MD HB213

Creates a legal exception allowing fair housing testers to record oral communications without consent from all parties when working for federal, state, local government, or qualified nonprofit civil rights organizations

Requires the tester to be a party to the conversation and the recording must be made specifically to obtain evidence of fair housing law violations

Defines eligible nonprofit civil rights organizations as those meeting federal HUD standards (24 C.F.R. § 125.103) or Maryland-incorporated tax-exempt organizations with at least 2 years' experience in complaint intake, investigation, and fair housing testing or enforcement

Restricts use of intercepted communications exclusively to enforcing federal, state, or local fair housing laws; recordings cannot be admitted as evidence in other legal proceedings

Takes effect October 1, 2026