HOUSE BILL NO. 5224

November 07, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Byrd, Coleman, Sowerby, Stone, Haadsma, Shannon, Brixie, Sneller, Ellison, Koleszar, Pohutsky, Bolden, Tyrone Carter, Wittenberg, Yancey, Manoogian, Hammoud, Whitsett and Jones and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

A bill to amend 1976 PA 453, entitled

"Elliott-Larsen civil rights act,"

by amending the title and section 502 (MCL 37.2502), the title as amended by 1992 PA 258 and section 502 as amended by 1992 PA 124.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

TITLE

An act to define civil rights; to prohibit discriminatory practices, policies, and customs in the exercise of those rights based upon religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status, or military status; to preserve the confidentiality of records regarding arrest, detention, or other disposition in which a conviction does not result; to prescribe the powers and duties of the civil rights commission and the department of civil rights; to provide remedies and penalties; to provide for fees; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts.

Sec. 502. (1) A person engaging in a real estate transaction, or a real estate broker or salesman, shall not on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, familial status, or marital status, or military status of a person or a person residing with that person:

(a) Refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person.

(b) Discriminate against a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection with a real estate transaction.

(c) Refuse to receive from a person or transmit to a person a bona fide offer to engage in a real estate transaction.

(d) Refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction with a person.

(e) Represent to a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or knowingly fail to bring a property listing to a person's attention, or refuse to permit a person to inspect real property, or otherwise make unavailable or deny real property to a person.

(f) Make, print, circulate, post, mail, or otherwise cause to be made or published a statement, advertisement, notice, or sign, or use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record of inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, which indicates, directly or indirectly, an intent to make a preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination with respect to the real estate transaction.

(g) Offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with the understanding that a person may be discriminated against in a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith.

(h) Discriminate against a person in the brokering or appraising of real property.

(2) A person shall not deny a person access to, or membership or participation in, a multiple listing service, real estate brokers' organization or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting real property or to discriminate against him or her in the terms or conditions of that access, membership, or participation because of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, familial status, or marital status, or military status.

(3) This section is subject to section 503.

(4) As used in this section, "military status" means the status of being an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a veteran who received an honorable or general administrative discharge from active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States.