SB531
Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units.
Status:
In House
Latest Action:
Feb. 12, 2026
Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
Chief Patron:
Kannan Srinivasan (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Zoning; development and use of accessory dwelling units.
Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, as defined in the bill, as a permitted accessory use. The bill requires a person to seek a permit for an ADU from the locality, requires the locality to issue such ... (More) permit if the person meets certain requirements enumerated in the bill, and restricts the fee for such permit to $500 or less. The bill prohibits the locality from requiring (i) construction of new dedicated parking for an ADU in most instances; (ii) setbacks for the ADU more than five feet from the property line; (iii) conditions for ADUs that are more restrictive than those for single-family dwellings within the same zoning area with regard to height, rear or side setbacks, lot size or coverage, or building frontage; or (iv) consanguinity or affinity between the occupants of the ADU and the primary dwelling. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105326D
- 01/13/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
- 01/21/2026 - Senate: Rereferred from General Laws and Technology to Local Government (15-Y 0-N)
- 01/21/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Local Government
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Senate committee offered
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N)
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute printed 26107523D-S1
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Read second time
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
