Bill Text: CT HB05342 | 2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

Connecticut House Bill 5342 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: An Act Concerning Appeals To Fair Housing Procedures.

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-19 - Public Hearing 02/23 [HB05342 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05342-Introduced.html


General Assembly		*Raised Bill No. 5342*
*February Session, 2016*		LCO No. 1438
		01438_______HSG
Referred to Committee on HOUSING
Introduced by:
(HSG)

AN ACT CONCERNING APPEALS TO FAIR HOUSING PROCEDURES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (f) of section 46a-82 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(f) Any complaint filed pursuant to this section must be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged act of discrimination, except that any complaint by a person claiming to be aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) of section 46a-80 must be filed within thirty days of the alleged act of discrimination. A complainant, other than the commissioner, shall not be permitted to file more than one complaint for each discriminatory housing practice or set of related discriminatory housing practices under sections 46a-64c and 46a-81e.

Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 46a-86 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(c) In addition to any other action taken under this section, upon a finding of a discriminatory practice prohibited by section 46a-58, 46a-59, 46a-64, 46a-64c, 46a-81b, 46a-81d or 46a-81e, the presiding officer shall determine the damage suffered by the complainant, which damage shall include, but not be limited to, the expense incurred by the complainant for obtaining alternate housing or space, storage of goods and effects, moving costs and other costs actually incurred by the complainant as a result of such discriminatory practice and shall allow reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The amount of attorney's fees allowed shall not be contingent upon the amount of damages requested by or awarded to the complainant. Damages for discriminatory housing practices under sections 46a-64c and 46a-81e shall not be punitive in nature, and therefore shall not exceed actual economic loss suffered by the complainant.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2016	46a-82(f)
Sec. 2	October 1, 2016	46a-86(c)

Statement of Purpose:

To provide defendants with equal protections in the housing discrimination complaint process.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]