The Missouri House voted Monday to limit local governments from penalizing landlords who deny tenants receiving federal housing assistance.
House Bill 595 also prohibits local governments from enacting laws that restrict landlords from using income-qualifying methods or from limiting the maximum security deposit that may be required of tenants.
Senate approval of the compromise version of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, will send it to Gov. Mike Kehoe for his signature.
The bill was prompted by a 2024 Kansas City ordinance forbidding discrimination by landlords against low-income renters. Though a federal judge struck the ordinance down in February, the General Assembly has moved forward with the legislation.
The conference committee substitute approved Monday resolved differences between Senate and House versions of the bill. Notably, the final version approved by the House on Monday removes the terms of a Senate amendment that would have exempted Kansas City from the bill.
The substitute also contains a provision that permits cities and counties to enact laws protecting low-income veterans in the renters’ market.
While proponents of the bill say that it is necessary to protect the rights of landlords, opponents say that doing so further disenfranchises renters reliant on Section 8 and other federal housing assistance programs.
At a Senate committee hearing on the bill in March, some testimony suggested that the legislation reinforced practices that have led to increased homelessness in Kansas City.
“We are seeing homelessness increase in these areas where people are struggling to access housing, because they are being denied based on having a voucher,” said Misha Smith, testifying on behalf of Empower Missouri.
Smith cited a Department of Housing and Urban Development study that found renters with housing vouchers had their applications denied by landlords at a rate of 2-to-1.
Another concern raised in hearings was that the bill would prevent the holistic evaluation of prospective tenants.
There was little floor discussion of the compromise on Monday. The conference committee substitute version of HB 595 passed the House by a roll call vote 103-37, largely along party lines.
