An Act to Protect Recipients of Public Assistance from Housing
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1036
Sponsors: RANA, BALDACCI
Amends: 5 MRSA §4553, 5 MRSA §4581-A

Legislative Document
No. 1036
H.P. 665
House of Representatives, March 14, 2025
An Act to Protect Recipients of Public Assistance from Housing 
Discrimination
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 12, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Housing and Economic Development pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative RANA of Bangor.
Cosponsored by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot and
Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, GATTINE of Westbrook, GOLEK of Harpswell, 
LOOKNER of Portland, SATO of Gorham, SINCLAIR of Bath, STOVER of Boothbay, 
Senator: TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §4553, sub-§9-A-1 is enacted to read:
9-A-1.  Status as recipient of federal, state or local public assistance.  For purposes 
of subchapter 4, "status as a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance" means an 
individual's status as having federal, state or local public assistance as a source of income, 
including medical assistance and housing subsidies, and includes the individual's having to 
meet any requirements for the individual to use the income.
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §4581-A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 366, §§8 to 10 and c. 476, 
§3, is further amended to read:
§4581-A.  Unlawful housing discrimination
It is unlawful housing discrimination, in violation of this Act:
1.  Sale or rental of housing and other prohibited practices.  For any owner, lessee, 
sublessee, managing agent or other person having the right to sell or rent or manage a 
housing accommodation, or any agent of these, to:
A.  Make or cause to be made any written or oral inquiry concerning the race or color, 
sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, 
ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state or local 
public assistance or any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of protection 
under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110 of any prospective 
purchaser, occupant or tenant of the housing accommodation;
B.  Refuse to show or refuse to sell, rent, lease, let or otherwise deny to or withhold 
from any person the housing accommodation because of race or color, sex, sexual 
orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national 
origin or, familial status or status as a recipient of federal, state or local public 
assistance or because the person sought and received an order of protection under Title 
19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110;
C.  Make, print or publish or cause to be made, printed or published any notice, 
statement or advertisement relating to the sale, rental or lease of the housing 
accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based upon 
race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, 
religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state 
or local public assistance or any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of 
protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110 or an 
intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination;
D.  Discriminate against any person because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation or 
gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin or, 
familial status or status as a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance or 
because the person sought and received an order of protection under Title 19‑A, former 
section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110 in the price, terms, conditions or privileges of 
the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodations or in the furnishing of facilities 
or services in connection with any housing accommodations; or
E.  Evict or attempt to evict any tenant of any housing accommodation because of the 
race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, 
religion, ancestry, national origin or, familial status or status as a recipient of federal, 
state or local public assistance of the tenant or because the tenant sought and received 
an order of protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 
4110;
2.  Selling, brokering or appraising of housing.  For any real estate broker or real 
estate salesperson, or any agent of these, to:
A.  Fail or refuse to show any person a housing accommodation listed for sale, lease or 
rent because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or 
mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin or, familial status or status as a 
recipient of federal, state or local public assistance or because the person sought and 
received an order of protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, 
section 4110;
B.  Misrepresent, for the purpose of discriminating because of race or color, sex, sexual 
orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national 
origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance or 
any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of protection under Title 19‑A, 
former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110, the availability or asking price of a 
housing accommodation listed for sale, lease or rent or for such reason to fail to 
communicate to the person having the right to sell, rent or lease the housing 
accommodation any offer for the same made by any applicant;
C.  In any other manner to discriminate against any applicant for a housing 
accommodation because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, 
physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin or, familial status or 
status as a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance or because the applicant 
sought and received an order of protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or 
Title 19-A, section 4110;
D.  Make or cause to be made any written or oral inquiry or record concerning the race 
or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, 
religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state 
or local public assistance or any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of 
protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110 of any 
applicant for or intended occupant of a housing accommodation; or
E.  Accept for listing any housing accommodation when the person having the right to 
sell, rent or lease the housing accommodation has directly or indirectly indicated an 
intention of discriminating among prospective tenants or purchasers on the ground of 
race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, 
religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state 
or local public assistance or any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of 
protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110, or when 
the broker or salesperson knows or has reason to know that the person having the right 
to sell, rent or lease the housing accommodation has made a practice of discrimination 
since July 1, 1972; or
3.  Making of loans; other financial assistance.  For any person to whom application 
is made for a loan or other form of financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, 
rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation, whether secured or 
unsecured, or agent of the person, to:
A.  Make or cause to be made any oral or written inquiry concerning the race or color, 
sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, 
ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a recipient of federal, state or local 
public assistance or any previous actions seeking and receiving an order of protection 
under Title 19‑A, former section 4007 or Title 19-A, section 4110 of any applicant for 
financial assistance or of existing or prospective occupants or tenants of housing 
accommodations; or
B.  Discriminate in the granting of financial assistance, or in the terms, conditions or 
privileges relating to obtaining or the use of any financial assistance, against any 
applicant because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical 
or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status, status as a 
recipient of federal, state or local public assistance or any previous actions seeking and 
receiving an order of protection under Title 19‑A, former section 4007; or Title 19-A, 
section 4110.
4.  Receipt of public assistance.  For any person furnishing rental premises or public 
accommodations to refuse to rent or impose different terms of tenancy to any individual 
who is a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance, including medical assistance 
and housing subsidies, primarily because of the individual's status as recipient.
SUMMARY
This bill makes it unlawful to discriminate, in housing or public accommodation, 
against an individual because of the individual's receipt of public assistance in the same 
manner as it is unlawful to discriminate against other protected classes. The bill defines 
"status as a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance" as an individual's status as 
having federal, state or local public assistance as a source of income, including medical 
assistance and housing subsidies and the individual's having to meet any requirements for 
the individual to use the income.