SB 937

Enacted

Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases - Prospective Tenant Criminal History Records Check (Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act)

Sponsor: Shaneka Henson (District 30)Committee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: Real PropertyStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 752 (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Prohibiting a landlord from requiring or requesting from a prospective tenant certain information relating to criminal history and prohibiting a landlord from considering certain information when evaluating the prospective tenant; permitting a landlord to consider certain criminal history information prior to extending a conditional offer to a prospective tenant; and requiring the landlord to consider certain information provided by a prospective tenant relating to a criminal history records check; etc.

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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 (86)

MGA witness list

FAV 65FavorableFWA 8Favorable with amendmentsUNF 10UnfavorableINFO 3Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	and Thibault Manekin, Minister Thomas Anderson	BUILD & Seawall	Written (PDF)
FAV	and Thibault Manekin, Minister Thomas Anderson	BUILD & Seawall	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Krieger, Betsy	Be the Change Bmore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muckle, Lonialobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muckle, Lonialobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Economic Action Maryland Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Economic Action Maryland Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Robinson, Ramieka	Goucher Prison Education Program & BUILD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Robinson, Ramieka	Goucher Prison Education Program & BUILD	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gaines, Martaze	Legal Defense Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Johnson, Qiana	Life After Release	Position only
FAV	Kovacs, Lisa	Maryland Association of Local Management Boards	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shah, Zafar	Maryland Legal Aid	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kemerer, Hannibal	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kemerer, Hannibal	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Written (PDF)
FAV	Scott, Waunita	Mavrik Village	Written (PDF)
FAV	Scott, Waunita	Mavrik Village	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Laura	Montgomery County Counseling Center	Position only
FAV	Losak, Matthew	Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Losak, Matthew	Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Speaks, Terry	Out for Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Davis, Katherine	Pro Bono Resource Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Puentes, Ericalobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Puentes, Ericalobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Turner, Albert	Renters United Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Turner, Albert	Renters United Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Blaha, Katherine	SURJ	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ortega, Chelsea	Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ortega, Chelsea	Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Girard, Meredith	Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rhudy, Kate	Social Work Advocates for Social Change	Position only
FAV	SWASC, UM	Social Work Advocates for Social Change	Written (PDF)
FAV	SWASC, UM	Social Work Advocates for Social Change	Written (PDF)
FAV	Warnken, Heather	University of Baltimore School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform	Position only
FAV	Bae, Johnlobbyist	Vera Institute of Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bae, Johnlobbyist	Vera Institute of Justice	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Girdner, Linnie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Henson, Senator Shaneka	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lent, Michael	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lent, Michael	Individual	Position only
FAV	Mercer, Jenniferlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nosbaum, Ray	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nosbaum, Ray	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rodriguez, Victoria	Individual	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 86

Organizations on record

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1

BCRWUNF 1

Be the Change BmoreFAV 1

BUILD & SeawallFAV 2

CASH Campaign of MarylandFAV 2

CDIAUNF 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 2

Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney GeneralINFO 2

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 2

Economic Action Maryland FundFAV 2

Families Advocating Intelligent Registries (FAIR)FWA 1UNF 1

Goucher Prison Education Program & BUILDFAV 2

Harris Jones & Malone, LLCFWA 1

Harris Jones and MaloneFWA 2

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 2

Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC)INFO 1

Legal Defense FundFAV 1

Life After ReleaseFAV 1

Maryland Association of Local Management BoardsFAV 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 2

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1FWA 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland Office of the Public DefenderFAV 2

Mavrik VillageFAV 2

Montgomery County Counseling CenterFAV 1

Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc.FAV 2

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational FundFAV 2

Out for JusticeFAV 1

Pro Bono Resource CenterFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 2

Renters United MarylandFAV 2

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCUNF 2

Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLCFAV 2

Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono)FAV 1

Social Work Advocates for Social ChangeFAV 3

SURJFAV 1

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

Vera Institute of JusticeFAV 2

YearFAV 2

Registered lobbyists who testified

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

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

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

FAVZelaya, MichelleMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

FAVPuentes, EricaProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVBae, JohnVera Institute of JusticeRegistered for: Vera Institute of Justice

FAVMercer, JenniferRegistered for: Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence

UNFCastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

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…

FWAAuteri, GabrielHarris Jones and MaloneRegistered for: Associated Builders & Contractors; Atmosphere Data Centers LLC; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; Baltimore Industrial Group; Baltimore Orioles Limited Partnership; Community Associations Institute/Maryland Legislative Action Committee…

FWAAnleu, BrianRegistered for: AOBA; Apartment & Office Building Association; National Apartment Association

Journey

Feb 6First reading in the SenateAssigned to Judicial Proceedings
Mar 11Judicial Proceedings hearingWed, Mar 11, 1:00 PM
Mar 20Committee report: Favorable with Amendments
Mar 5Second reading (Senate): Passed with Amendments
Mar 6Third reading (Senate): Passed
Mar 11First reading in the HouseAssigned to Economic Matters
Apr 2Economic Matters hearing (House)Thu, Apr 2, 2:30 PM
Apr 11Committee report (House): Favorable with Amendments
Mar 27Second reading (House): Passed with Amendments
Mar 30Third reading (House): Passed with Amendments
Mar 30Concurred
Mar 30Enacted as Chapter 752Signing date is not in the MGA feed

Documents

Same bill, other years

2025 HB 1077Did not advance
2025 SB 514Did not advance

Matched by title. Attempt 3 of this idea so far.