The Kansas Fair Chance Housing and Homelessness Reduction Act aims to protect consumers from adverse actions related to their rental history by establishing new regulations for consumer reporting agencies and landlords. Under the bill, consumer reporting agencies are prohibited from including adverse residential or tenant history in consumer reports unless they have contacted the consumer to provide an opportunity for explanation. Additionally, landlords are restricted from considering any tenant history that is more than three years old or that does not include an explanation from the consumer. If a landlord takes adverse action against a tenant, they must provide the consumer with the relevant consumer report or tenant history that influenced their decision.

The bill also amends existing consumer protection laws to classify violations of these new provisions as deceptive acts, subjecting violators to enforcement under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. This includes penalties for landlords and consumer reporting agencies that fail to comply with the new requirements. The act will take effect upon publication in the statute book, reinforcing the state's commitment to fair housing practices and reducing homelessness by ensuring that individuals are not unfairly penalized based on outdated or incomplete rental histories.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 50-626