2025 -- S 0631
========
LC002239
========
S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE
Introduced By: Senators Gu, and Bissaillon
Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
Referred To: Senate Commerce
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-100.1.5.4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled 1
"State Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
23-27.3-100.1.5.4. State energy conservation code. 3
(a) The state building code standards committee (“committee”) shall adopt an energy 4
conservation code that shall be based on appropriate nationally and internationally recognized 5
models, and shall promulgate and administer the energy conservation code. The energy 6
conservation code shall contain provisions pertaining to, but not limited to, the construction of 7
buildings, the use of renewable energy resources in buildings, the efficient use of energy within 8
buildings, and the orientation of buildings on their sites. The state energy conservation code shall 9
at a minimum: 10
(1) For residential or commercial buildings, meet or exceed the most recently published 11
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings. 12
The state building code standards committee shall revise the state energy conservation code to 13
comply with this requirement within one year of any update to the International Energy 14
Conservation Code; provided, however, that the 2021 IECC published by the International Code 15
Council shall not be adopted and the 2024 IECC published by the International Code Council shall 16
be adopted within (3) three months of its release; and provided further that, future versions of the 17
IECC published by the International Code Council between 2025-2029 shall only be adopted by 18
the state building code standards committee upon a state department of business regulation 19
LC002239 - Page 2 of 3
determination, in conjunction with the state building code standards committee, that the particular 1
version of the IECC is more energy efficient that the version then in use in the state. The department 2
of business regulation shall make the determination within three (3) months of the release of any 3
update to the IECC between 2025-2029. 4
(2) Within one year of the release of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, the 5
state building code standards committee shall revise the state energy conservation code to meet or 6
exceed the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code’s electric readiness provisions. 7
(b) No later than six (6) months after the adoption of the building code(s) described in 8
subsection (a) of this section, the state building code standards committee shall develop a plan to 9
achieve compliance with the building code(s) described in subsection (a) of this section in at least 10
ninety percent (90%) of new and renovated residential and commercial building space in the state. 11
Such plan shall include active training and enforcement programs and measurement of the rate of 12
compliance each year. 13
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14
========
LC002239
========
LC002239 - Page 3 of 3
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE
***
This act would establish a moratorium on changes to the state energy conservation code 1
from the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code until January 1, 2030, unless approved by 2
the legislature and made effective by the governor. 3
This act would take effect upon passage. 4
========
LC002239
========