Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                           H.132
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                                        H.132
    An act relating to prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes
 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
    Sec. 1. 9 V.S.A. § 4501 is amended to read:
 § 4501. DEFINITIONS
    As used in this chapter:
                                         ***
       (12)(A) “Harass” means to engage in unwelcome conduct that detracts
 from, undermines, or interferes with a person’s:
              (i) use of a place of public accommodation or any of the
 accommodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges of a place of public
 accommodation because of the person’s race, creed, color, national origin,
 housing status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
 disability; or
              (ii) terms, conditions, privileges, or protections in the sale or rental
 of a dwelling or other real estate, or in the provision of services or facilities in
 connection with a dwelling or other real estate, because of the person’s race,
 sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, housing status, marital status,
 religious creed, color, national origin, or disability, or because the person
 intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because the VT LEG #374864 v.1
     AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                           H.132
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 person is a recipient of public assistance, or because the person is a victim of
 abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
                                        ***
       (13) “Housing status” means the actual or perceived status of being
 homeless, being a homeless individual, or being a homeless person, as defined
 in 42 U.S.C. § 11302.
 Sec. 2. 9 V.S.A. § 4502 is amended to read:
 § 4502. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS
    (a) An owner or operator of a place of public accommodation or an agent
 or employee of such an owner or operator shall not, because of the race, creed,
 color, national origin, housing status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or
 gender identity of any person, refuse, withhold from, or deny to that person
 any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of the place
 of public accommodation.
                                        ***
 Sec. 3. 9 V.S.A. § 4503 is amended to read:
 § 4503. UNFAIR HOUSING PRACTICES
    (a) It shall be unlawful for any person:
       (1) To refuse to sell or rent, or refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental
 of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling or other real estate to
 any person because of the race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age,
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     AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                           H.132
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 housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or
 disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with
 one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public
 assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
       (2) To discriminate against, or to harass, any person in the terms,
 conditions, privileges, and protections of the sale or rental of a dwelling or
 other real estate, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with
 a dwelling or other real estate, because of the race, sex, sexual orientation,
 gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, religious creed, color,
 national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy
 a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient
 of public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or
 stalking.
       (3) To make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published
 any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a
 dwelling or other real estate that indicates any preference, limitation, or
 discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age,
 housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or
 disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with
 one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public
 assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
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     AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                           H.132
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       (4) To represent to any person because of the race, sex, sexual
 orientation, gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, religious creed,
 color, national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person intends to
 occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is a
 recipient of public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual
 assault, or stalking, that any dwelling or other real estate is not available for
 inspection, sale, or rental when the dwelling or real estate is in fact so
 available.
                                        ***
       (7) To engage in blockbusting practices, for profit, which that may
 include inducing or attempting to induce a person to sell or rent a dwelling by
 representations regarding the entry into the neighborhood of a person or
 persons of a particular race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age,
 housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or
 disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with
 one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public
 assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
       (8) To deny any person access to or membership or participation in any
 multiple listing service, real estate brokers’ organization, or other service,
 organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings,
 or to discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of such access,
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     AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                            H.132
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 membership, or participation, on account of race, sex, sexual orientation,
 gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, religious creed, color,
 national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person is a recipient of
 public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or
 stalking.
                                         ***
       (12) To discriminate in land use decisions or in the permitting of
 housing because of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, housing
 status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, the
 presence of one or more minor children, income, or because of the receipt of
 public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or
 stalking, except as otherwise provided by law.
                                         ***
 Sec. 4. 10 V.S.A. § 601 is amended to read:
 § 601. DEFINITIONS
    The following words and terms, unless the context clearly indicates a
 different meaning, shall have the following meaning:
                                         ***
       (11) “Persons and families of low and moderate income” means persons
 and families irrespective of race, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
 housing status, or gender identity deemed by the Agency to require such VT LEG #374864 v.1
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 assistance as is made available by this chapter on account of insufficient
 personal or family income, taking into consideration, without limitation, such
 factors as:
                                        ***
       (20) “Housing status” means the actual or perceived status of being
 homeless, being a homeless individual, or being a homeless person, as defined
 in 42 U.S.C. § 11302.
 Sec. 5. 21 V.S.A. § 495 is amended to read:
 § 495. UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE
    (a) It shall be unlawful employment practice, except where a bona fide
 occupational qualification requires persons of a particular race, color, religion,
 national origin, housing status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
 ancestry, place of birth, age, crime victim status, or physical or mental
 condition:
       (1) For any employer, employment agency, or labor organization to
 harass or discriminate against any individual because of race, color, religion,
 ancestry, national origin, housing status, sex, sexual orientation, gender
 identity, place of birth, crime victim status, or age or against a qualified
 individual with a disability.
       (2) For any person seeking employees or for any employment agency or
 labor organization to cause to be printed, published, or circulated any notice or
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     AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                                            H.132
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 advertisement relating to employment or membership indicating any
 preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based upon race, color,
 religion, ancestry, national origin, housing status, sex, sexual orientation,
 gender identity, place of birth, crime victim status, age, or disability.
       (3) For any employment agency to fail or refuse to classify properly or
 refer for employment or to otherwise harass or discriminate against any
 individual because of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, housing
 status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, place of birth, crime victim
 status, or age or against a qualified individual with a disability.
       (4) For any labor organization to limit, segregate, or qualify its
 membership with respect to any individual because of race, color, religion,
 ancestry, national origin, housing status, sex, sexual orientation, gender
 identity, place of birth, crime victim status, or age or against a qualified
 individual with a disability.
                                        ***
 Sec. 6. 21 V.S.A. § 495d is amended to read:
 § 495d. DEFINITIONS
    As used in this subchapter:
                                        ***
       (16) “Harass” means to engage in unwelcome conduct based on an
 employee’s race, color, religion, national origin, housing status, sex, sexual VT LEG #374864 v.1
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 orientation, gender identity, ancestry, place of birth, age, crime victim status,
 or physical or mental condition that interferes with the employee’s work or
 creates a work environment that is intimidating, hostile, or offensive. In
 determining whether conduct constitutes harassment:
                                        ***
       (17) “Housing status” means the actual or perceived status of being
 homeless, being a homeless individual, or being a homeless person, as defined
 in 42 U.S.C. § 11302.
 Sec. 7. 33 V.S.A. § 101 is amended to read:
 § 101. POLICY
    It is the policy of the State of Vermont that:
                                        ***
       (3)(A) Assistance and benefits shall be administered promptly, with due
 regard for the preservation of family life, and without restriction of individual
 rights or discrimination on account of race, religion, political affiliation,
 housing status, or place of residence within the State.
          (B) As used in this subdivision (3), “housing status” means the actual
 or perceived status of being homeless, being a homeless individual, or being a
 homeless person, as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 11302.
                                        ***
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    AS PASSED BY HOUSE                                      H.132
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 Sec. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE
   This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
                                                    VT LEG #374864 v.1
Statutes affected: 
As Introduced: 9-4501, 9-4502, 9-4503, 10-601, 21-495, 21-495d, 33-101
As Passed By the House -- Official: 9-4501, 9-4502, 9-4503, 10-601, 21-495, 21-495d, 33-101
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 9-4501, 9-4502, 9-4503, 10-601, 21-495, 21-495d, 33-101