Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB212 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0212
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 212
8	8	E4 5lr0841
9	9	HB 210/24 – ENT & ECM (PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Delegate Acevero
11	11	Requested: September 17, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation and Economic Matters
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Maryland Building Performance Standards – Fossil Fuel Use and 2
20	20	Electric–Ready Standards 3
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to adopt, on or before a 4
23	23	certain date and as part of the Maryland Building Performance Standards, a 5
24	24	requirement that new buildings meet all energy demands of the building without the 6
25	25	use of fossil fuels and an electric–ready standard for certain buildings; and generally 7
26	26	relating to the Maryland Building Performance Standards. 8
27	27
28	28	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
29	29	Article – Public Safety 10
30	30	Section 12–503 11
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 12
32	32	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
33	33
34	34	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
35	35	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
36	36
37	37	Article – Public Safety 16
38	38
39	39	12–503. 17
40	40
41	41	(a) (1) The Department shall adopt by regulation, as the Maryland Building 18
42	42	Performance Standards, the International Building Code, including the International 19
43	43	Energy Conservation Code, with the modifications incorporated by the Department under 20
44	44	subsection (b) of this section. 21
45	45
46	46	(2) The Department shall adopt each subsequent version of the Standards 22
47	47	within 18 months after it is issued. 23
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 212
49	49
50	50
51	51	(b) (1) Before adopting each version of the Standards, the Department shall: 1
52	52
53	53	(i) review the International Building Code to determine whether 2
54	54	modifications should be incorporated in the Standards; 3
55	55
56	56	(ii) consider changes to the International Building Code to enhance 4
57	57	energy conservation and efficiency; 5
58	58
59	59	(iii) subject to the provisions of paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection, 6
60	60	adopt modifications to the Standards that allow any innovative approach, design, 7
61	61	equipment, or method of construction that can be demonstrated to offer performance that 8
62	62	is at least the equivalent to the requirements of: 9
63	63
64	64	1. the International Energy Conservation Code; 10
65	65
66	66	2. Chapter 13, “Energy Efficiency”, of the International 11
67	67	Building Code; or 12
68	68
69	69	3. Chapter 11, “Energy Efficiency”, of the International 13
70	70	Residential Code; 14
71	71
72	72	(iv) accept written comments; 15
73	73
74	74	(v) consider any comments received; and 16
75	75
76	76	(vi) hold a public hearing on each proposed modification. 17
77	77
78	78	(2) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, 18
79	79	PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION , and § 12–510 of this subtitle, the Department 19
80	80	may not adopt, as part of the Standards, a modification of a building code requirement that 20
81	81	is more stringent than the requirement in the International Building Code. 21
82	82
83	83	(ii) The Department may adopt energy conservation requirements 22
84	84	that are more stringent than the requirements in the International Energy Conservation 23
85	85	Code, but may not adopt energy conservation requirements that are less stringent than the 24
86	86	requirements in the International Energy Conservation Code. 25
87	87
88	88	(3) (I) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 26
89	89	ADOPT, AS PART OF THE STANDARDS: 27
90	90
91	91	1. SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGR APHS (II) AND (III) OF THIS 28
92	92	PARAGRAPH , A REQUIREMENT THAT N EW BUILDINGS MEET AL L ENERGY DEMANDS 29
93	93	OF THE BUILDING WITH OUT THE USE OF FOSSI L FUELS; AND 30
94	94
95	95	2. AN ELECTRIC–READY STANDARD FOR N EW BUILDINGS 31
96	96	THAT RECEIVE A WAIVE R UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH . 32 HOUSE BILL 212 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	(II) THE REQUIREMENT THAT NEW BUILDINGS MEET A LL 1
101	101	ENERGY DEMANDS WITHOUT THE USE OF F OSSIL FUELS UNDER PA RAGRAPH (1) OF 2
102	102	THIS SUBSECTION SHAL L BE MET: 3
103	103
104	104	1. ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2027, FOR A BUILDING: 4
105	105
106	106	A. THAT WILL BE LESS TH AN SEVEN STORIES TAL L; AND 5
107	107
108	108	B. FOR WHICH A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION I S 6
109	109	RECEIVED BY A LOCAL JURISDICTION ; AND 7
110	110
111	111	2. ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2031, FOR A BUILDING: 8
112	112
113	113	A. THAT WILL BE SEVEN O R MORE STORIES TALL ; AND 9
114	114
115	115	B. FOR WHICH A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION I S 10
116	116	RECEIVED BY A LOCAL JURISDICTION. 11
117	117
118	118	(III) 1. SUBJECT TO SUBSUBPARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 OF THIS 12
119	119	SUBPARAGRAPH , A LOCAL JURISDICTION MAY GRANT A WAIVER F ROM THE 13
120	120	REQUIREMENT UNDER SU BPARAGRAPH (I)1 OF THIS PARAGRAPH FO R: 14
121	121
122	122	A. EMERGENCY BACK –UP POWER SYSTEMS FOR NEW 15
123	123	BUILDINGS; AND 16
124	124
125	125	B. NEW BUILDINGS SPECIF ICALLY DES IGNATED FOR 17
126	126	OCCUPANCY BY A COMME RCIAL FOOD ESTABLISH MENT, LABORATORY , 18
127	127	LAUNDROMAT , HOSPITAL, OR CREMATORIUM . 19
128	128
129	129	2. A. A WAIVER GRANTED UNDER 20
130	130	SUBSUBPARAGRAPH 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH SHALL BE LIMITED TO BUILDING 21
131	131	SYSTEMS AND AREAS TH AT CANNOT FEASIBLY U SE ENERGY GENERATED FROM A 22
132	132	SOURCE OTHER THAN FO SSIL FUELS. 23
133	133
134	134	B. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATI ONS ARE NOT A SUFFIC IENT 24
135	135	BASIS FOR DETERMININ G FEASIBILITY UNDER SUBSUBSUBPARAGRAPH A OF THIS 25
136	136	SUBSUBPARAGRAPH . 26
137	137
138	138	3. A BUILDING THAT IS GRA NTED A WAIVER UNDER 27
139	139	SUBSUBPARAGRA PH 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH SHALL: 28
140	140
141	141	A. SEEK TO MINIMIZE EMI SSIONS FROM ITS FOSS IL FUEL 29
142	142	USE; 30 4 HOUSE BILL 212
143	143
144	144
145	145
146	146	B. MAXIMIZE HEALTH , SAFETY, AND FIRE PROTECTION ; 1
147	147	AND 2
148	148
149	149	C. BE REQUIRED TO COMPL Y WITH THE 3
150	150	ELECTRIC–READY STANDARDS ADOP TED UNDER SUBPARAGRA PH (I)2 OF THIS 4
151	151	PARAGRAPH . 5
152	152
153	153	4. TO ENSURE A WAIVER GR ANTED UNDER 6
154	154	SUBSUBPARAGRAPH 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH IS STILL NECESSARY , THE WAIVER 7
155	155	SHALL BE REVIEWED : 8
156	156
157	157	A. EACH TIME THE STANDARDS ARE MODIFIE D BY THE 9
158	158	DEPARTMENT ; AND 10
159	159
160	160	B. BY THE LOCAL JURISDI CTION THAT GRANTED T HE 11
161	161	WAIVER EACH TIME THE LOCAL JURISDICTION M ODIFIES ITS LOCAL AM ENDMENTS 12
162	162	UNDER § 12–504 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 13
163	163
164	164	(IV) NOTHING IN THIS PARAG RAPH MAY BE CONSTRUE D TO 14
165	165	PROHIBIT A LOCAL JUR ISDICTION FROM PROHI BITING THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS IN 15
166	166	BUILDINGS. 16
167	167
168	168	(c) The Standards apply to each building or structure in the State for which a 17
169	169	building permit application is received by a local jurisdiction on or after August 1, 1995. 18
170	170
171	171	(d) In addition to the Standards, the Department shall: 19
172	172
173	173	(1) on or before January 1, 2023, adopt by regulation the 2018 20
174	174	International Green Construction Code; and 21
175	175
176	176	(2) adopt each subsequent version of the Code within 18 months after it is 22
177	177	issued. 23
178	178
179	179	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or be fore December 1, 24
180	180	2026, the Maryland Department of Labor, in conjunction with the Maryland Energy 25
181	181	Administration, the Public Service Commission, and the Department of Housing and 26
182	182	Community Development, shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly, in 27
183	183	accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on any policy changes needed 28
184	184	to ensure the provisions under § 12–503(b)(3) of the Public Safety Article, as enacted by 29
185	185	Section 1 of this Act, do not diminish the availability of affordable housing or the 30
186	186	affordability of electricity for customers in all–electric buildings, including changes to: 31
187	187
188	188	(1) electricity rates and tariff structures; 32
189	189
190	190	(2) laws; 33 HOUSE BILL 212 5
191	191
192	192
193	193
194	194	(3) policies; 1
195	195
196	196	(4) regulations; and 2
197	197
198	198	(5) subsidy programs. 3
199	199
200	200	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTH ER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
201	201	October 1, 2025. 5
202	202