Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB929 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8073 JXC-F
2	2	By: Fraser S.B. No. 929
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to building energy efficiency performance standards;
8	8	establishing the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 388.003(b-1), Health and Safety Code, as
11	11	added by Chapter 939 (H.B. 3693), Acts of the 80th Legislature,
12	12	Regular Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
13	13	(b-1) The [If the] State Energy Conservation Office may
14	14	adopt and substitute for the energy codes described by Subsection
15	15	(a) or (b) [determines, based on written recommendations from the
16	16	laboratory, that the energy efficiency provisions of] the latest
17	17	published edition [editions] of the International Residential Code
18	18	energy efficiency provisions or the latest published edition of the
19	19	International Energy Conservation Code, based on written findings
20	20	from the laboratory on the stringency of the editions and comments
21	21	and recommendations from the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory
22	22	Committee [for residential or commercial energy efficiency and air
23	23	quality are equivalent to or more stringent than the provisions of
24	24	editions adopted under Subsection (a) or (b), the office by rule may
25	25	adopt and substitute in the energy code the equivalent or more
26	26	stringent editions for of the initial editions described by
27	27	Subsection (a) or (b)]. The [If the State Energy Conservation
28	28	Office adopts the latest published editions of the International
29	29	Residential Code or the International Energy Conservation Code into
30	30	the energy code, the] office:
31	31	(1) may not adopt an edition under this subsection
32	32	more often than once every six years; and
33	33	(2) shall establish by rule an effective date for an
34	34	adopted edition [the new editions] that is not earlier than nine
35	35	months after the date of adoption. [The laboratory shall submit
36	36	recommendations concerning the latest published editions of the
37	37	International Residential Code or the International Energy
38	38	Conservation Code not later than six months after publication of
39	39	new editions.]
40	40	SECTION 2. Section 388.003, Health and Safety Code, is
41	41	amended by amending Subsections (b-3) and (i) and adding Subsection
42	42	(b-4) to read as follows:
43	43	(b-3) The [In developing written recommendations under
44	44	Subsection (b-1), the] laboratory shall:
45	45	(1) submit findings on the stringency of the latest
46	46	published edition of the International Residential Code energy
47	47	efficiency provisions and of the International Energy Conservation
48	48	Code to the State Energy Conservation Office not later than six
49	49	months after publication of a new edition; and
50	50	(2) in developing the findings, consider the comments
51	51	submitted under Subsection (b-2) and the comments and
52	52	recommendations of the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory
53	53	Committee on the latest published editions.
54	54	(b-4) The State Energy Conservation Office may amend or
55	55	establish an energy rating index that is used to measure compliance
56	56	in a voluntary compliance path of an energy code edition before
57	57	adopting the edition under Subsection (b-1). The office may adopt
58	58	an energy rating index for each climate zone in this state.
59	59	(i) A local amendment adopted under Subsection (d) may not
60	60	conflict with the compliance paths described by this subsection. A
61	61	building certified by a national, state, or local accredited energy
62	62	efficiency program and determined by the laboratory to be in
63	63	compliance with the energy efficiency requirements of this section
64	64	shall [may, at the option of the municipality,] be considered in
65	65	compliance. The United States Environmental Protection Agency's
66	66	Energy Star Program certification of energy code equivalency shall
67	67	be considered in compliance. An energy rating index in a voluntary
68	68	compliance path of an energy code adopted by the State Energy
69	69	Conservation Office under Subsection (b-1) shall be considered in
70	70	compliance.
71	71	SECTION 3. Chapter 388, Health and Safety Code, is amended
72	72	by adding Section 388.0035 to read as follows:
73	73	Sec. 388.0035. BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY ADVISORY
74	74	COMMITTEE. (a) The State Energy Conservation Office shall
75	75	establish the Building Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.
76	76	(b) The advisory committee is appointed by the State Energy
77	77	Conservation Office and composed of 13 members who have an interest
78	78	in the adoption of energy codes.
79	79	(c) The advisory committee must include:
80	80	(1) two commercial builders who are members of a
81	81	statewide trade association;
82	82	(2) two residential builders who are members of a
83	83	statewide trade association;
84	84	(3) two building code officials;
85	85	(4) two members who represent environmental groups;
86	86	(5) two members who are certified as energy raters by
87	87	the Residential Energy Services Network or a comparable
88	88	organization or certified as code inspectors by the International
89	89	Code Council;
90	90	(6) one member who is an architect registered under
91	91	Chapter 1051, Occupations Code, or engineer licensed under Chapter
92	92	1001, Occupations Code;
93	93	(7) one member who represents the electric utility
94	94	industry; and
95	95	(8) one public member.
96	96	(d) Chapter 2110, Government Code, applies to the
97	97	committee, except for Sections 2110.002 and 2110.008.
98	98	(e) The committee may submit to the laboratory and the State
99	99	Energy Conservation Office:
100	100	(1) comments on energy codes under consideration for
101	101	adoption under Section 388.003(b-1); and
102	102	(2) recommended energy rating indexes for each climate
103	103	zone in this state that may be used to measure compliance in a
104	104	voluntary compliance path recognized by the International
105	105	Residential Code energy efficiency provisions or the International
106	106	Energy Conservation Code.
107	107	SECTION 4. Section 388.003(b-1), Health and Safety Code, as
108	108	added by Chapter 262 (S.B. 12), Acts of the 80th Legislature,
109	109	Regular Session, 2007, is repealed.
110	110	SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2016, the State Energy
111	111	Conservation Office shall appoint the members of the Building
112	112	Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee as provided by Section
113	113	388.0035, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
114	114	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
115	115	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
116	116	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
117	117	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
118	118	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.