The bill amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to strengthen protections against discrimination in housing based on various personal characteristics, including race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, lawful source of income, military status, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, and domestic abuse victim status. It explicitly prohibits owners and their agents from making inquiries or taking actions based on these characteristics, while also clarifying that inquiries regarding a prospective tenant's age or income source are permissible if conducted non-discriminatorily. Additionally, lenders are prohibited from discriminating based on these protected characteristics when providing financial assistance for housing.

The bill also introduces specific provisions for tenants with disabilities regarding emotional support animals, replacing "personal assistive animal" with "service animal" and defining the criteria for such animals. It allows tenants to request emotional support animals without the need for training or certification, provided they submit documentation from a licensed healthcare practitioner confirming their disability and the necessity of the animal. The bill outlines that landlords can only deny these requests under certain conditions and emphasizes that tenants are responsible for any damages caused by their emotional support animals. Furthermore, it establishes accessibility requirements for housing accommodations of four or more units built after March 13, 1991, ensuring compliance with state building codes to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.