SB 1576

83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2026 Regular Session
  Enrolled
  Senate Bill 1576
Sponsored by Senators PATTERSON, CAMPOS, Representative NELSON, Senator NERON
   MISSLIN, Representative JAVADI; Senators FREDERICK, JAMA, MANNING JR, REYNOLDS,
   Representatives ANDERSEN, CHAICHI, CHOTZEN, FRAGALA, GAMBA, HUDSON, MUNOZ,
   NOSSE, WISE (Presession filed.)
  CHAPTER .................................................
  AN ACT
Relating to accessibility standards for housing; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 447.220,
    456.508 and 456.510; and prescribing an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
     SECTION 1. ORS 447.220 is amended to read:
     447.220. [It is] The purpose of ORS 447.210 to 447.280 is to make affected buildings, including
but not limited to commercial facilities, public accommodations, private entities, private membership
clubs and churches, in the state accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, as provided
in the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to make covered multifamily dwellings in the state ac-
cessible to and usable by all persons with disabilities, as provided in the Fair Housing Act. In re-
quiring that buildings and facilities be usable by persons with disabilities, [it is not the intention of]
the Legislative Assembly does not intend to require that items of personal convenience such as rest
rooms, telephones and drinking fountains be provided for members of the public who have disabili-
ties if [they] the items of personal convenience are not otherwise provided for members of the
public who do not have disabilities. [However, pursuant to] Under the Americans with Disabilities
Act and the Fair Housing Act, the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services
may, however, provide greater protection to individuals with disabilities by adopting more stringent
standards than prescribed by the Americans with Disabilities Act or, for the purpose of making
covered multifamily dwellings and other types of dwellings in this state accessible to and
usable by all persons with disabilities, the Fair Housing Act.
     SECTION 2. ORS 456.508 is amended to read:
     456.508. As used in ORS 456.510 and 456.513:
     (1) “Accessible” means that housing complies with federal accessibility guidelines implementing
the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq., as amended and in effect on
[January 1, 2004] the effective date of this 2026 Act, or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), as amended and in effect on the effective date of this 2026 Act and
as specified under 24 C.F.R. part 8, subpart C.
     (2) “Common living space” means a living room, family room, dining room or kitchen.
     (3) “Contiguous units” means units that are on the same tax lot or on contiguous tax lots that
have a common boundary[.], including tax lots that are separated by a public road [are contiguous
tax lots for purposes of this subsection].
Enrolled Senate Bill 1576 (SB 1576-A)  Page 1
     (4)(a) “New” means that the housing being constructed did not previously exist in residential
or nonresidential form.
     (b) “New” does not include the acquisition, alteration, renovation or remodeling of an existing
structure.
     (5) “Powder room” means a room containing at least a toilet and sink.
     (6) “Rental housing” means a dwelling unit designed for nonowner occupancy under a tenancy
typically lasting six months or longer.
     (7) “Subsidized development” means housing that receives one or more of the following devel-
opment subsidies from the Housing and Community Services Department:
     (a) The federal low-income housing tax credit under 26 U.S.C. 42(a), if no part of the eligible
basis prior to the application of 26 U.S.C. 42(i)(2)(B) was financed with an obligation described in
26 U.S.C. 42(h)(4)(A), all as amended and in effect on [January 1, 2004] the effective date of this
2026 Act;
     (b) An agriculture workforce housing tax credit, as described in ORS 315.164;
     (c) A loan that qualifies the lending institution for a subsidized housing loan tax credit, as de-
scribed in ORS 317.097;
     (d) Funding under the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Act, 42 U.S.C. 12721 to 12839, as
amended and in effect on [January 1, 2004] the effective date of this 2026 Act;
     (e) Moneys from the Oregon Housing Fund created under ORS 458.620; or
     (f) Moneys from other grant or tax incentive programs administered by the Housing and Com-
munity Services Department under ORS 456.559.
     (8) “Visitable” means capable of being approached, entered and used by individuals with mobil-
ity impairments, including but not limited to individuals using wheelchairs.
     SECTION 3. ORS 456.510 is amended to read:
     456.510. (1) Except as provided in this section and ORS 456.513, the Housing and Community
Services Department may not provide funding for the development of new rental housing that is a
subsidized development unless:
     (a) Each dwelling unit of the housing meets the following requirements:
     (A) At least one visitable exterior route leading to a dwelling unit entrance that is stepless and
has a minimum clearance of 32 inches.
     (B) One or more visitable routes between the visitable dwelling unit entrance and a visitable
common living space.
     (C) At least one visitable common living space.
     (D) One or more visitable routes between the dwelling unit entrance and a powder room.
     (E) A powder room doorway that is stepless and has a minimum clearance of 32 inches.
     (F) A powder room with walls that are reinforced in a manner suitable for handrail installation.
     (G) Light switches, electrical outlets and environmental controls that are at a reachable height.
     (b) For a development that has a shared community room or that has 20 or more contiguous
units, there is at least one powder room available for all tenants and guests that is accessible.
     (c) The subsidized development complies with the accessibility standards under section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), as amended and in effect on the effective
date of this 2026 Act and as specified under 24 C.F.R. part 8, subpart C.
     (2) For a multistory structure without an elevator, this section applies only to dwelling units
on the ground floor of the structure.
     (3) This section does not apply to agriculture workforce housing as defined in ORS 315.163 that
is located on a farm.
     SECTION 4. (1) The amendments to ORS 447.220, 456.508 and 456.510 by sections 1 to 3
of this 2026 Act become operative on January 1, 2027.
     (2) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services and the Housing
and Community Services Department may adopt rules and take any other action before the
operative date specified in subsection (1) of this section that is necessary to enable the di-
rector and the department, on and after the operative date specified in subsection (1) of this
Enrolled Senate Bill 1576 (SB 1576-A)  Page 2
section, to undertake and exercise all of the duties, powers and functions conferred on the
director and the department by the amendments to ORS 447.220, 456.508 and 456.510 by
sections 1 to 3 of this 2026 Act.
    SECTION 5. This 2026 Act takes effect on the 91st day after the date on which the 2026
regular session of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die.
Passed by Senate February 19, 2026  Received by Governor:
  ........................M.,........................................................., 2026
        ..................................................................................
  Approved:
  Obadiah Rutledge, Secretary of Senate
  ........................M.,........................................................., 2026
        ..................................................................................
  Rob Wagner, President of Senate
  ..................................................................................
  Tina Kotek, Governor
Passed by House March 2, 2026
  Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
        ..................................................................................   ........................M.,........................................................., 2026
  Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
  ..................................................................................
  Tobias Read, Secretary of State
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