House Bill 5242 (sHB5242 File No. 43) seeks to mitigate the impact of criminal records on housing opportunities by amending Section 46a-64b of the general statutes, effective October 1, 2024. The bill introduces new definitions, such as "conviction" and "housing provider," and updates the definition of "housing for older persons." It also renumbers existing definitions for clarity. The bill makes it a discriminatory practice for housing providers to deny housing based on a person's criminal conviction status, with certain exceptions. It outlines specific time frames within which a felony conviction may affect housing eligibility and requires housing providers to consider various factors, such as the nature of the crime and the applicant's rehabilitation, before denying housing. The bill also mandates written notice and a response period for applicants denied based on criminal convictions and lists factors to be considered in assessing an applicant with a criminal record.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits discriminatory rental practices, including the publication of discriminatory notices or advertisements and inquiring about prior arrests or convictions on initial rental applications, with some exceptions. It details the process for filing and investigating complaints of discrimination, with complaints to be filed within 180 days and investigations to be completed within 100 days. The bill also provides for pre-answer conciliation, modifies the timeline for filing a written answer to complaints, and outlines a case assessment review process. Additionally, it specifies procedures following a finding of reasonable cause, including the option for civil action and the determination of damages and attorney's fees. The bill includes technical amendments to the language and requires additional staff to handle an expected increase in discrimination complaints, with associated fiscal implications.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 8-45a
HSG Joint Favorable: 8-45a
File No. 43: 8-45a