Bill > S0209

This bill establishes the Fair Chance in Housing Act, which significantly restricts how housing providers can use criminal records and credit history when evaluating rental applications. The legislation prevents housing providers from asking about criminal history before making a conditional offer of housing, and limits the types of criminal records that can be considered, focusing only on specific serious crimes committed within the past ten years. Housing providers must provide written disclosure about their eligibility criteria and allow applicants to provide evidence of rehabilitation or inaccuracies in their records. If a conditional offer is withdrawn due to criminal history, the provider must give a detailed written explanation and allow the applicant to request the information used in the decision. The bill also caps credit history reviews at three years and requires landlords to provide written notice explaining any application denials. Violations can result in civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, with enforcement managed by the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. The law prohibits discriminatory advertising about criminal records and protects applicants from retaliation, ultimately aiming to provide fairer housing access for individuals with past criminal justice involvement.

Justice

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