California Assembly Bill AB2379 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2379AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Quirk FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to amend Section 25942 of the Public Resources Code, relating to energy. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2379, as amended, Quirk. Energy: home energy rating program: report. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prepare an integrated energy policy report every 2 years. Under existing law, the report is required to include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to the  statewide home energy rating  program and a recommendation concerning which means and methods will be most efficient and  cost-effective   cost effective  to induce home energy ratings for residential dwellings. This bill would additionally require the report to include a comparison of actual energy  savings   consumption  and the models or projections used to qualify the rating program and would update an obsolete cross-reference. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 25942 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 25942. (a) On or before July 1, 1995, the commission shall establish criteria for adopting a statewide home energy rating program for residential dwellings. The program criteria shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following elements: (1) Consistent, accurate, and uniform ratings based on a single statewide rating scale. (2) Reasonable estimates of potential utility bill savings, and reliable recommendations on cost-effective measures to improve energy efficiency. (3) Training and certification procedures for home raters and quality assurance procedures to promote accurate ratings and to protect consumers. (4) In coordination with home energy rating service organization databases, procedures to establish a centralized, publicly  accessible,   accessible  database that includes a uniform reporting system for information on residential dwellings, excluding proprietary information, needed to facilitate the program. There shall be no public access to information in the database concerning specific dwellings without the owner's or occupant's permission. (5) Labeling procedures that will meet the needs of home buyers, homeowners, renters, the real estate industry, and mortgage lenders with an interest in home energy ratings. (b) The commission shall adopt the program pursuant to subdivision (a) in consultation with representatives of the Department of Real Estate, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned and municipal utilities, cities and counties, real estate licensees, home builders, mortgage lenders, home appraisers and inspectors, home energy rating organizations, contractors who provide home energy services, consumer groups, and environmental groups. (c) On and after January 1, 1996, no home energy rating services may be performed in this state unless the services have been certified, if such a certification program is available, by the commission to be in compliance with the program criteria specified in subdivision (a) and, in addition, are in conformity with any other applicable element of the program. (d) On or before July 1, 1996, the commission shall consult with the agencies and organizations described in subdivision (b), to facilitate a public information program to inform homeowners, rental property owners, renters, sellers, and others of the existence of the statewide home energy rating program adopted by the commission. (e) The commission shall, as part of the integrated energy policy report prepared pursuant to Section 25302, report on the progress made to implement a statewide home energy rating program. The report shall include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to the program, a comparison of actual energy savings   consumption  and the models or projections used to qualify the rating program, and a recommendation concerning which means and methods will be most efficient and  cost-effective   cost effective  to induce home energy ratings for residential dwellings.