HB 2357 — An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for definitions, for unlawful discriminatory practices and for prohibition of certain real estate practices.

PRINTER'S NO.   3131

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2357
                                               Session of
                                                 2026

     INTRODUCED BY SMITH-WADE-EL, HILL-EVANS, MAYES, STEELE, RIVERA,
        PASHINSKI, SANCHEZ, FLEMING, D. WILLIAMS, BRENNAN, CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, GREEN, BOROWSKI, HOHENSTEIN, KRAJEWSKI AND CURRY,
        APRIL 2, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
        APRIL 2, 2026


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), entitled
 2      "An act prohibiting certain practices of discrimination
 3      because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age or
 4      national origin by employers, employment agencies, labor
 5      organizations and others as herein defined; creating the
 6      Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Governor's
 7      Office; defining its functions, powers and duties; providing
 8      for procedure and enforcement; providing for formulation of
 9      an educational program to prevent prejudice; providing for
10      judicial review and enforcement and imposing penalties,"
11      further providing for definitions, for unlawful
12      discriminatory practices and for prohibition of certain real
13      estate practices.
14      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15   hereby enacts as follows:
16      Section 1.    Section 4 of the act of October 27, 1955
17   (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations
18   Act, is amended by adding a subsection to read:
19      Section 4.    Definitions.--As used in this act unless a
20   different meaning clearly appears from the context:
21      * * *
22      (ee)    The term "source of income" means all lawful sources of
 1   income, including earned income, child support, alimony,
 2   insurance and pension proceeds, and all forms of public
 3   assistance, including Federal, State and local housing
 4   assistance programs.
 5      Section 2.     Sections 5(h)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (8)
 6   and 5.3 of the act are amended to read:
 7      Section 5.     Unlawful Discriminatory Practices.--It shall be
 8   an unlawful discriminatory practice, unless based upon a bona
 9   fide occupational qualification, or in the case of a fraternal
10   corporation or association, unless based upon membership in such
11   association or corporation, or except where based upon
12   applicable security regulations established by the United States
13   or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
14      * * *
15      (h)   For any person to:
16      (1)   Refuse to sell, lease, finance or otherwise to deny or
17   withhold any housing accommodation or commercial property from
18   any person because of the race, color, familial status, age,
19   religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin [or], handicap
20   or disability or source of income of any person, prospective
21   owner, occupant or user of such housing accommodation or
22   commercial property, or to refuse to lease any housing
23   accommodation or commercial property to any person due to use of
24   a guide animal because of the blindness or deafness of the user,
25   use of a support animal because of a physical handicap of the
26   user or because the user is a handler or trainer of support or
27   guide animals or because of the handicap or disability of an
28   individual with whom the person is known to have a relationship
29   or association.
30      * * *

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 1      (2)   Refuse to lend money, whether or not secured by mortgage
 2   or otherwise for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation,
 3   repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation or commercial
 4   property or otherwise withhold financing of any housing
 5   accommodation or commercial property from any person because of
 6   the race, color, familial status, age, religious creed,
 7   ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap or disability or source
 8   of income of any person, the use of a guide or support animal
 9   because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap of the
10   user or because the user is a handler or trainer of support or
11   guide animals or because of the handicap or disability of an
12   individual with whom the person is known to have a relationship
13   or association.
14      (3)   Discriminate against any person in the terms or
15   conditions of selling or leasing any housing accommodation or
16   commercial property or in furnishing facilities, services or
17   privileges in connection with the ownership, occupancy or use of
18   any housing accommodation or commercial property because of the
19   race, color, familial status, age, religious creed, ancestry,
20   sex, national origin, handicap or disability or source of income
21   of any person, the use of a guide or support animal because of
22   the blindness, deafness or physical handicap of the user or
23   because the user is a handler or trainer of support or guide
24   animals or because of the handicap or disability of an
25   individual with whom the person is known to have a relationship
26   or association.
27      * * *
28      (4)   Discriminate against any person in the terms or
29   conditions of any loan of money, whether or not secured by
30   mortgage or otherwise for the acquisition, construction,

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 1   rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of housing accommodation
 2   or commercial property because of the race, color, familial
 3   status, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin
 4   [or], handicap or disability or source of income of any person,
 5   the use of a guide or support animal because of the blindness,
 6   deafness or physical handicap of the user or because the user is
 7   a handler or trainer of guide or support animals or because of
 8   the handicap or disability of an individual with whom the person
 9   is known to have a relationship or association.
10      (5)   Print, publish or circulate any statement or
11   advertisement: (i) relating to the sale, lease or acquisition of
12   any housing accommodation or commercial property or the loan of
13   money, whether or not secured by mortgage, or otherwise for the
14   acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance
15   of any housing accommodation or commercial property which
16   indicates any preference, limitation, specification, or
17   discrimination based upon race, color, familial status, age,
18   religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap or
19   disability, source of income or because of the handicap or
20   disability of an individual with whom the person is known to
21   have a relationship or association, or (ii) relating to the
22   sale, lease or acquisition of any housing accommodation or
23   commercial property which indicates any preference, limitation,
24   specification or discrimination based upon use of a guide or
25   support animal because of the blindness, deafness or physical
26   handicap of the user or because the user is a handler or trainer
27   of support or guide animals.
28      (6)   Make any inquiry, elicit any information, make or keep
29   any record or use any form of application, containing questions
30   or entries concerning race, color, familial status, age,

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 1   religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap or
 2   disability, source of income or because of the handicap or
 3   disability of an individual with whom the person is known to
 4   have a relationship or association in connection with the sale
 5   or lease of any housing accommodation or commercial property or
 6   loan of any money, whether or not secured by mortgage or
 7   otherwise for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation,
 8   repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation or commercial
 9   property, or to make any inquiry, elicit any information, make
10   or keep any record or use any form of application, containing
11   questions or entries concerning the use of a guide or support
12   animal because of the blindness, deafness or physical handicap
13   of the user or because the user is a handler or trainer of
14   support or guide animals, in connection with the lease of any
15   housing accommodation or commercial property.
16      * * *
17      (8)    Discriminate in real estate-related transactions, as
18   described by and subject to the following:
19      (i)    It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity
20   whose business includes engaging in real estate-related
21   transactions to discriminate against any person in making
22   available such a transaction or in the terms or conditions of
23   such a transaction because of race, color, religious creed,
24   ancestry, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability,
25   source of income, use of a guide or support animal because of a
26   physical handicap or because the user is a handler or trainer of
27   guide or support animals or familial status.
28      (ii)    Nothing in this act prohibits a person engaged in the
29   business of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into
30   consideration factors other than race, color, religious creed,

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 1   ancestry, national origin, sex, age, handicap or disability,
 2   source of income, use of a guide or support animal because of a
 3   physical handicap or because the user is a handler or trainer of
 4   guide or support animals or familial status.
 5         * * *
 6         Section 5.3.   Prohibition of Certain Real Estate Practices.--
 7   It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person
 8   to:
 9         (a)   Induce, solicit or attempt to induce or solicit for
10   commercial profit any listing, sale or transaction involving any
11   housing accommodation or commercial property by representing
12   that such housing accommodation or commercial property is within
13   any neighborhood, community or area adjacent to any other area
14   in which there reside, or do not reside, persons of a particular
15   race, color, familial status, age, religious creed, ancestry,
16   sex, national origin, handicap or disability, source of income,
17   or who are guide or support animal dependent.
18         (b)   Discourage, or attempt to discourage, for commercial
19   profit, the purchase or lease of any housing accommodation or
20   commercial property by representing that such housing
21   accommodation or commercial property is within any neighborhood,
22   community or area adjacent to any other area in which there
23   reside, or may in the future reside in increased or decreased
24   numbers, persons of a particular race, color, familial status,
25   age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, handicap
26   or disability, source of income, or who are guide or support
27   animal dependent.
28         (c)   Misrepresent, create or distort a circumstance,
29   condition or incident for the purpose of fostering the
30   impression or belief, on the part of any owner, occupant or

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 1   prospective owner or occupant of any housing accommodation or
 2   commercial property, that such housing accommodation or
 3   commercial property is within any neighborhood, community or
 4   area adjacent to any other area which would be adversely
 5   impacted by the residence, or future increased or decreased
 6   residence, of persons of a particular race, color, familial
 7   status, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin,
 8   handicap or disability, source of income, or who are guide or
 9   support animal dependent within such neighborhood, community or
10   area.
11      (d)   In any way misrepresent or otherwise misadvertise within
12   a neighborhood or community, whether or not in writing, that any
13   housing accommodation or commercial property within such
14   neighborhood or community is available for inspection, sale,
15   lease, sublease or other transfer, in any context where such
16   misrepresentation or misadvertising would have the effect of
17   fostering an impression or belief that there has been or will be
18   an increase in real estate activity within such neighborhood or
19   community due to the residence, or anticipated increased or
20   decreased residence, of persons of a particular race, color,
21   familial status, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national
22   origin, handicap or disability, source of income, or the use of
23   a guide or support animal because of the blindness, deafness or
24   physical handicap of the user.
25      Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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