By: Geren (Senate Sponsor - Hughes) H.B. No. 3215
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2021;
May 6, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Business &
Commerce; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to energy efficiency building standards.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 388.003(i), (j), and (k), Health and
Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
(i) A building certified by a national, state, or local
accredited energy efficiency program and determined by the
laboratory to be in compliance with the energy efficiency
requirements of this section may, at the option of the
municipality, be considered in compliance. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program
certification of energy code equivalency shall be considered in
compliance. A home energy rating system index utilizing Standard
301 of the American National Standard for the Calculation and
Labeling of the Energy Performance of Dwelling and Sleeping Units
using an Energy Rating Index, commonly cited as ANSI/RESNET/ICC
301, as it existed on January 1, 2021, [The Energy Rating Index
Compliance Alternative or subsequent alternative compliance path]
as described by Subsection (j) shall be considered in compliance
provided that:
(1) the building meets the mandatory requirements of
Section R406.2 of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code;
and
(2) the building thermal envelope is equal to or
greater than the levels of efficiency and solar heat gain
coefficient in Table R402.1.2 or Table R402.1.4 of the 2018
International Energy Conservation Code.
(j) For the purposes of this chapter, Standard 301 of the
American National Standard for the Calculation and Labeling of the
Energy Performance of Dwelling and Sleeping Units using an Energy
Rating Index, commonly cited as ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301, as it existed
on January 1, 2021, [the Energy Rating Index Compliance Alternative
or subsequent alternative compliance path] used to measure
compliance for single-family residential construction [in an
optional compliance path of the energy efficiency chapter of the
International Residential Code] that uses an energy rating index is
as follows:
(1) for climate zone 2, an energy rating index of:
(A) [65 or lower from September 1, 2016, to
August 31, 2019;
[(B)] 63 or lower from September 1, 2019, to
August 31, 2022; [and]
(B) [(C)] 59 or lower on or after September 1,
2022;
(C) 57 or lower on or after September 1, 2025; and
(D) 55 or lower on or after September 1, 2028;
(2) for climate zone 3, an energy rating index of:
(A) [65 or lower from September 1, 2016, to
August 31, 2019;
[(B)] 63 or lower from September 1, 2019, to
August 31, 2022; [and]
(B) [(C)] 59 or lower on or after September 1,
2022; [and]
(C) 57 or lower on or after September 1, 2025; and
(D) 55 or lower on or after September 1, 2028; and
(3) for climate zone 4, an energy rating index of:
(A) [69 or lower from September 1, 2016, to
August 31, 2019;
[(B)] 67 or lower from September 1, 2019, to
August 31, 2022; [and]
(B) [(C)] 63 or lower on or after September 1,
2022;
(C) 61 or lower on or after September 1, 2025; and
(D) 59 or lower on or after September 1, 2028.
(k) This subsection and Subsection (j) expire September 1,
2031 [2025].
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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