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Bill

H 3336

Housing discrimination

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Gilda Cobb-Hunter and 3 co-sponsors

South Carolina bill would prohibit housing discrimination based on disability and source of income, expanding protections for renters and buyers nationwide.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 3336

Bill Summary — H 3336 (mixed/ambiguous contents)

Note up front: the materials provided for “H 3336” contain two different legislative texts that appear to have been conflated: (A) a Massachusetts House filing titled “An Act relative to MWRA employees” that would make the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) subject to Chapter 296 of the Acts of 1993; and (B) the text of a South Carolina bill amending S.C. Code sections 31-21-40, 31-21-50, and 31-21-60 to add disability and source of income protections to housing discrimination law. Below are concise, separate summaries of each item and the procedural status reported in your packet.

A. Massachusetts filing titled “An Act relative to MWRA employees” (House No. 3336)

  • Purpose / intent: To make the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) “subject to the provisions of Chapter 296 of the Acts of 1993.” The filing is presented as relating to MWRA privatization contracts.
  • Key provision: A single substantive clause—“Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 296 of the Acts of 1993.”
    • The bill text does not include further detail about how Chapter 296 would apply; Chapter 296 (1993) itself governs specific administrative/contracting matters (verify the chapter text for exact effects).
  • Who is affected: MWRA as an entity; MWRA employees and any privatization/contracting arrangements governed by Chapter 296 could be affected depending on the content of that chapter.
  • Procedural status (from packet):
    • Prefiled 12/05/2024
    • Introduced/read first time 01/14/2025; referred to Committee on Judiciary
    • 02/27/2025: Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
    • Additional actions in the packet (e.g., “Senate concurred”) appear; confirm with official legislative records.

B. South Carolina bill (amendments to S.C. Code §§31-21-40, -50, -60) — housing discrimination

  • Purpose / intent: To amend South Carolina’s housing discrimination statutes to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability (handicap) and source of income, in addition to existing protected classes.
  • Key provisions:
    • Adds “or source of income” (and reiterates “handicap or disability”) as prohibited bases in multiple provisions that already prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, etc.
    • Applies across: refusals to sell/rent; terms/conditions of sale or rental; advertising; representation of availability; inducing sales based on entry of certain groups; access/membership in multiple-listing services and brokers’ organizations; and residential real-estate-related transactions (loans, financial assistance, selling, brokering, appraising).
    • Clarifies that nothing in the chapter prevents appraisers from using legitimate non‑protected factors.
    • Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.
  • Who is affected: landlords, sellers, brokers, lenders, appraisers, multiple-listing services, and people seeking housing or housing-related financial services in South Carolina; specifically expands protections for people with disabilities and people whose income comes from non‑employment sources (e.g., housing vouchers, benefits).
  • Procedural status (in packet): Dated 12/05/2024 and 12/05/2024 entry reiterated; shows bill language and effective date.

Procedural / timeline notes and discrepancies

  • The packet mixes a Massachusetts House bill number (H 3336) and a short MWRA provision with a full South Carolina statutory amendment text. These are distinct jurisdictions and topics; they should not be treated as a single bill.
  • Reported hearings: two identical hearings scheduled 10/14/2025 (01:00 PM–05:00 PM in B-2) are listed in the packet — confirm which committee and which bill these hearings concern.
  • Recommendation: Verify the official source (Massachusetts Legislature website for H.3336 and the South Carolina legislative information system for S.C. Code amendments) to confirm the correct text, jurisdiction, and current procedural status before relying on this summary for legal or advocacy work.

If you want, I can:
- Pull the text of Massachusetts Chapter 296 (1993) and summarize its likely effects on MWRA; or
- Produce a standalone plain‑language explainer of the South Carolina housing amendments with examples of prohibited conduct and enforcement mechanisms (if you provide the bill number or source).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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