Senate approves bill requiring low-cost alternatives to digital-only rental systems
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Summary
Senate Bill 15 23 A passed to preserve paper and in-person options for rent payments, applications and building access so tenants lacking smartphones or digital access are not excluded from housing services.
The Senate passed Senate Bill 15 23 A to ensure that landlords cannot rely solely on electronic portals for rent payments, applications or building access.
Senator Pham, sponsor of the measure, told colleagues the bill "preserves three common low-cost options" — the ability to pay by check or another commercially reasonable method, a paper or printable rental application, and physical key/fob or keypad access to common areas in addition to phone-based systems. Sponsor remarks cited Pew Research figures about smartphone ownership and noted seniors and low-income renters may be locked out by fully digital systems.
Senator Jirard declared a potential conflict and noted his personal ownership of rental properties before announcing he would vote no. The bill proceeded to a roll-call vote and the clerk recorded the final passage with 22 ayes.
No floor amendments were recorded on final passage; the bill was declared passed and is to be carried over to the Senate calendar as required for enrollment and transmittal.