SB 335 – Ending Credit Barriers for Assisted Tenants – Template Testimony

SB 335 will be heard by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Use the template testimony and submission instructions below to show your support for the legislation to the committee. Learn more about SB 335 at the fact sheet here.   
 
SB 335 – TEMPLATE TESTIMONY 
For Individuals or Organizations Supporting the Bill 

February 10, 2026 
 
Judicial Proceedings Committee 
Maryland Senate 
2 East Miller Senate Office Building 
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 

RE: Support for SB 335 – Human Relations – Discrimination in Housing – Income Based Housing Subsidies 

Dear Chair Valderrama, Vice Chair Charkoudian, and Members of the Committee: 

My name is [Name], and I am [title/role, organization, or identification like “a Maryland resident”]. I am writing to express my strong support for SB 335, legislation that strengthens Maryland’s source of income protections by clarifying appropriate screening practices for renters who use income-based housing assistance. 

[ENCOURAGED PERSONAL STORY SECTION] 
I would like to begin by briefly sharing why this bill matters to me: 
[Insert a personal story, experience, or explanation of why fair screening practices are important to you, your family, your organization, or your community. Examples: difficulty finding housing due to credit screening; supporting clients who lost opportunities because of screening barriers; or a general reason for caring about fair housing.] (One short paragraph is ideal.) 

Families relying on Housing Choice Vouchers and other income-based subsidies frequently encounter credit and income screening practices that effectively shut them out of rental housing even though their rent is largely covered by the housing subsidy and any amount they pay is capped for affordability. As the bill recognizes, this undermines both the purpose of housing assistance and the intent of the HOME Act.  

Public Housing Authorities already verify income, determine affordability, and adjust assistance when income changes. These safeguards ensure rent stability, making additional credit or income screening unnecessary and duplicative. Rent relevant criteria like rental history, landlord references, and verified eviction outcomes offer a more accurate and fair assessment of tenant risk.  

Importantly, credit scores were not designed for rental decisions and rarely include rental payment history. Research and federal guidance from HUD indicate that relying on credit scores for assisted tenants may produce unjustified discriminatory impacts, particularly on Black renters, women led households, and low-income families.  

By clarifying appropriate screening practices, SB 335 preserves landlords’ ability to assess tenant suitability while ensuring that criteria are relevant, fair, and aligned with the structure of housing assistance. This legislation helps reduce avoidable denials, shortens housing searches, and strengthens stability for families across the state.  

For these reasons, I respectfully urge a Favorable report on SB 335. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 
[Name] 
[Organization, if applicable] 
[Address] 
[Email]

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING TESTIMONY 
Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (SB 335) 

1. Before You Begin 
– Create a MyMGA account. Written testimony must be submitted via the Maryland General Assembly’s MyMGA portal. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Account/Register 
– Save your written testimony as a PDF file – only PDFs will be accepted by the committee   
– Save your written testimony with a file name that includes the bill number, the name of the organization and/or person testifying, and FAV (to indicate your support). For example, “SB0335_Smith_FAV.pdf.”  
– Understand that written testimony is posted publicly on the bill page. 

2. Submission Window 
You must submit written testimony between 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Friday, February 6 

3. Submitting Written Testimony 
– Log in to the MyMGA feature on the Maryland General Assembly home page (see icon in the upper right corner) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/ 
– Click MyMGA → Witness Signup. 
– Scroll down to the House → Economic Matters Committee  
– Select the bill: SB 335 – Human Relations – Discrimination in Housing – IncomeBased Housing Subsidies.  
– Choose Position: Favorable. 
– Choose Testimony: Written  
– Click Upload Files, select your PDF and hit OK.
– Click Save under Witness Signup to submit your testimony.