§6833 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

States must review and report on their building energy rules. Within 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State must say in writing whether it has reviewed its home (residential) energy code and whether it should change it to meet or beat the CABO Model Energy Code, 1992. That decision must follow public notice and a hearing, be based on findings and evidence, and be made available to the public. A State may choose to update its code or decide not to. If it decides not to update, it must give written reasons that the public can see. The same process applies to commercial building codes: within 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State must certify that its commercial code meets or exceeds ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989. If the national model codes or standards are revised, the Secretary has 12 months to say whether the revision will save energy and must publish that decision. If the Secretary says yes, States then have 2 years after that notice to review and certify whether they will meet or beat the revised code or standard. The Secretary may give deadline extensions if a State shows a good-faith effort and real progress. The Secretary must offer technical help and money to States to improve and enforce their codes. The Secretary will consider a State’s planned actions when deciding on funding. Extra money is available for plans that aim for at least a 90 percent compliance rate based on energy performance if a State’s codes meet the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004 (or later versions the Secretary affirms), or to local governments if no statewide code exists. Up to $500,000 per fiscal year may be used for training. Congress authorized $25,000,000 for each fiscal year 2006 through 2010, and unspecified sums as needed for 2011 and later. State payments under the 90 percent rule are limited so they do not exceed one-half of the amount by which total program funding for the year exceeds $5,000,000.

Title 42, §6833

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Not later than 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State shall certify to the Secretary that it has reviewed the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency and made a determination as to whether it is appropriate for such State to revise such residential building code provisions to meet or exceed CABO Model Energy Code, 1992.

(2)The determination referred to in paragraph (1) shall be—

(A)made after public notice and hearing;

(B)in writing;

(C)based upon findings included in such determination and upon the evidence presented at the hearing; and

(D)available to the public.

(3)Each State may, to the extent consistent with otherwise applicable State law, revise the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency to meet or exceed CABO Model Energy Code, 1992, or may decline to make such revisions.

(4)If a State makes a determination under paragraph (1) that it is not appropriate for such State to revise its residential building code, such State shall submit to the Secretary, in writing, the reasons for such determination, and such statement shall be available to the public.

(5)(A)Whenever CABO Model Energy Code, 1992,11 So in original. The comma probably should not appear. (or any successor of such code) is revised, the Secretary shall, not later than 12 months after such revision, determine whether such revision would improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. The Secretary shall publish notice of such determination in the Federal Register.

(B)If the Secretary makes an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A), each State shall, not later than 2 years after the date of the publication of such determination, certify that it has reviewed the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency and made a determination as to whether it is appropriate for such State to revise such residential building code provisions to meet or exceed the revised code for which the Secretary made such determination.

(C)Paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) shall apply to any determination made under subparagraph (B).

(b)(1)Not later than 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State shall certify to the Secretary that it has reviewed and updated the provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency. Such certification shall include a demonstration that such State’s code provisions meet or exceed the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989.

(2)(A)Whenever the provisions of ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989 (or any successor standard) regarding energy efficiency in commercial buildings are revised, the Secretary shall, not later than 12 months after the date of such revision, determine whether such revision will improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. The Secretary shall publish a notice of such determination in the Federal Register.

(B)(i)If the Secretary makes an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A), each State shall, not later than 2 years after the date of the publication of such determination, certify that it has reviewed and updated the provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency in accordance with the revised standard for which such determination was made. Such certification shall include a demonstration that the provisions of such State’s commercial building code regarding energy efficiency meet or exceed such revised standard.

(ii)If the Secretary makes a determination under subparagraph (A) that such revised standard will not improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings, State commercial building code provisions regarding energy efficiency shall meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989, or if such standard has been revised, the last revised standard for which the Secretary has made an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A).

(c)The Secretary shall permit extensions of the deadlines for the certification requirements under subsections (a) and (b) if a State can demonstrate that it has made a good faith effort to comply with such requirements and that it has made significant progress in doing so.

(d)The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to States to implement the requirements of this section, and to improve and implement State residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes or to otherwise promote the design and construction of energy efficient buildings.

(e)(1)The Secretary shall provide incentive funding to States to implement the requirements of this section, and to improve and implement State residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, including increasing and verifying compliance with such codes. In determining whether, and in what amount, to provide incentive funding under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider the actions proposed by the State to implement the requirements of this section, to improve and implement residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, and to promote building energy efficiency through the use of such codes.

(2)Additional funding shall be provided under this subsection for implementation of a plan to achieve and document at least a 90 percent rate of compliance with residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, based on energy performance—

(A)to a State that has adopted and is implementing, on a statewide basis—

(i)a residential building energy efficiency code that meets or exceeds the requirements of the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code, or any succeeding version of that code that has received an affirmative determination from the Secretary under subsection (a)(5)(A); and

(ii)a commercial building energy efficiency code that meets or exceeds the requirements of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004, or any succeeding version of that standard that has received an affirmative determination from the Secretary under subsection (b)(2)(A); or

(B)in a State in which there is no statewide energy code either for residential buildings or for commercial buildings, to a local government that has adopted and is implementing residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, as described in subparagraph (A).

(3)Of the amounts made available under this subsection, the Secretary may use $500,000 for each fiscal year to train State and local officials to implement codes described in paragraph (2).

(4)(A)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection—

(i)$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010; and

(ii)such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(B)Funding provided to States under paragraph (2) for each fiscal year shall not exceed one-half of the excess of funding under this subsection over $5,000,000 for the fiscal year.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6833, Pub. L. 94–385, title III, § 304, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1146; Pub. L. 95–91, title III, §§ 301(a), 304(a), title VII, §§ 703, 707, 709(e)(1), Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 577, 580, 606, 608; Pub. L. 96–399, title III, § 326(a)–(c), Oct. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1649; Pub. L. 97–35, title X, § 1041(a), (c), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 621; Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5115(c), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1433, related to development and promulgation of energy conservation voluntary performance standards for new commercial and residential buildings, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–486, title I, § 101(a)(2), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2783.

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 109–58, § 128(1), inserted “, including increasing and verifying compliance with such codes” before period at end of first sentence. Subsec. (e)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 109–58, § 128(2), added pars. (2) to (4) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.”

§6833 Updating State building energy efficiency codes