Rights outlined deal with privacy, housing-based discrimination free enrollment in school, and the ability to move freely in public spaces.
During the committee meeting, Republican Representative Joseph Aragona questioned whether the bill was necessary.
“If I’m not mistaken, those things are already current rights. I mean I don’t believe you can discriminate, if you walk into a municipal office and say, well, I’m not going to serve you because of where you might live.”
But the bill’s sponsor, Democratic Representative Emily Dievendorf, says discrimination shows up in other ways.
“I’m sure all of us have seen people denied services or asked to leave public spaces because they are considered to be homeless.”
Only a few other states and Puerto Rico have passed similar legislation.
