Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB51 Latest Draft

Bill / House Committee Report Version Filed 02/01/2025

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                            82R426 MCK-D
 By: Lucio III, Cook, et al. H.B. No. 51


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to energy efficiency standards for certain buildings and
 to high-performance design, construction, and renovation standards
 for certain government buildings and facilities.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 2166, Government Code, is
 amended by adding Section 2166.409 to read as follows:
 Sec. 2166.409.  HIGH-PERFORMANCE, SUSTAINABLE DESIGN,
 CONSTRUCTION, AND RENOVATION STANDARDS FOR STATE BUILDINGS.  (a)
 This section applies to the construction of a state building, or the
 renovation of a state building the cost of which is more than 50
 percent of the value of the building, including a building for
 education, assembly, or office occupancy under the charge and
 control of the Texas Department of Transportation, the Parks and
 Wildlife Department, the Texas Department of Housing and Community
 Affairs, the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, or the
 Veterans' Land Board that is otherwise exempt from this chapter
 under Section 2166.003.  This section does not apply to a facility
 under the charge and control of the Texas Department of Criminal
 Justice or the Texas Youth Commission.
 (b)  A building to which this section applies must be
 designed and constructed or renovated so that the building achieves
 certification under a high-performance building standard approved
 by the commission that:
 (1)  is developed and revised through a nationally
 recognized consensus-based process or by a municipally owned
 utility in this state;
 (2)  provides minimum requirements for energy use,
 natural resources use, and indoor air quality;
 (3)  requires substantiating documentation for
 certification;
 (4)  requires on-site, third-party, post-construction
 review and verification for certification, or a third-party,
 post-construction, rigorous review of documentation and
 verification for certification; and
 (5)  encourages the use of materials or products
 manufactured or produced in this state.
 (c)  The commission shall appoint an advisory committee to
 advise the commission in determining which high-performance
 building standards to approve for use under Subsection (b).  At
 least once each year the advisory committee shall review available
 high-performance building standards and make recommendations to
 the commission.  The advisory committee consists of:
 (1)  the director of facilities construction and space
 management appointed under Section 2152.104, who serves as the
 presiding officer of the committee;
 (2)  seven individuals with experience and expertise in
 high-performance buildings or related products, including
 experience and expertise in energy efficiency, water efficiency, or
 low-impact site development, with one individual selected from each
 of the following lists of nominees:
 (A)  a list submitted by the president of the
 Texas Society of Architects;
 (B)  a list submitted by the presidents of the
 Texas Council of Engineering Companies and Texas Society of
 Professional Engineers;
 (C)  a list submitted by the president of the
 Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas and the presiding
 officer of the executive committee of the Associated General
 Contractors, Texas Building Branch;
 (D)  a list submitted by the president of the
 Texas chapter of the Urban Land Institute;
 (E)  a list submitted by the president of the
 Texas chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects;
 (F)  a list submitted by the president of the
 Texas Chemical Council; and
 (G)  a list of registered interior designers
 submitted by the president of the Texas Association of Interior
 Design;
 (3)  one individual appointed by the comptroller who
 represents the State Energy Conservation Office;
 (4)  one individual representing a state agency that
 has a substantial ongoing construction program; and
 (5)  one individual representing the interests of
 historically underutilized businesses.
 (d)  In addition to meeting the requirements of Subsection
 (b), a building to which this section applies must be designed and
 constructed or renovated so that the building:
 (1)  meets the American Society of Heating,
 Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers energy standards in
 effect on September 1, 2011, or the International Energy
 Conservation Code in effect on September 1, 2011, or an updated
 version of those standards or that code adopted by the State Energy
 Conservation Office under Subsection (e), if applicable; and
 (2)  achieves a 15 percent reduction in water use when
 compared to water use based on plumbing fixtures selected in
 accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. No. 102-486).
 (e)  If the State Energy Conservation Office determines,
 based on written recommendations from the Energy Systems Laboratory
 at the Texas Engineering Experiment Station of The Texas A&M
 University System, that the latest published edition of the
 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
 Engineers energy standards or the International Energy
 Conservation Code will result in energy efficiency and air quality
 that is equivalent to or better than the energy efficiency and air
 quality achievable under the editions described by Subsection
 (d)(1), the office by rule shall adopt the equivalent or more
 stringent editions and substitute them for the standards or code
 described by Subsection (d)(1).  The rule, if adopted, must
 establish an effective date for the new standards or code but not
 earlier than nine months after the date of adoption. The laboratory
 shall make its recommendations not later than six months after the
 date of publication of the new editions.
 (f)  A contract between the commission and a private design
 professional relating to services in connection with the
 construction or renovation of a building to which this section
 applies must provide that, for billing purposes, any service
 provided by the private design professional that is necessary to
 satisfy the requirements of Subsection (b) or (d) is considered an
 additional service rather than a basic service.
 SECTION 2.  The heading to Chapter 46, Education Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 CHAPTER 46.  [ASSISTANCE WITH] INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES AND
 ASSISTANCE WITH PAYMENT OF EXISTING DEBT
 SECTION 3.  Chapter 46, Education Code, is amended by adding
 Subchapter D to read as follows:
 SUBCHAPTER D.  STANDARDS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES
 Sec. 46.101.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter,
 "instructional facility" has the meaning assigned by Section
 46.001.
 Sec. 46.102.  ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION STANDARDS
 FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES. (a) In this section, "energy
 office" means the State Energy Conservation Office.
 (b)  The energy office shall adopt energy efficiency and
 conservation standards for the design, construction, and major
 renovation of instructional facilities that school districts may
 adopt or use to achieve long-term savings in energy and water costs
 through innovative building techniques.
 (c)  The standards adopted under Subsection (b) must match
 high-performance building certification standards that:
 (1)  are developed and revised through a
 consensus-based process or by a municipally owned utility in this
 state;
 (2)  provide minimum requirements for energy use,
 natural resources use, and indoor air quality;
 (3)  require substantiating documentation for
 certification;
 (4)  employ third-party, post-construction review and
 verification for certification; and
 (5)  the energy office determines are nationally
 recognized in the building industry, such as:
 (A)  the Texas Collaborative for High Performance
 Schools (TX-CHPS) Criteria;
 (B)  the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes
 program;
 (C)  the Leadership in Energy and Environmental
 Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System; or
 (D)  the Austin Energy Green Building Program.
 (d)  The energy office may update the standards adopted under
 this section not more frequently than once every three years.
 (e)  The energy office shall prepare an analysis of the
 typical initial building costs and projected energy and other
 savings associated with the implementation of the standards adopted
 by the energy office under this section. The office shall publish
 the analysis and make copies available to all school districts in
 this state.
 (f)  The energy office shall adopt rules necessary to
 administer this section.
 Sec. 46.103.  STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS. The energy office
 shall, to the extent possible, assist school districts to obtain
 state and federal funding for implementing the standards adopted
 under this subchapter.
 SECTION 4.  Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is
 amended by adding Section 55.115 to read as follows:
 Sec. 55.115.  HIGH-PERFORMANCE, SUSTAINABLE DESIGN,
 CONSTRUCTION, AND RENOVATION STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN FACILITIES.  (a)
 This section applies to the construction of an institution of
 higher education building, structure, or other facility, or the
 renovation of a building, structure, or other facility the cost of
 which is more than 50 percent of the value of the building,
 structure, or other facility, any part of the construction or
 renovation of which is financed by revenue bonds issued under this
 subchapter.
 (b)  A building, structure, or other facility to which this
 section applies must be designed and constructed or renovated so
 that the building, structure, or other facility complies with
 high-performance building standards, approved by the board of
 regents of the institution, that provide minimum requirements for
 energy use, natural resources use, and indoor air quality.  In
 approving high-performance building standards, a board of regents
 shall consider the standards approved by the Texas Facilities
 Commission under Section 2166.409, Government Code, and may solicit
 and consider recommendations from the advisory committee appointed
 under that section.
 (c)  In addition to meeting the requirements of Subsection
 (b), a building, structure, or other facility to which this section
 applies must be designed and constructed or renovated to comply
 with the applicable energy and water conservation design standards
 established by the State Energy Conservation Office under Section
 447.004, Government Code.
 SECTION 5.  Chapter 2311, Government Code, as added by
 Chapter 1408 (H.B. 4409), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular
 Session, 2009, is repealed.
 SECTION 6.  Not later than July 1, 2012, the State Energy
 Conservation Office shall adopt rules establishing energy
 efficiency, conservation, and indoor air quality standards for the
 design, construction, and renovation of public school
 instructional facilities as required by Section 46.102, Education
 Code, as added by this Act.
 SECTION 7.  Section 55.115, Education Code, and Section
 2166.409, Government Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an
 institution of higher education building, structure, or other
 facility or a state building for which the contract for design
 services is entered into on or after September 1, 2013.
 SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.