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Bill > S2592
RI S2592
RI S2592Amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to clarify housing-status enforcement, ban discriminatory housing notices, align state law with federal standards and remove a ban on public discussion of fair housing cases.
summary
Introduced
02/13/2026
02/13/2026
In Committee
02/13/2026
02/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This act would amend the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to define "assistance animal" and clarify existing protections for persons with such animals consistent with the federal Fair Housing Act; clarify the ability of the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights to accept, investigate, and decide cases alleging discrimination on the basis of "housing status;" make unlawful the issuance of discriminatory notices or statements related to the sale, rental or leasing of housing; and delete a provision in current law prohibiting parties from discussing their fair housing cases publicly. This act would take effect upon passage.
AI Summary
This bill amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to expand protections against housing discrimination by clarifying the definition of "housing status" to include individuals experiencing homelessness, making it unlawful to issue discriminatory notices or statements related to housing, and aligning state law with federal standards regarding "assistance animals" by defining them and clarifying rules for individuals with disabilities and their service animals, ensuring owners cannot inquire about the nature of a disability or require documentation for service animals unless readily apparent. Additionally, the bill removes a prohibition on public discussion of fair housing cases, allowing for greater transparency in the process handled by the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, which investigates and decides discrimination complaints.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (8)
Meghan Kallman (D)*,
Jacob Bissaillon (D),
Bob Britto (D),
Alana DiMario (D),
Victoria Gu (D),
Tiara Mack (D),
Lori Urso (D),
Bridget Valverde (D),
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary (on 02/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://status.rilegislature.gov/ |
| BillText | https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2592.pdf |
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