republic-os/legal/us/code/title-42/chapter-45/section-3602.md

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LegalText	42 U.S.C. § 3602	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	42	THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE	45	FAIR HOUSING	3602	42 U.S.C. § 3602	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t42/s3602	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml	e0e00375dcf107d8f22098b523fd4324c384bbcccf2e90e38b0baaf3b450d398	644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e	1567dd421fe00362e3712a0cb91d11882bd255e82a2dd81a77147c5703a6e44d	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

42 U.S.C. § 3602 - Definitions

Text

As used in this subchapter—

(a) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(b) “Dwelling” means any building, structure, or portion thereof which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence by one or more families, and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof.

(c) “Family” includes a single individual.

(d) “Person” includes one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint-stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees in cases under title 11, receivers, and fiduciaries.

(e) “To rent” includes to lease, to sublease, to let and otherwise to grant for a consideration the right to occupy premises not owned by the occupant.

(f) “Discriminatory housing practice” means an act that is unlawful under section 3604, 3605, 3606, or 3617 of this title.

(g) “State” means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any of the territories and possessions of the United States.

(h) “Handicap” means, with respect to a person—

(1) a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities,

(2) a record of having such an impairment, or

(3) being regarded as having such an impairment,

but such term does not include current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of title 21).

(i) “Aggrieved person” includes any person who—

(1) claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice; or

(2) believes that such person will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur.

(j) “Complainant” means the person (including the Secretary) who files a complaint under section 3610 of this title.

(k) “Familial status” means one or more individuals (who have not attained the age of 18 years) being domiciled with—

(1) a parent or another person having legal custody of such individual or individuals; or

(2) the designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the written permission of such parent or other person.

The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years.

(l) “Conciliation” means the attempted resolution of issues raised by a complaint, or by the investigation of such complaint, through informal negotiations involving the aggrieved person, the respondent, and the Secretary.

(m) “Conciliation agreement” means a written agreement setting forth the resolution of the issues in conciliation.

(n) “Respondent” means—

(1) the person or other entity accused in a complaint of an unfair housing practice; and

(2) any other person or entity identified in the course of investigation and notified as required with respect to respondents so identified under section 3610(a) of this title.

(o) “Prevailing party” has the same meaning as such term has in section 1988 of this title.

(Pub. L. 90–284, title VIII, § 802, Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 81; Pub. L. 95–598, title III, § 331, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2679; Pub. L. 100–430, § 5, Sept. 13, 1988, 102 Stat. 1619.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1988—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–430, § 5(a), substituted “3606, or 3617” for “or 3606”. Subsecs. (h) to (o). Pub. L. 100–430, § 5(b), added subsecs. (h) to (o). 1978—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–598 substituted “trustees in cases under title 11” for “trustees in bankruptcy”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1988 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–430 effective on 180th day beginning after Sept. 13, 1988, see section 13(a) of Pub. L. 100–430, set out as a note under section 3601 of this title.

Effective Date of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–598 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 402(a) of Pub. L. 95–598, set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.

TransvestismSection 6(b)(3) of Pub. L. 100–430 provided that: “For the purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 1988 Amendment note set out under section 3601 of this title] as well as chapter 16 of title 29 of the United States Code [29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.], neither the term ‘individual with handicaps’ nor the term ‘handicap’ shall apply to an individual solely because that individual is a transvestite.”