HB 213

Evidence – Interception of Oral Communications – Fair Housing Testing

Sponsor: J. Sandy Bartlett (District 32)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Courts and Court Personnel - StatewideStatus: Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Providing that it is lawful for a person to intercept an oral communication if the person is working as a fair housing tester for a fair housing testing program operated by the federal government, the State, a local government, or a nonprofit civil rights organization under certain circumstances; and providing that the contents of an intercepted oral communication may be used only for the purpose of enforcing federal, State, or local fair housing laws.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (30)

MGA witness list

FAV 26FavorableUNF 4Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Ni, Tom	Anne Arundel County Government County Executive's Office	Written (PDF)
FAV	Peterson, Eugene	Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Jonathan	Attorney General of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Twesigye, Kayenda	Baltimore County Government	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Community Development Network of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FAV	White, Marcelinelobbyist	Economic Action Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	McClannahan, Susie	Equal Rights Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Ball, Calvin	Howard Co Office of County Executive	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jordan, Lisae Clobbyist	Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dove, S. Spencer	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schultz, Victoria	Maryland Legal Aid	Written (PDF)
FAV	May, Lisalobbyist	Maryland REALTORS	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Frey, Leslie	Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Oral
FAV	David, Sarah	Office of the State Prosecutor	Written (PDF)
FAV	Turner, Albert	Renters United Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Schneider, Glennlobbyist	The Horizon Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	OMalley, Catherine	Women's Law Center	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Bartlett, Delegate Bartlettlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Lent, Michael	Individual	Position only
UNF	Cantu, Hugolobbyist	Apartments and Office Building Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Johnson, James	Maryland Multi-Housing Association	Oral
UNF	Greenfield, Aaronlobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only

Organizations on record

Anne Arundel County Government County Executive's OfficeFAV 1

Anne Arundel County Human Relations CommissionFAV 1

Apartments and Office Building AssociationUNF 1

Attorney General of MarylandFAV 1

Baltimore County GovernmentFAV 1

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1

Community Development Network of MarylandFAV 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 1

Economic Action MarylandFAV 1

Equal Rights CenterFAV 1

Howard Co Office of County ExecutiveFAV 1

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)FAV 1

Maryland Commission on Civil RightsFAV 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Multi-Housing AssociationUNF 1

Maryland REALTORSFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 1

Montgomery CountyFAV 1

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational FundFAV 1

Office of the State ProsecutorFAV 1

Renters United MarylandFAV 1

The Horizon FoundationFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Women's Law CenterFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVHovermale, EmilyBaltimore Regional Housing PartnershipRegistered for: Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

FAVWhite, MarcelineEconomic Action MarylandRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition

FAVJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

FAVMay, LisaMaryland REALTORSRegistered for: Maryland REALTORS; Maryland Association of Realtors

FAVSchneider, GlennThe Horizon FoundationRegistered for: Horizon Foundation of Howard County, Inc., The

UNFCantu, HugoApartments and Office Building AssociationRegistered for: Apartment & Office Building Association

UNFGreenfield, AaronRegistered for: BTS Bioenergy; Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America, Inc.; Embassy of Japan; Ernst & Young, LLP; FEi Systems; Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake…