Bill > SB107

This bill amends Maryland law to explicitly allow fair housing testers to legally intercept oral communications under specific circumstances. The bill defines a "nonprofit civil rights organization" as either a qualified fair housing enforcement organization or a tax-exempt civil rights organization with at least two years of experience in complaint intake, investigation, and fair housing testing. The legislation permits a fair housing tester working for the federal government, state, local government, or a qualifying nonprofit civil rights organization to intercept an oral communication, provided they are a party to the communication and the interception is for obtaining evidence of a fair housing violation. However, the bill strictly limits the use of such intercepted communications, stating that they may only be used for enforcing federal, state, or local fair housing laws and cannot be used as evidence in trials, hearings, or other proceedings. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, and aims to provide a clear legal framework for fair housing testing while protecting the privacy of individuals involved.

Justice

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0107?ys=2025RS