The Hawaiʻi State Senate passed a bill last year to prevent discrimination against Section 8 renters, but the bill died in the House. Senator Karl Rhoads said he plans to re-introduce the bill this year during the legislative session that begins on Jan. 20.

Gavin Thornton, head of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice which advocates on behalf of low-income people, said Rhoads’ bill will be a priority this year for his organization.

When the pandemic hit and the state boosted its rental subsidies, “it would have been tremendously helpful to have a source of income discrimination law that didn’t allow landlords to opt out of participating,” he said.