survivor has secured a protective order, or if there 
is other evidence that the survivor has experienced 
a previous domestic violence incident. 
(15) Studies show that survivors of domestic vi-
olence or sexual assault often face eviction based on 
a single domestic violence incident. 
(16) Survivors of sex trafficking face additional 
challenges in obtaining and maintaining housing due 
to criminal records incurred as a direct result of 
their exploitation. 
(17) It is in the public interest to ensure that 
survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex 
trafficking, dating violence, stalking, and other 
forms of intimate partner and gender-based violence 
are not discriminated against, particularly with re-
spect to housing, based on their status as victims of 
the crimes committed against them. 
SEC. 3. SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL 
ASSAULT AS PROTECTED CLASS UNDER THE 
FAIR HOUSING ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
3601 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 802 (42 U.S.C. 3602), by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(p) ‘Domestic violence’— 
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‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term in section 
40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)); and 
‘‘(2) includes— 
‘‘(A) dating violence and stalking, as such 
terms are defined in such section 40002(a); and 
‘‘(B) threatened domestic violence. 
‘‘(q) ‘Sexual assault’— 
‘‘(1) has the meaning given the term in section 
40002(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)); and 
‘‘(2) includes threatened sexual assault. 
‘‘(r) ‘Severe forms of trafficking in persons’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 103 of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 
‘‘(s) ‘Coercion’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 
(22 U.S.C. 7102). 
‘‘(t) ‘Survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or 
severe forms of trafficking in persons’ includes any person 
who experienced or is perceived to have experienced do-
mestic violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons.’’.’’; 
(2) in section 804 (42 U.S.C. 3604)— 
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(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
(C) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
(D) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; and 
(E) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
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(3) in section 805 (42 U.S.C. 3605)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; and 
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘or fa-
milial status’’ and inserting ‘‘familial status, or 
whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
(4) in section 806 (42 U.S.C. 3606), by striking 
‘‘or national origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, 
or whether a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking 
in persons’’; 
(5) in section 807 (42 U.S.C. 3607), by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) Nothing in this title shall prohibit a Federal, 
State, unit of local government, or other assistance or 
preference program from being designed to assist or ben-
efit survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or se-
vere forms of trafficking in persons in seeking, securing, 
or maintaining dwellings, shelters, or any other form of 
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housing for such survivors, including associated notices, 
statements, or advertisements of such dwelling.’’; and 
(6) in section 808(e)(6) (42 U.S.C. 3608(e)(6)), 
by inserting ‘‘status as a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking 
in persons,’’ after ‘‘handicap,’’. 
(b) PREVENTION OF INTIMIDATION IN FAIR HOUS-
ING CASES.—The Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
1301 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 901 (42 U.S.C. 3631)— 
(A) in the paragraph preceding subsection 
(a), by inserting ‘‘or coercion’’ after ‘‘threat of 
force’’; 
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
because the person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; 
(C) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘or 
national origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, 
or because a person is a survivor of domestic vi-
olence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; and 
(D) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘or na-
tional origin’’ and inserting ‘‘national origin, or 
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because a person is a survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 901 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 902. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title, the terms ‘domestic violence’, ‘sexual 
assault’, ‘severe forms of trafficking in persons’, ‘coercion’, 
and ‘survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or se-
vere forms of trafficking in persons’ shall have the mean-
ing given such terms in section 802.’’. 
(c) PRESERVATION OF SURVIVORS’ ABILITY TO RE-
COVER FOR OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.—Noth-
ing in this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, shall 
be interpreted to limit the ability of survivors of domestic 
violence, sexual assault, or severe forms of trafficking in 
persons to recover for any other claims of discrimination 
under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), in-
cluding with respect to failure to conform to gender stereo-
types or policies that disproportionately affect women. 
Æ 
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