Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026

This bill, titled the Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2026, requires that all newly constructed, federally assisted single-family houses, townhouses, modular homes, and certain ground-floor units meet specific visitability standards for persons with disabilities. Specifically, it mandates that at least one level of these covered dwelling units must comply with the Standards for Type C (Visitable) Units of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1-2017, or any successor standard. This requirement applies to units made available for first occupancy one year after the Act's enactment, provided they received federal assistance for their design or construction.

The term Federal assistance is broadly defined to include grants, loans, contracts, tax credits, and mortgage or loan guarantees. To ensure compliance, applicants for federal assistance must provide assurances that their programs will adhere to the Act. State or local agencies responsible for building code review must approve architectural and construction plans for covered dwelling units, verifying their compliance with visitability standards. Federal agencies, including the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs, are authorized to withhold federal housing assistance if state or local agencies fail to enforce these requirements. The Act also allows aggrieved persons to bring civil actions for violations and grants the Attorney General powers to enforce its provisions, with potential remedies including damages and retrofitting of non-compliant units. This legislation does not preempt stronger state or local laws but invalidates any that permit actions violating its standards.