II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3283 

To amend the Fair Housing Act to protect servicemembers and veterans 

from housing discrimination, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 11, 2012 

Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Fair Housing Act to protect servicemembers 

and veterans from housing discrimination, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ending Housing Dis5 crimination Against Servicemembers and Veterans Act of 

6 2012’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3283 IS

1 (1) Servicemembers and veterans have given the 

2 United States the ultimate commitment to preserve 

3 freedom and national security. 

4 (2) Those who are serving or have served in the 

5 Armed Forces deserve the maximum protection pos6 sible from discrimination based upon their military 

7 service. 

8 (3) Veterans have historically suffered from 

9 homelessness at a higher rate than the general popu10 lation and ending this disgrace should be a national 

11 priority. 

12 (4) Those who are wearing or have worn the 

13 uniform of the United States should be entitled to 

14 Federal protection from housing discrimination. 

15 SEC. 3. ENDING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 

16 SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS. 

17 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 802 of the Fair Housing 

18 Act (42 U.S.C. 3602) is amended by adding at the end 

19 the following: 

20 ‘‘(p) ‘Servicemember or veteran’ means an individual 

21 who serves or served in the Armed Forces, including in 

22 the National Guard or the Reserves (or in the National 

23 Guard in State status under title 32, United States Code), 

24 except that such term does not include an individual who 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3283 IS

1 was discharged or released from service under dishonor2 able conditions.’’. 

3 (b) DISCRIMINATION IN THE SALE OR RENTAL OF

4 HOUSING AND OTHER PROHIBITED PRACTICES.—Section 

5 804 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3604) is amend6 ed— 

7 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or because 

8 the person is a servicemember or veteran’’ after ‘‘na9 tional origin’’; 

10 (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘or because 

11 the person is a servicemember or veteran’’ after ‘‘na12 tional origin’’; 

13 (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘or because 

14 a person is a servicemember or veteran,’’ after ‘‘na15 tional origin,’’; and 

16 (4) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘, or because 

17 the person is a servicemember or veteran,’’ after 

18 ‘‘national origin’’. 

19 (c) DISCRIMINATION IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE20 RELATED TRANSACTIONS.—Section 805 of the Fair 

21 Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3605) is amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or because 

23 the person is a servicemember or veteran’’ after ‘‘na24 tional origin’’; and 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3283 IS

1 (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘, or familial 

2 status’’ and inserting ‘‘familial status, or whether a 

3 person is a servicemember or veteran’’. 

4 (d) DISCRIMINATION IN THE PROVISION OF BROKER5 AGE SERVICES.—Section 806 of the Fair Housing Act (42 

6 U.S.C. 3606) is amended by inserting ‘‘or because a per7 son is a servicemember or veteran’’ after ‘‘national ori8 gin’’. 

9 (e) RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION OR PRIVATE CLUB

10 EXEMPTION.—Section 807(a) of the Fair Housing Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 3607(a)) is amended, in the first sentence by 

12 inserting ‘‘or to persons who are not servicemembers or 

13 veterans’’ after ‘‘national origin’’. 

14 (f) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 808(e)(6) of the Fair 

15 Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3608(e)(6)) is amended, in the 

16 first sentence, by inserting ‘‘(including whether such per17 sons and households are or include servicemembers or vet18 erans)’’ after ‘‘persons and households’’. 

19 (g) PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION.—Section 901 

20 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) is 

21 amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘, or because 

23 the person is a servicemember or veteran (as such 

24 term is defined in section 802 of this Act),’’ after 

25 ‘‘national origin’’; 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3283 IS

1 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘or be2 cause a person is a servicemember or veteran (as 

3 such term is defined in section 802 of this Act),’’ 

4 after ‘‘national origin,’’; and 

5 (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘or because 

6 a person is a servicemember or veteran (as such 

7 term is defined in section 802 of this Act),’’ after 

8 ‘‘national origin,’’. 

9 (h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The Fair Housing 

10 Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

11 the end the following: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 821. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION RELATING TO THE 

13 TREATMENT OF SERVICEMEMBERS AND VET14 ERANS. 

15 ‘‘(a) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

16 may be construed to prohibit any person from— 

17 ‘‘(1) making available to an individual a benefit 

18 with respect to a dwelling, a residential real estate19 related transaction (as defined in section 805 of this 

20 Act), or a service described in section 806 of this 

21 Act because the individual is a servicemember or vet22 eran; or 

23 ‘‘(2) selling or renting a dwelling only to 

24 servicemembers or veterans. 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3283 IS

1 ‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 

2 term ‘benefit’ includes a term, condition, privilege, pro3 motion, discount, or other favorable treatment (including 

4 an advertisement for such treatment) having the purpose 

5 or effect of providing an advantage to a servicemember 

6 or veteran.’’. 

Æ 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS