Bill Text - HB1409 (2014)

Expanding the law against discrimination to prohibit housing discrimination against recipients of rental assistance and victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.


Revision: June 15, 2014, midnight

HB 1409 – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

6Mar2014… 0772h

05/15/14 1733s

2014 SESSION

14-2393

05/03

HOUSE BILL 1409

AN ACT establishing a commission to study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

SPONSORS: Rep. Long, Hills 42; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a commission to study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

6Mar2014… 0772h

05/15/14 1733s

14-2393

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen

AN ACT establishing a commission to study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; Commission to Study Housing Discrimination Against Individuals Who Receive Federal Housing Assistance or Who Have Been Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault. Amend RSA 354-A by inserting after section 26 the following new section:

354-A:27 Commission to Study Housing Discrimination Against Individuals Who Receive Federal Housing Assistance or Who Have Been Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault.

I. There is established a commission to study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

II. The members of the commission shall be as follows:

(a) The president of Families in Transition, or designee.

(b) The executive director of the New Hampshire housing finance authority, or designee.

(c) The executive director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, or designee.

(d) The executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, or designee.

(e) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, or designee.

(f) The executive director of The Way Home, or designee.

(g) Two small property owners who are members of the New Hampshire Property Owners Association, appointed by the president of the senate.

(h) One large property owner who is not a member of the New Hampshire Property Owners Association, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(i) Two members of the house judiciary committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(j) One member of the senate judiciary committee, appointed by the president of the senate.

III. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, except that legislative members shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.

IV. The commission shall study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. The commission shall consider:

(a) Whether the state law against discrimination, RSA 354-A, should be amended to prohibit discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault; and

(b) How to best protect tenants from such discrimination in a manner that does not unfairly burden landlords.

V. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the senate member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

VI. The commission shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2014.

2 Repeal. RSA 354-A:27, relative to the commission to study housing discrimination against individuals who receive federal housing assistance or who have been victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, is repealed.

3 Effective Date.

I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect December 1, 2014.

II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.