Senate committee narrows accessibility mandate to subsidized apartments, advances SB 15 76 to floor

Chair Pham opened a work session on Senate Bill 15 76, which originally would have required the Department of Consumer and Business Services to align the state building code with federal accessibility standards and to require that at least 10% (or a minimum of two) units in multifamily buildings with more than 15 units be Type A accessible.

Kya read the bill summary and described the -1 amendment under consideration. The -1 amendment removes the broader requirement to change the state building code and replaces the generic reference to federal standards with an explicit reference to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; it also restricts the accessibility requirement to developments built with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC).

Senator Patterson and other supporters thanked advocates and said the amendment reflects a compromise that targets subsidized housing while preserving the state’s option to exceed federal accessibility rules. Senators raised practical questions about filling and matching accessible units and suggested a centralized dashboard to help locate accessible housing, though speakers noted the state lacks funding for such a tool.

After brief discussion the committee adopted the -1 amendment and then voted to send SB 15 76 as amended to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation. The Clerk called the roll: Senator John (Aye), Senator Nash (No), Senator Patterson (Aye), Vice Chair Anderson (Aye), Chair Pham (Aye). The motion passed and Senator Patterson agreed to carry the bill on the floor.

Next steps: SB 15 76 will be scheduled on the Senate floor with the -1 amendment as adopted; implementation questions raised in the committee — including how accessible units will be allocated in practice and whether a public dashboard is feasible — remain open.