Military Housing Innovation Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9564
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-30: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-06T13:38:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation directs the Comptroller General of the United States to study the costs and benefits of updating Department of Defense building standards to permit point-access block design in military construction projects. The goal is to assess whether this approach could improve the supply, quality, and affordability of military housing.
Key Provisions
- Requires a study, due within 18 months of enactment, coordinated by the Comptroller General with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
- The study must quantify potential effects on new military housing construction, nearby rental markets, the basic allowance for subsistence, barriers to building additional units, design and construction costs, and the usability of difficult development sites.
- It must also evaluate life safety and fire safety outcomes (including sprinklers, smoke detection, ventilation, and egress) and compare fire loss results between projects using and not using the design.
- A report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees is required within two years, including possible steps the Secretary of Defense could take to revise the Unified Facilities Criteria/DoD Building Code (UFC 1-200-01) and any related recommendations.
- Defines key terms: “covered project” (residential or mixed-use military construction), “military family housing,” and “point-access block building” (a residential structure up to six stories tall served by a single internal stairway).
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill does not amend existing statutes or building codes. It instead mandates an official study to evaluate whether the Unified Facilities Criteria should be revised to allow point-access block design for military housing.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Department of Defense may receive recommendations on updating its building standards; the Comptroller General, NIST, and HUD would contribute to the analysis.
- Citizens: Service members and their families could see changes in the availability and cost of on-base housing if the study leads to policy updates.
- International relations: No direct effects are addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The Department of Defense and military construction programs.
- Members of the Armed Forces and their families who rely on government-provided housing.
- Congressional committees overseeing defense and housing policy.
- The Comptroller General, NIST, and HUD.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure raises no immediate constitutional issues. It focuses on technical building standards and could influence future revisions to federal military construction guidelines without creating new legal obligations beyond the required study and report.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-30: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-06-30: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-30: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Military Housing Innovation Act — issued 2026-06-30 — PDF (5 pages)