STAND. COM. REP. NO.  507

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 676

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 676 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to prohibit discrimination based on lawful source of income in real estate transactions, including advertisements for available rental units.

 

     The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission testified in support of this measure.  The National Association of Residential Property Managers; Hawaii Association of REALTORS; Hawaii Bankers Association; Cornerstone Properties; Hawaii Financial Services Association; Lui & Young Realty, Inc.; Callahan Realty, Ltd.; and two individuals testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Applying prohibitions against discrimination based on lawful source of income to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, which limits the measure to the rental of residential real property only;

 

     (2)  Adding two new definitions for "rental transaction" and "source of income" to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code;

 

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, for the purpose of encouraging further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests that the Committee on Judiciary investigate the barriers to successful rental transactions faced by owners and property managers in renting to  tenants who receive section 8 housing assistance.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 676, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 676, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair