§ 34-37-3 - Definitions.
SECTION 34-37-3
§ 34-37-3 Definitions. – When used in this chapter:
(1) "Age" means anyone over the age of eighteen (18).
(2) "Commission" means the Rhode Island commission for humanrights created by § 28-5-8.
(3) "Discriminate" includes segregate, separate, or otherwisedifferentiate between or among individuals because of race, color, religion,sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, countryof ancestral origin, disability, age, or familial status or because of therace, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,marital status, country of ancestral origin, disability, age or familial statusof any person with whom they are or may wish to be associated.
(4) "Familial status" means one or more individuals who havenot attained the age of eighteen (18) years being domiciled with:
(A) A parent or another person having legal custody of theindividual or individuals; or
(B) The designee of the parent or other person having thecustody, with the written permission of the parent or other person providedthat if the individual is not a relative or legal dependent of the designee,that the individual shall have been domiciled with the designee for at leastsix (6) months.
(ii) The protections afforded against discrimination on thebasis of familial status shall apply to any person who is pregnant or is in theprocess of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained theage of eighteen (18) years.
(5) "Disability" means a disability as defined in §42-87-1.
Provided further that the term "disability" does not includecurrent, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance, as defined in21 U.S.C. § 802.
(6) The terms, as used regarding persons with disabilities,"auxiliary aids and services," "reasonable accommodation," and "reasonablemodifications" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in §42-87-1.1.
(7) "Housing accommodation" includes any building orstructure or portion of any building or structure, or any parcel of land,developed or undeveloped, which is occupied or is intended, designed, orarranged to be occupied, or to be developed for occupancy, as the home orresidence of one or more persons.
(8) [Deleted by P.L. 1997, ch. 150, § 8.]
(9) [Deleted by P.L. 2009, ch. 96, § 4 and P.L.2009, ch. 97, § 4].
(10) "Otherwise qualified" includes any person with adisability who with respect to the rental of property, personally or withassistance arranged by the person with a disability, is capable of performingall the responsibilities of a tenant as contained in § 34-18-24.
(11) "Owner" includes any person having the right to sell,rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation.
(12) "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships,associations, organizations, corporations, labor organizations, mutualcompanies, joint stock companies, trusts, receivers, legal representatives,trustees, other fiduciaries, or real estate brokers or real estate salespersonsas defined in chapter 20.5 of title 5.
(13) [Deleted by P.L. 2009, ch. 96, § 4 and P.L.2009, ch. 97, § 4].
(14) [Deleted by P.L. 2009, ch. 96, § 4 and P.L.2009, ch. 97, § 4].
(15) "Senior citizen" means a person sixty-two (62) years ofage or older.
(16) The term "sexual orientation" means having or beingperceived as having an orientation for heterosexuality, bisexuality, orhomosexuality. This definition is intended to describe the status of personsand does not render lawful any conduct prohibited by the criminal laws of thisstate nor impose any duty on a religious organization. This definition does notconfer legislative approval of said status, but is intended to assure the basichuman rights of persons to hold and convey property and to give and obtaincredit, regardless of such status.
(17) The term "gender identity or expression" includes aperson's actual or perceived gender, as well as a person's gender identity,gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or gender-relatedexpression; whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self image,gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from thattraditionally associated with the person's sex at birth.
(18) The term "domestic abuse" for the purposes of thischapter shall have the same meaning as that set forth in § 15-15-1, andinclude all forms of domestic violence as set forth in § 12-29-2, exceptthat the domestic abuse need not involve a minor or parties with minor children.
(19) The term "victim" means a family or household member andall other persons contained within the definition of those terms as defined in§ 12-29-2.