STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1099

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 36

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 36, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit discrimination, including in advertisements for available real property, based on participation in a housing assistance program, or requirements related to participation in housing assistance programs, in rental transactions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Community Alliance Partners, Imua Alliance, Medical-Legal Partnership Hawai‘i, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, HOPE Services Hawai‘i, Neighborhood Place of Puna, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS and one individual.

Your Committee finds that H.B. No. 981, H.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2021), a similar measure, was previously passed by your Committee. Your Committee further finds that H.B. No. 981, H.D. 1, includes a more streamlined definition of "housing assistance program" and allows for civil action of no more than $2,500.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of H.B. No. 981, H.D. 1, a measure that:

(A) Prohibits discrimination, including in advertisements for rental property, in rental transactions based on participation in a housing assistance program or requirements related to participation in a housing assistance program; and

(B) Includes a defective date of July 1, 2050; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 36, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 36, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair