Bill > H5920

This bill amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to make several key changes to existing housing discrimination laws. The bill adds new definitions for "assistance animal" and "service animal", clarifying the protections for individuals with disabilities who require these animals in housing. It expands the definition of "housing status" to explicitly protect individuals without a fixed residence, including those experiencing homelessness. The bill also modifies existing provisions to prohibit discriminatory notices or statements related to housing, giving the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights more robust tools to combat housing discrimination. Specifically, the legislation allows the commission to accept, investigate, and decide cases involving housing status discrimination, and removes a previous restriction that prevented parties from discussing fair housing cases publicly. The bill defines an "assistance animal" as an animal determined to mitigate the effects of a physical or mental disability by a qualified healthcare professional, and distinguishes this from a "service animal" which is specifically trained to assist with independent living tasks. These changes aim to provide broader protections for individuals with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, and other potentially vulnerable housing seekers, while clarifying the rights and responsibilities of housing providers.

Justice

https://status.rilegislature.gov/