HB0257 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 03651 AJO 23677 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB0257

Introduced 1/19/2007, by Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

775 ILCS 5/3-106

from Ch. 68, par. 3-106

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that the limitation under the housing exemptions apply to buildings of 4 or fewer units occupied by the owner (at present, a building with accommodations for not more than 5 families living independently of each other if the lessor or a member of his or her family resides in one dwelling unit). Provides that the listed exemptions for private sales of single family homes and for apartments do not apply to the publication of intent to engage in unlawful discrimination. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning human rights.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by changing Section 3-106 as follows:

(775 ILCS 5/3-106) (from Ch. 68, par. 3-106)

Sec. 3-106. Exemptions.) Nothing contained in Section 3-102 shall prohibit:

(A) Private Sales of Single Family Homes.

(1) Any sale of a single family home by its owner so long as the following criteria are met:

(a) (1) The owner does not own or have a beneficial interest in more than three single family homes at the time of the sale;

(b) (2) The owner or a member of his or her family was the last current resident of the home;

(c) (3) The home is sold without the use in any manner of the sales or rental facilities or services of any real estate broker or salesman, or of any employee or agent of any real estate broker or salesman;

(d) (4) The home is sold without the publication, posting or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written notice in violation of paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(2) This exemption does not apply to paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(B) Apartments. Rental of a housing accommodation in a building which contains housing accommodations for not more than 4 five families living independently of each other, if the owner lessor or a member of his or her family resides in one of the housing accommodations. ; This exemption does not apply to paragraph (F) of Section 3-102.

(C) Private Rooms. Rental of a room or rooms in a private home by an owner if he or she or a member of his or her family resides therein or, while absent for a period of not more than twelve months, if he or she or a member of his or her family intends to return to reside therein. ;

(D) Reasonable local, State, or Federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling.

(E) Religious Organizations. A religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, or national origin.

(F) Sex. Restricting the rental of rooms in a housing accommodation to persons of one sex.

(G) Persons Convicted of Drug-Related Offenses. Conduct against a person because such person has been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance as defined in Section 102 of the federal Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).

(H) Persons engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than those based on unlawful discrimination or familial status in furnishing appraisals.

(H-1) The owner of an owner-occupied residential building with 4 5 or fewer units (including the unit in which the owner resides) from making decisions regarding whether to rent to a person based upon that person's sexual orientation.

(I) Housing for Older Persons. No provision in this Article regarding familial status shall apply with respect to housing for older persons.

(1) As used in this Section, "housing for older persons" means housing:

(a) provided under any State or Federal program that the Department determines is specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons (as defined in the State or Federal program); or

(b) intended for, and solely occupied by, persons 62 years of age or older; or

(c) intended and operated for occupancy by persons 55 years of age or older and:

(i) at least 80% of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older;

(ii) the housing facility or community publishes and adheres to policies and procedures that demonstrate the intent required under this subdivision (c); and

(iii) the housing facility or community complies with rules adopted by the Department for verification of occupancy, which shall:

(aa) provide for verification by reliable surveys and affidavits; and

(bb) include examples of the types of policies and procedures relevant to a determination of compliance with the requirement of clause (ii).

These surveys and affidavits shall be admissible in administrative and judicial proceedings for the purposes of such verification.

(2) Housing shall not fail to meet the requirements for housing for older persons by reason of:

(a) persons residing in such housing as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 who do not meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c); provided, that new occupants of such housing meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c) of this subsection; or

(b) unoccupied units; provided, that such units are reserved for occupancy by persons who meet the age requirements of subsections (1)(b) or (c) of this subsection.

(3) (a) A person shall not be held personally liable for monetary damages for a violation of this Article if the person reasonably relied, in good faith, on the application of the exemption under this subsection (I) relating to housing for older persons.

(b) For the purposes of this item (3), a person may show good faith reliance on the application of the exemption only by showing that:

(i) the person has no actual knowledge that the facility or community is not, or will not be, eligible for the exemption; and

(ii) the facility or community has stated formally, in writing, that the facility or community complies with the requirements for the exemption.

(Source: P.A. 93-1078, eff. 1-1-06.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.