Updated February 18, 2026
Here’s a quick analysis of amendments made to HB 2266, which passed the House of Representatives on Monday night 56:40. It’s next stop is Senate Housing on Friday, February 20 – PLEASE SIGN IN PRO before Friday at 9:30 am.
Five amendments were adopted on the House floor, three of which we knew about ahead of time. We worked on these collaboratively with shelter providers and our contract lobbyist, with the goal to minimize additional unfunded work asked of providers, and to maximize opportunities to site new homes and shelter.
The other two were introduced last-minute over the weekend by house Republicans (they introduced 30 amendments over the weekend and withdrew 28 of them in exchange for passing these two).
Compromise is a normal and necessary part of the legislative process. These amendments are very limited compared to many of the withdrawn amendments (some of which would have significantly compromised the bill) – the bill is still in great shape and it’s worth our strong support!
Commonly used terms:
- STEP housing: Shelter, temporary housing, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing
- Sponsor: the organization (usually a nonprofit) providing shelter or housing
NEW amendment (Barkis): Requires the sponsor or managing entity of STEP housing to certify that it has conducted “more than one community meeting“, instead of “no more than one” community meeting. It does not clarify how many community meetings are required so two community meetings would be sufficient to meet this requirement. Importantly, HB 2266 does not allow cities to deny a permit for STEP housing based on the content of these meetings. It simply allows cities to require providers to host these meetings.
NEW amendment (Low): This one is a bit complicated. It’s not great, but definitely could have been worse.
- Allows cities/counties to enter good faith negotiations with the sponsor to establish additional and reasonable requirements pertaining to health and safety protocols IF the emergency shelter or emergency housing is within 500 feet (walking distance) from a school or another emergency shelter/emergency housing.
- Allows the city or county to deny the permit if the parties are unable to come to an agreement within 90 days.
- This amendment does NOT apply if the emergency shelter/emergency housing is designated for individuals under the age of 18, families, or victims of domestic violence.
- Nothing in this amendment allows a code city to limit indoor emergency shelters or indoor emergency housing in a manner where the capacity of indoor emergency shelters and indoor emergency housing is insufficient to meet the projected needs identified in the comprehensive plan.
- Allows a county or city to enter into a contract with a sponsor to establish additional and reasonable operational requirements pertaining to health and safety protocols.
- Specifies that legal consideration for the contract on the part of the county must include either a donation of real property to be used for the STEP housing or a significant contribution from the general fund for capital or operating expenses to be mutually determined by both parties. States that the contract is in breach if the county or city unilaterally withdraws or modifies the consideration, which makes the operational requirements in the contract inapplicable to the STEP housing.
- Prohibits a county or city from construing a sponsor’s refusal to accept contract terms pertaining to the consideration as a failure to meet other requirements of other fund sources available for the capital or operational support or requirements in the act relating to STEP housing. States that counties and cities are not required to enter into a contract to establish the additional and reasonable operational requirements pertaining to health and safety protocols.
- Adds the following to the list of items a county or city may require an indoor emergency shelter or indoor emergency housing to certify that it has completed:
- (1) the name, if any, of the facility and the name and headquarters address of the managing entity,
- (2) a description of any other programs operating in the building and copies of the applicable licenses and certifications held by the program,
- (3) policies or procedures for promoting and addressing health and safety inside the building and in areas immediately adjacent to the building,
- (4) policies or procedures for admissions, including a description of the populations the project will serve and potential sources of referral,
- (5) policies or procedures for program exit or transfer; and
- (6) policies or procedures for handling complaints and grievances from occupants.
Known amendment (Peterson): technical cleanup, no substantive changes.