Committee continues H.169 hearing on adding citizenship and immigration status to housing and public‑accommodations protections

The House General and Housing Committee on Friday, April 4 continued hearings on H.169, a bill that would add citizenship and immigration status as protected categories under Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act. Witnesses from the Vermont Human Rights Commission and Vermont Legal Aid testified about gaps in current law, landlord concerns about tenant verification, and federal rules affecting courtroom procedures.

Big Hartman, executive director and general counsel of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, told the committee citizenship and immigration status are not expressly protected in Vermont’s existing statutes and said federal case law has narrowly construed “national origin” so it does not reliably cover immigration status. “National origin…is pretty narrowly construed by the federal courts to not include immigration status or citizenship,” Hartman said. Hartman said adding the categories would protect people who are denied housing or services because of their immigration status or because…