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House passes bill barring immigration-status discrimination in housing ads and transactions
Summary
Senate Bill 599, passed by the House, prohibits landlords from discriminating in real estate transactions based on immigration status, seeking to reduce fear-driven housing instability and align Oregon with states that limit immigration-based housing exclusions.
The House passed Senate Bill 5 99, a measure aimed at preventing discrimination in housing based on immigration status. Supporters framed the bill as a protection for housing stability and a step to reduce fear among immigrant families when seeking housing.
Representative Ruiz, speaking on the floor, said the measure is personal to him and his family’s experience and that the bill aims to “end fear” that can make housing a weapon against immigrant communities. Ruiz argued the bill will prevent landlords and housing providers from denying housing based on origin or documentation and compared Oregon’s action to protections in states such as California, Washington and New York.
Backers said landlords will still be able to screen applicants responsibly, but may not exclude applicants solely because of immigration status. The bill passed the House and supporters urged swift transmittal to the governor. Floor debate included recorded votes and requests to change votes afterward; supporters noted the bill had received a constitutional majority on the floor.
The bill does not itself create new immigration eligibility rules for public benefits; instead it limits discriminatory practices in housing advertising and transactions, per supporters’ floor remarks. Implementation questions—such as enforcement mechanisms and agency responsibilities—were not resolved in the floor debate and would be clarified during implementation.
