Bill Text: TX SB929 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to building energy efficiency performance standards; establishing the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-09 - Referred to Natural Resources & Economic Development [SB929 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB929-Introduced.html
84R8073 JXC-F | ||
By: Fraser | S.B. No. 929 |
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relating to building energy efficiency performance standards; | ||
establishing the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 388.003(b-1), Health and Safety Code, as | ||
added by Chapter 939 (H.B. 3693), Acts of the 80th Legislature, | ||
Regular Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows: | ||
(b-1) The [ |
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adopt and substitute for the energy codes described by Subsection | ||
(a) or (b) [ |
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published edition [ |
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energy efficiency provisions or the latest published edition of the | ||
International Energy Conservation Code, based on written findings | ||
from the laboratory on the stringency of the editions and comments | ||
and recommendations from the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory | ||
Committee [ |
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(1) may not adopt an edition under this subsection | ||
more often than once every six years; and | ||
(2) shall establish by rule an effective date for an | ||
adopted edition [ |
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months after the date of adoption. [ |
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SECTION 2. Section 388.003, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by amending Subsections (b-3) and (i) and adding Subsection | ||
(b-4) to read as follows: | ||
(b-3) The [ |
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(1) submit findings on the stringency of the latest | ||
published edition of the International Residential Code energy | ||
efficiency provisions and of the International Energy Conservation | ||
Code to the State Energy Conservation Office not later than six | ||
months after publication of a new edition; and | ||
(2) in developing the findings, consider the comments | ||
submitted under Subsection (b-2) and the comments and | ||
recommendations of the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory | ||
Committee on the latest published editions. | ||
(b-4) The State Energy Conservation Office may amend or | ||
establish an energy rating index that is used to measure compliance | ||
in a voluntary compliance path of an energy code edition before | ||
adopting the edition under Subsection (b-1). The office may adopt | ||
an energy rating index for each climate zone in this state. | ||
(i) A local amendment adopted under Subsection (d) may not | ||
conflict with the compliance paths described by this subsection. A | ||
building certified by a national, state, or local accredited energy | ||
efficiency program and determined by the laboratory to be in | ||
compliance with the energy efficiency requirements of this section | ||
shall [ |
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compliance. The United States Environmental Protection Agency's | ||
Energy Star Program certification of energy code equivalency shall | ||
be considered in compliance. An energy rating index in a voluntary | ||
compliance path of an energy code adopted by the State Energy | ||
Conservation Office under Subsection (b-1) shall be considered in | ||
compliance. | ||
SECTION 3. Chapter 388, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
by adding Section 388.0035 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 388.0035. BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY ADVISORY | ||
COMMITTEE. (a) The State Energy Conservation Office shall | ||
establish the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee. | ||
(b) The advisory committee is appointed by the State Energy | ||
Conservation Office and composed of 13 members who have an interest | ||
in the adoption of energy codes. | ||
(c) The advisory committee must include: | ||
(1) two commercial builders who are members of a | ||
statewide trade association; | ||
(2) two residential builders who are members of a | ||
statewide trade association; | ||
(3) two building code officials; | ||
(4) two members who represent environmental groups; | ||
(5) two members who are certified as energy raters by | ||
the Residential Energy Services Network or a comparable | ||
organization or certified as code inspectors by the International | ||
Code Council; | ||
(6) one member who is an architect registered under | ||
Chapter 1051, Occupations Code, or engineer licensed under Chapter | ||
1001, Occupations Code; | ||
(7) one member who represents the electric utility | ||
industry; and | ||
(8) one public member. | ||
(d) Chapter 2110, Government Code, applies to the | ||
committee, except for Sections 2110.002 and 2110.008. | ||
(e) The committee may submit to the laboratory and the State | ||
Energy Conservation Office: | ||
(1) comments on energy codes under consideration for | ||
adoption under Section 388.003(b-1); and | ||
(2) recommended energy rating indexes for each climate | ||
zone in this state that may be used to measure compliance in a | ||
voluntary compliance path recognized by the International | ||
Residential Code energy efficiency provisions or the International | ||
Energy Conservation Code. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 388.003(b-1), Health and Safety Code, as | ||
added by Chapter 262 (S.B. 12), Acts of the 80th Legislature, | ||
Regular Session, 2007, is repealed. | ||
SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Energy | ||
Conservation Office shall appoint the members of the Building | ||
Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee as provided by Section | ||
388.0035, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |