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HR 9564

Military Housing Innovation Act

119th Congress Introduced by Mike Lawler and 1 co-sponsor

Study to evaluate if point-access block military housing improves safety, costs, and housing supply, and whether DoD UFC code updates are warranted.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9564

Overview

  • Bill: H.R. 9564
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Title: Military Housing Innovation Act
  • Purpose: To commission a study on the use of point-access block design in military construction and housing, and to consider updating UFC/DoD building codes based on study findings. The goal is to evaluate potential improvements in housing quality, affordability, safety, and project feasibility for military communities.

What the bill would do

  • Require a formal study within 18 months of enactment

    • Conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States (GAO) in coordination with:
    • Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
    • Secretary of Defense
    • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
    • Focus: Costs and benefits of revising UFC 1–200–01 (Unified Facilities Criteria/DoD Building Code) to permit point-access block design for covered military construction projects.

  • Contents of the study

    • Economic and housing impacts:
    • Potential increase in quality and availability of new military housing
    • Effects on nearby rental housing markets
    • Potential reduction in Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) expenditures (as per 37 U.S.C. § 402) due to housing changes
    • Impact on private housing demand by service members (reducing barriers to building additional covered housing)
    • Effects on design and construction costs for government-owned/controlled housing in the U.S.
    • Feasibility improvements for starting projects on sites that would be hard to develop otherwise
    • Safety and fire protection:
    • Life safety outcomes comparing point-access block designs vs. non-point-access designs
    • Fire safety improvements (sprinkler coverage, smoke detection, ventilation, and egress)
    • Fire loss outcomes:
    • Comparison of fire losses between projects using point-access block design and those that do not

  • Deliverable

    • A report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees no later than two years after enactment
    • The report to include:
    • A summary of potential Defense Department actions to update UFC 1–200–01 to allow point-access block design
    • Other recommendations related to using point-access block design in military construction

Key definitions

  • Covered project: A residential or mixed-use military construction project (as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 2801)
  • Military family housing: Housing provided under Subchapter II of Chapter 169, Title 10, U.S.C.
  • Point-access block building: A Group R-2 residential occupancy building with a single internal stairway for all dwelling units, not exceeding six stories, per the most recent International Building Code

Potential impact

  • Housing quality and availability: Could improve the design and efficiency of military family and unaccompanied housing.
  • Costs and budgeting: May influence construction costs, potential BAS adjustments, and overall affordability for service members.
  • Local housing markets: Possible effects on nearby rental markets due to changes in housing supply.
  • Safety outcomes: Will be evaluated for life safety, fire protection, and fire loss differences.
  • Project feasibility: May enable development on sites previously difficult to develop.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduction date: June 30, 2026
  • Action: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services
  • Study deadline: Within 18 months after enactment
  • Report deadline: Not later than two years after enactment
  • Reporting entities: GAO, in coordination with NIST, DoD, and HUD; to be provided to the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate

Who is affected

  • DoD and military construction programs (specifically housing projects)
  • Military families and unaccompanied service members living in government-owned/controlled housing
  • Local housing markets near military installations
  • U.S. taxpayers funding DoD housing programs (through potential changes to BAS and construction costs)

This bill establishes a fact-finding process to assess whether adopting point-access block design in military housing could yield safety, cost, and housing-market benefits, and how a code update might enable broader use.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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