SB 274

Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination - Regulations and Discriminatory Effect

Sponsor: Charles E. Sydnor, III (District 44)Committee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: Human RelationsStatus: Third Reading Passed (33-11) (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Authorizing the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt certain regulations related to affirmatively furthering fair housing; prohibiting a person from acting in a certain manner that has a discriminatory effect; and providing that certain conduct necessary to achieve certain nondiscriminatory interests does not constitute a certain violation.

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Testimony (52)

MGA witness list

FAV 38FavorableFWA 14Favorable with amendments

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muckle, Lonialobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muckle, Lonialobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Community Development Network of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fontaine, Diana	Congressman Glenn Ivey	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FAV	White, Marcelinelobbyist	Economic Action Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Economic Action Maryland Fund	Oral
FAV	Dixon, Monique	Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law, University of Maryland Carey School of Law	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dove, S. Spencer	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights	Written (PDF)
FAV	Browning, Jeremy	Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cook, Chuck	Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FAV	London, Rachel	Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wiens, Tim	Maryland Inclusive Housing	Position only
FAV	Rosenberg, LeighAnn	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	May, Lisalobbyist	Maryland REALTORS	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Othman, Ronza	National Federation of the Blind	Written (PDF)
FAV	Puentes, Ericalobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Collins, Jocelynlobbyist	Public Policy Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Collins, Jocelynlobbyist	Public Policy Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carter, Alita-Geri	Qualequity Access	Position only
FAV	Turner, Albert	Renters United Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Sydnor III, Charles	State Senator	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sydnor III, Charles	State Senator	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoffman, Charlotte	Trans Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Warnken, Heather	University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Harris, Mrs.	Individual	Position only
FAV	Lent, Michael	Individual	Position only
FAV	Senator Sydnor, Senator Sydnorlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Sydnor, Senator Sydnorlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Senator Sydnor, Senator Sydnorlegislator	Individual	Oral
FWA	Cantu, Hugolobbyist	Apartments and Office Building Association	Oral
FWA	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FWA	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Community Development Network of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FWA	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Economic Action Maryland Fund	Written (PDF)
FWA	Dixon, Monique	Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law, University of Maryland Carey School of Law	Written (PDF)
FWA	Clark, Ashleylobbyist	Harris Jones & Malone, LLC	Written (PDF)
FWA	Dove, S. Spencer	Maryland Commission on Civil Rights	Written (PDF)
FWA	Shah, Zafar	Maryland Legal Aid	Written (PDF)
FWA	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Written (PDF)
FWA	Rotunno, Ginalobbyist	NAMIC	Written (PDF)
FWA	Clark, Tiffany	Office of the Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FWA	Turner, Albert	Renters United Maryland	Written (PDF)
FWA	Randolph, Ash-Lynnlobbyist	The League of Life and Health Insurers of Maryland	Oral
FWA	Littell, Melinda	Individual	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Apartments and Office Building AssociationFWA 1

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1FWA 1

CASH Campaign of MarylandFAV 2

Community Development Network of MarylandFAV 1FWA 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 1

Congressman Glenn IveyFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 1

Economic Action MarylandFAV 1

Economic Action Maryland FundFAV 1FWA 1

Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law, University of Maryland Carey School of LawFAV 1FWA 1

Harris Jones & Malone, LLCFWA 1

Maryland Commission on Civil RightsFAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ AffairsFAV 1

Maryland Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 1

Maryland Developmental Disabilities CouncilFAV 1

Maryland Inclusive HousingFAV 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland REALTORSFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 2

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational FundFAV 1FWA 1

NAMICFWA 1

National Federation of the BlindFAV 1

Office of the Attorney GeneralFWA 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Public Policy PartnersFAV 2

Qualequity AccessFAV 1

Renters United MarylandFAV 1FWA 1

State SenatorFAV 2

The League of Life and Health Insurers of MarylandFWA 1

Trans MarylandFAV 1

University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice ReformFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

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

FAVMuckle, LoniaCASH Campaign of MarylandRegistered for: CASH Campaign of Maryland

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

FAVBevan-Dangel, JenniferEconomic Action Maryland FundRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals

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

FAVPuentes, EricaProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVCollins, JocelynPublic Policy PartnersRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Bard College; Campaign to Protect Patient Health d/b/a Value of Care Coalition; Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; HealthCare Access Maryland…

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

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

FWABevan-Dangel, JenniferEconomic Action Maryland FundRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals

FWAClark, AshleyHarris Jones & Malone, LLCRegistered for: Beltway Fine Wine; Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company; Community Associations Institute/Maryland Legislative Action Committee; Employ Prince George's, Inc.; Frederick Community College; Greater Baltimore Committee…

FWARotunno, GinaNAMICRegistered for: National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)

FWARandolph, Ash-LynnThe League of Life and Health Insurers of MarylandRegistered for: Alliance of Maryland Dental Plans; City of Frederick; Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund; League of Life & Health Insurers of Maryland, Inc.; Planned Parenthood of Maryland