S. 5484: Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act of 2026

This bill would change federal rules for energy efficiency standards that apply to manufactured homes.

What it would do

The bill would amend existing law so that the Secretary of Energy could recommend changes to manufactured housing energy standards, but would not be able to enforce those standards directly. It also requires that any recommended changes be evaluated based on cost-effectiveness, including both the cost to build the home and the cost to operate it over time.

What factors would have to be considered

Any recommended revision to the standards would have to take into account:

• The construction methods and limits that are specific to factory-built manufactured homes
• Different climate zones
• Other ways to achieve similar or better energy performance
• How long it would take for any extra upfront costs to be recovered through lower operating costs
• The effect of the standards on the initial purchase price of manufactured homes

Effect on a specific DOE rule

The bill would also отменate, by making it have “no force or effect,” a 2022 Department of Energy final rule titled Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing. In practical terms, that means this bill would block that rule from being enforced.

Overall impact

In plain terms, the bill would reduce federal energy-efficiency requirements for manufactured housing by preventing the Energy Department from enforcing the 2022 standards and by limiting the department’s role to making recommendations that must account for cost and affordability.

Relevant Companies

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