Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB896 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	hb0896
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 896
8	8	D5 5lr2528
9	9	CF SB 677
10	10	By: Delegate Stewart
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2025
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	Human Relations – Discrimination in Housing – Income–Based Housing 2
19	19	Subsidies 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of providing that a certain landlord may not refuse to rent to a prospective 4
22	22	tenant who pays rent with the assistance of an income–based housing subsidy under 5
23	23	certain circumstances, subject to a certain exception; establishing that a violation of 6
24	24	this Act is a discriminatory housing practice and is subject to enforcement by the 7
25	25	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights ; and generally relating to housing 8
26	26	discrimination. 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 and 2024 Supplement) 14
33	33
34	34	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
35	35	Article – State Government 16
36	36	Section 20–701(c) and 20–1020(e) 17
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 18
38	38	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
39	39
40	40	BY adding to 20
41	41	Article – State Government 21
42	42	Section 20–705.1 22
43	43	Annotated Code of Maryland 23
44	44	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 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 896
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, § 20–705.1, § 20–706, § 20–707, or § 20–708 of this subtitle. 5
59	59
60	60	20–705.1. 6
61	61
62	62	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “INCOME–BASED HOUSING SUBSID Y” MEANS 7
63	63	RECURRING MONETARY A SSISTANCE TO A LANDL ORD FROM A GOVERNMENTAL 8
64	64	ENTITY OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON THAT IS INTENDED TO DEFRAY, IN WHOLE 9
65	65	OR IN PART, A TENANT’S RENT OBLIGATION . 10
66	66
67	67	(2) “INCOME–BASED HOUSING SUBSID Y” INCLUDES LOW–INCOME 11
68	68	HOUSING ASSISTANCE C ERTIFICATES AND VOUC HERS ISSUED UNDER TH E UNITED 12
69	69	STATES HOUSING ACT OF 1937. 13
70	70
71	71	(B) EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED UNDER FEDERAL LAW , A LANDLORD OR 14
72	72	RESIDENTIAL RENTAL P ROPERTY THAT USES FINANCIAL INFORMATION , INCLUDING 15
73	73	CREDIT HISTORY , AS PART OF A PROSPECTIVE TENANT’S RENTAL APPLICATION MAY 16
74	74	NOT REFUSE TO RENT TO A PROSPECTIVE TENANT WHO PAYS RENT WITH THE 17
75	75	ASSISTANCE OF AN INC OME–BASED HOUSING SUBSID Y ON THE BASIS OF THE 18
76	76	PROSPECTIVE TENANT ’S INCOME, CREDIT SCORE , LACK OF CREDIT SCORE , OR 19
77	77	ADVERSE CREDIT HISTORY. 20
78	78
79	79	(C) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSE CTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , A LANDLORD 21
80	80	THAT RECEIVES FUNDIN G FROM A GOVERNMENTA L ENTITY, A 22
81	81	QUASI–GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY , OR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON THAT REQUIRE S 23
82	82	INCOME QUALIFICATION FOR TENANTS IN INCOM E–RESTRICTED RENTAL UN ITS MAY 24
83	83	COLLECT FINANCIAL IN FORMATION FROM A PRO SPECTIVE TENANT IF T HE 25
84	84	COLLECTION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS A CONDITION OF THE F UNDING. 26
85	85
86	86	20–1020. 27
87	87
88	88	(a) In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. 28
89	89
90	90	(e) “Discriminatory housing practice” means an act that is prohibited under § 29
91	91	20–705, § 20–705.1, § 20–706, § 20–707, or § 20–708 of this title. 30
92	92
93	93	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 31
94	94	October 1, 2025. 32