Vermont H 132: An act relating to prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes

Bill Text

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H.132 1
An act relating to prohibiting discrimination against persons without homes 2
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 3
Sec. 1. 9 V.S.A. § 4501 is amended to read: 4
§ 4501. DEFINITIONS 5
As used in this chapter: 6
* * * 7
(12)(A) “Harass” means to engage in unwelcome conduct that detracts 8
from, undermines, or interferes with a person’s: 9
(i) use of a place of public accommodation or any of the 10
accommodations, advantages, facilities, or privileges of a place of public 11
accommodation because of the person’s race, creed, color, national origin, 12
housing status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or 13
disability; or 14
(ii) terms, conditions, privileges, or protections in the sale or rental 15
of a dwelling or other real estate, or in the provision of services or facilities in 16
connection with a dwelling or other real estate, because of the person’s race, 17
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, 18
religious creed, color, national origin, or disability, or because the person 19
intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because the 20

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person is a recipient of public assistance, or because the person is a victim of 1
abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. 2
* * * 3
(13) “Housing status” means the actual or perceived status of being 4
homeless, being a homeless individual, or being a homeless person, as defined 5
in 42 U.S.C. § 11302. 6
Sec. 2. 9 V.S.A. § 4502 is amended to read: 7
§ 4502. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS 8
(a) An owner or operator of a place of public accommodation or an agent 9
or employee of such an owner or operator shall not, because of the race, creed, 10
color, national origin, housing status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or 11
gender identity of any person, refuse, withhold from, or deny to that person 12
any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of the place 13
of public accommodation. 14
* * * 15
Sec. 3. 9 V.S.A. § 4503 is amended to read: 16
§ 4503. UNFAIR HOUSING PRACTICES 17
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person: 18
(1) To refuse to sell or rent, or refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental 19
of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling or other real estate to 20
any person because of the race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, 21

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housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or 1
disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with 2
one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public 3
assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. 4
(2) To discriminate against, or to harass, any person in the terms, 5
conditions, privileges, and protections of the sale or rental of a dwelling or 6
other real estate, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with 7
a dwelling or other real estate, because of the race, sex, sexual orientation, 8
gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, 9
national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy 10
a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient 11
of public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or 12
stalking. 13
(3) To make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published 14
any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a 15
dwelling or other real estate that indicates any preference, limitation, or 16
discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, 17
housing status, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or 18
disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with 19
one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public 20
assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. 21

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(4) To represent to any person because of the race, sex, sexual 1
orientation, gender identity, age, housing status, marital status, religious creed, 2
color, national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person intends to 3
occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is a 4
recipient of public assistance, or because a person is a victim of abuse, sexual 5
assault, or stalking, that any dwelling or other real estate is not available for 6
inspection, sale, or rental when the dwelling or real estate is in fact so 7
available. 8
* * * 9
(7) To engage in blockbusting practices, for profit, which that may 10
include inducing or attempting to induce a person to sell or rent a dwelling by 11
representati