[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3283

 To amend the Fair Housing Act to protect servicemembers and veterans 
          from housing discrimination, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2012

  Mr. Brown of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was 
read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Fair Housing Act to protect servicemembers and veterans 
          from housing discrimination, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ending Housing Discrimination 
Against Servicemembers and Veterans Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Servicemembers and veterans have given the United 
        States the ultimate commitment to preserve freedom and national 
        security.
            (2) Those who are serving or have served in the Armed 
        Forces deserve the maximum protection possible from 
        discrimination based upon their military service.
            (3) Veterans have historically suffered from homelessness 
        at a higher rate than the general population and ending this 
        disgrace should be a national priority.
            (4) Those who are wearing or have worn the uniform of the 
        United States should be entitled to Federal protection from 
        housing discrimination.

SEC. 3. ENDING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST SERVICEMEMBERS AND 
              VETERANS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
3602) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(p) `Servicemember or veteran' means an individual who serves or 
served in the Armed Forces, including in the National Guard or the 
Reserves (or in the National Guard in State status under title 32, 
United States Code), except that such term does not include an 
individual who was discharged or released from service under 
dishonorable conditions.''.
    (b) Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other 
Prohibited Practices.--Section 804 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
3604) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or because the person 
        is a servicemember or veteran'' after ``national origin'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``or because the person 
        is a servicemember or veteran'' after ``national origin'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or because a person 
        is a servicemember or veteran,'' after ``national origin,''; 
        and
            (4) in subsection (d), by inserting ``, or because the 
        person is a servicemember or veteran,'' after ``national 
        origin''.
    (c) Discrimination in Residential Real Estate-Related 
Transactions.--Section 805 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3605) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or because the person 
        is a servicemember or veteran'' after ``national origin''; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``, or familial status'' 
        and inserting ``familial status, or whether a person is a 
        servicemember or veteran''.
    (d) Discrimination in the Provision of Brokerage Services.--Section 
806 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3606) is amended by inserting 
``or because a person is a servicemember or veteran'' after ``national 
origin''.
    (e) Religious Organization or Private Club Exemption.--Section 
807(a) of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3607(a)) is amended, in the 
first sentence by inserting ``or to persons who are not servicemembers 
or veterans'' after ``national origin''.
    (f) Administration.--Section 808(e)(6) of the Fair Housing Act (42 
U.S.C. 3608(e)(6)) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting 
``(including whether such persons and households are or include 
servicemembers or veterans)'' after ``persons and households''.
    (g) Prevention of Discrimination.--Section 901 of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, or because the 
        person is a servicemember or veteran (as such term is defined 
        in section 802 of this Act),'' after ``national origin'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``or because a 
        person is a servicemember or veteran (as such term is defined 
        in section 802 of this Act),'' after ``national origin,''; and
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or because a person 
        is a servicemember or veteran (as such term is defined in 
        section 802 of this Act),'' after ``national origin,''.
    (h) Rule of Construction.--The Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 821. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION RELATING TO THE TREATMENT OF 
              SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS.

    ``(a) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed 
to prohibit any person from--
            ``(1) making available to an individual a benefit with 
        respect to a dwelling, a residential real estate-related 
        transaction (as defined in section 805 of this Act), or a 
        service described in section 806 of this Act because the 
        individual is a servicemember or veteran; or
            ``(2) selling or renting a dwelling only to servicemembers 
        or veterans.
    ``(b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term `benefit' 
includes a term, condition, privilege, promotion, discount, or other 
favorable treatment (including an advertisement for such treatment) 
having the purpose or effect of providing an advantage to a 
servicemember or veteran.''.
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