STAND. COM. REP. NO.  49

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 25

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 25 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit discrimination in the rental of real estate based on the person's lawful source of income, including discriminatory advertising preventing low-income individuals from being considered as renters.  

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Hawaii Association of Realtors submitted testimony in opposition to this measure. The Office of Consumer Protection commented on the bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

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

     Your Committee notes that the Office of Consumer Protection recommended placing the new statutory sections in Chapter 515, Hawaii Revised Statutes (Discrimination in Real Property Transactions), instead of Chapter 521, Hawaii Revised Statutes (Residential Landlord-Tenant Code).  Your Committee respectfully requests that the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce and the Committee on Judiciary consider adopting the Office of Consumer Protection's recommendation.

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 H.B. No. 25, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 25, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair