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Committee defers decision on immigration status in unfair‑housing rules; to review House amendments and legal guidance
Summary
Senators debated adding citizenship and immigration status to unfair‑housing and public‑accommodations protections, noted banking‑industry concerns and said they will review House amendment language and legal issues before deciding.
The committee discussed whether to include citizenship and immigration status in state unfair‑housing protections and in public‑accommodations law and decided to postpone a final decision pending further review of House amendments and legal guidance.
Staff noted the House has been working on related legislation (H.169) and that House committee drafters added language intended to make clear that federal law exemptions permit financial institutions to consider immigration status in loan decisions. Members said that retaining immigration status in the public‑accommodations section but not in the unfair‑housing section could create ambiguity and that the legal implications merit further briefing.
Cameron Wood, legislative counsel, advised the committee that the issue raises complex intersections with federal law and banking practices. Members requested a side‑by‑side of the House amendment and invited staff to walk that amendment through the committee in a follow‑up meeting. The committee did not take a formal vote and scheduled the topic for additional review tomorrow or at the next available meeting.
