Vermont H 169: An act relating to mental health insurance benefits

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.169
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VT LEG #379534 v.1
H.169 1
Introduced by Representatives Dodge of Essex, Christie of Hartford, Cole of 2
Hartford, Arsenault of Williston, Bartholomew of Hartland, 3
Berbeco of Winooski, Bluemle of Burlington, Bos-Lun of 4
Westminster, Burke of Brattleboro, Carris-Duncan of 5
Whitingham, Casey of Montpelier, Chapin of East Montpelier, 6
Charlton of Chester, Cina of Burlington, Cordes of Bristol, 7
Duke of Burlington, Goodnow of Brattleboro, Harple of Glover, 8
Headrick of Burlington, Hooper of Randolph, Hooper of 9
Burlington, Howard of Rutland City, Keyser of Rutland City, 10
Krasnow of South Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, Logan of 11
Burlington, Masland of Thetford, McCann of Montpelier, 12
McGill of Bridport, Minier of South Burlington, Mrowicki of 13
Putney, Olson of Starksboro, Pezzo of Colchester, Pouech of 14
Hinesburg, Priestley of Bradford, Rachelson of Burlington, 15
Sibilia of Dover, Surprenant of Barnard, Sweeney of Shelburne, 16
Tomlinson of Winooski, Torre of Moretown, Waszazak of 17
Barre City, and Waters Evans of Charlotte 18
Referred to Committee on 19
Date: 20

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VT LEG #379534 v.1
Subject: Commerce and trade; residential rental application; prohibited acts; 1
public accommodations; unfair housing practices; discrimination 2
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit a 3
landlord from requesting a Social Security number on a residential rental 4
application and to accept all forms of government issued identification. This 5
bill also proposes to add citizenship and immigration status to the existing 6
discrimination prohibitions in public accommodations and unfair housing 7
practices. 8
An act relating to amending the prohibitions against discrimination in 9
public accommodations and housing 10
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11
Sec. 1. 9 V.S.A. § 4456a is amended to read: 12
§ 4456a. RESIDENTIAL RENTAL APPLICATION FEES; PROHIBITED 13
ACTS 14
(a) A landlord or a landlord’s agent shall not: 15
(1) charge an application fee to any individual in order to apply to enter 16
into a rental agreement for a residential dwelling unit; or 17
(2) request the Social Security number of an individual or a member of 18
an individual’s household in order to apply to enter into a rental agreement for 19
a residential dwelling unit or to conduct a criminal background or credit check. 20

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(b) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a person from charging a 1
fee to a person in order to apply to rent commercial or nonresidential property. 2
(c) If required during the application process, a landlord or a landlord’s 3
agent shall accept an original or a copy of any form of government-issued 4
identification. 5
Sec. 2. 9 V.S.A. § 4501 is amended to read: 6
§ 4501. DEFINITIONS 7
As used in this chapter: 8
* * * 9
(12)(A) “Harass” means to engage in unwelcome conduct that detracts 10
from, undermines, or interferes with a person’s: 11
(i) use of a place of public accommodation or any of the 12
accommodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges of a place of public 13
accommodation because of the person’s race, creed, color, national origin, 14
citizenship, immigration status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender 15
identity, or disability; or 16
(ii) terms, conditions, privileges, or protections in the sale or rental 17
of a dwelling or other real estate, or in the provision of services or facilities in 18
connection with a dwelling or other real estate, because of the person’s race, 19
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, religious creed, 20
color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or disability, or because 21

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VT LEG #379534 v.1
the person intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or 1
because the person is a recipient of public assistance, or because the person is a 2
victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. 3
* * * 4
Sec. 3. 9 V.S.A. § 4502 is amended to read: 5
§ 4502. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS 6
(a) An owner or operator of a place of public accommodation or an agent 7
or employee of such owner or operator shall not, because of the race, creed, 8
color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, marital status, sex, 9
sexual orientation, or gender identity of any person, refuse, withhold from, or 10
deny to that person any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and 11
privileges of the place of public accommodation. 12
* * * 13
Sec. 4. 9 V.S.A. § 4503 is amended to read: 14
§ 4503. UNFAIR HOUSING PRACTICES 15
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person: 16
(1) To refuse to sell or rent, or refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental 17
of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling or other real estate to 18
any person because of the race, sex, sexual o