District of ColumbiaB26-0227Council Period 26 (2025-2026)HouseWALLET

One Front Door Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Brianne K. Nadeau (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Single-stair design option for D.C. apartments

By July 1, 2027, D.C.'s Department of Buildings must adopt rules allowing one stairway for both entrance and emergency exit. This applies to buildings with more than two homes and mostly permanent residents. Buildings can be up to six stories above ground level or meet the law's high-rise test. That test requires an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level accessible to fire-department vehicles. Officials must consider fire-resistant construction, automatic sprinklers throughout the building, and other fire and smoke protections. They must also consider maximum travel distances to stairs and banning home doors from opening toward an interior exit stairway. Other required considerations include a four-home-per-floor limit or a matching floor-area limit, plus local, state, and international best practices. The department keeps authority to update the rules later. This adds a building design option but does not require new homes or guarantee lower housing costs.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Brianne K. Nadeau
Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 26 • No: 0

House vote • 5/5/2026

Final Reading

Yes: 13 • No: 0

House vote • 3/31/2026

First Reading, CC