Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill creates a federal right for people with disabilities to receive long-term care in their homes or communities instead of being placed in institutions. It strengthens the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision, which ruled that unnecessary institutionalization is a form of discrimination.
• States and insurance providers would be banned from using eligibility rules, cost caps, waiting lists, or other policies that block people with disabilities from getting home and community-based care. Failing to pay caregivers enough to maintain an adequate workforce is also defined as discrimination.
• Public agencies and insurance providers that cannot show full compliance must submit transition plans with measurable goals and annual targets for moving people out of institutions. Full compliance must be achieved within 12 years of enactment.
• The bill requires agencies to ensure enough affordable, accessible, and integrated housing so people with disabilities can live independently. Care cannot be tied to living in a specific building, giving people real choice over where they stay.
• The Department of Justice would investigate violations and bring enforcement actions, with civil penalties up to $100,000 for a first violation and $200,000 for subsequent ones. Individuals could also sue for actual and punitive damages and injunctive relief.