Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Introduced
Summary
Would require minimum visitability standards for newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses and townhouses. It would tie federal support to those standards and set up federal, state, and private enforcement.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
New federal conditions and plan checks
If enacted, applicants for federal assistance would need to give an assurance that their programs will comply with the bill. The bill would also require applicants or recipients to submit design and construction plans to the state or local plan reviewer and to say the project applied for or got federal assistance. HUD, USDA, and VA would be barred from giving federal assistance to a state or local government unless the local agency is taking steps like checking plans and, where allowed under local law, withholding final approval until compliance is determined.
Visitability rules for federally assisted homes
If enacted, the bill would require certain newly available homes that got federal help to include at least one visitable level under the ANSI A117.1-2017 Type C standard. A "covered dwelling unit" would include single-family houses, townhouses, modular homes, multi-level units, and ground-floor units in buildings of up to three units, but only if the project had federal assistance and the home is first occupied on or after 1 year after enactment. The bill would treat factory-built modular homes as covered when they are built in modules that meet state and local codes, moved to the site, set on a foundation, and finished. The bill would count federal help such as grants, loans, contracts, tax credits, mortgage guarantees, property transfers, and certain community development funds when that help is provided on or after 1 year after enactment.
Legal enforcement and who is liable
If enacted, the Attorney General would be able to sue for violations and intervene in important private cases. A person harmed by a noncompliant covered home would be able to sue any responsible party within five years after the act or omission, but the time limit would not start until any visitability problem is fixed. Courts could order fixes, grant injunctions, and award actual and punitive damages; courts may also award reasonable attorney fees to the winning private party in their discretion. The bill would make many kinds of people and organizations potentially liable and would keep stronger state or local protections while invalidating local rules that conflict with this bill.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
MN • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]
AZ • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov