUS, national origin, or source of income and because the person is or has been: 19
222	222
223	223	(i) selling, purchasing, renting, financing, occupying, or contracting 20
224	224	or negotiating for the sale, purchase, rental, financing, or occupation of any dwelling; or 21
225	225
226	226	(ii) applying for or participating in any service, organization, or 22
227	227	facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings; 23
228	228
229	229	(2) any person because the person is or has been, or in order to intimidate 24
230	230	the person or any other person or any class of persons from: 25
231	231
232	232	(i) participating, without discrimination on account of race, color, 26
233	233	religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, 27
234	234	CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION STATUS , national origin, or source of income, in any of the 28
235	235	activities, services, organizations, or facilities described in item (1) of this subsection; or 29
236	236
237	237	(ii) affording another person or class of persons the opportunity or 30
238	238	protection to participate in any of the activities, services, organizations, or facilities 31 6 HOUSE BILL 928
239	239
240	240
241	241	described in item (1) of this subsection; or 1
242	242
243	243	(3) any person because the person is or has been, or in order to discourage 2
244	244	the person or any other person from: 3
245	245
246	246	(i) lawfully aiding or encouraging other persons to participate, 4
247	247	without discrimination on account of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, 5
248	248	familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION 6
249	249	STATUS, national origin, or source of income, in any of the activities, services, 7
250	250	organizations, or facilities described in item (1) of this subsection; or 8
251	251
252	252	(ii) participating lawfully in speech or peaceful assembly opposing 9
253	253	any denial of the opportunity to participate in any of the activities, services, organizations, 10
254	254	or facilities described in item (1) of this subsection. 11
255	255
256	256	(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 12
257	257	is subject to: 13
258	258
259	259	(1) imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or 14
260	260	both; 15
261	261
262	262	(2) if the violation results in bodily injury, imprisonment not exceeding 10 16
263	263	years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both; or 17
264	264
265	265	(3) if the violation results in death, imprisonment not exceeding life. 18
266	266
267	267	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19
268	268	October 1, 2022. 20