Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0181 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
2	2	2025 Page 1 of 9
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5	5	VT LEG #380156 v.2
6	6	H.181 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Campbell of St. Johnsbury, Austin of 2
8	8	Colchester, Bluemle of Burlington, Burke of Brattleboro, 3
9	9	Dodge of Essex, Goldman of Rockingham, Headrick of 4
10	10	Burlington, Kleppner of Burlington, Krasnow of South 5
11	11	Burlington, Lalley of Shelburne, Logan of Burlington, Masland 6
12	12	of Thetford, Ode of Burlington, Pouech of Hinesburg, and 7
13	13	Rachelson of Burlington 8
14	14	Referred to Committee on 9
15	15	Date: 10
16	16	Subject: Public service; building energy; building energy codes; residential 11
17	17	building energy standards; commercial building energy standards; 12
18	18	climate change; residential builder registry 13
19	19	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to extend the 14
20	20	term of the Building Energy Code Working Group, to direct the Public Service 15
21	21	Department to establish a framework to attribute savings to building energy 16
22	22	code compliance, to require the Department Public Service to develop 17
23	23	methodology for calculating and reporting greenhouse gas savings annually, 18
24	24	and to make changes to the Residential Builder Registry. 19
25	25	An act relating to Residential and Commercial Building Energy Standards 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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30	30	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
31	31	Sec. 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT 2
32	32	The General Assembly finds: 3
33	33	(1) It is in the public interest to foster standards for buildings fit for 4
34	34	occupancy that are safe, healthful, comfortable, durable, energy efficient, 5
35	35	sustainable, resilient, and practicable. 6
36	36	(2) The five-year Housing Needs Assessment, released by Agency of 7
37	37	Commerce and Community Development in June 2024, found that at least 8
38	38	24,000 and as many as 36,000 housing units must be brought online by 2029. 9
39	39	In addition, the Assessment says about 20,000 existing homes have indications 10
40	40	of housing quality concerns according to 2022 census data. 11
41	41	(3) The Housing Needs Assessment also found that 32 percent of renters 12
42	42	had the income needed to buy a median priced home in 2021; two years later, 13
43	43	in 2023, house prices had risen to the extent that only six percent of renters 14
44	44	could likewise afford to buy a home. 15
45	45	(4) Buildings, whether single family owner-occupied, apartment houses, 16
46	46	or commercial occupancies, typically remain in service for many decades 17
47	47	without major renovation. 18
48	48	(5) As the costs of building increase, the costs of remediating poor or 19
49	49	energy inefficient construction exceed the capability or inclination of many 20
50	50	owners to undertake. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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55	55	(6) Recent floods have further exacerbated Vermont’s housing crisis and 1
56	56	demand for construction workers, and likely brought less experienced builders 2
57	57	into the construction market. 3
58	58	(7) Vermont established the Residential Building Energy Standards 4
59	59	(RBES) in 1997 and the Commercial Building Energy Standards (CBES) in 5
60	60	2007, collectively referred to as “energy codes.” Both energy codes are 6
61	61	mandatory, but studies in recent years show compliance with the RBES at 7
62	62	about 54 percent and CBES at about 87 percent, with both rates declining. 8
63	63	Both codes are scheduled to become more stringent with the goal of “net zero 9
64	64	ready” by 2030. 10
65	65	(8) There is no State agency or office designated to interpret, administer, 11
66	66	and enforce energy codes. The Division of Fire Safety in the Department of 12
67	67	Public Safety is responsible for fire and building safety code in “public 13
68	68	buildings.” The Department of Public Service is responsible for promulgating 14
69	69	and updating RBES and CBES. Neither office has the capacity to administer 15
70	70	or enforce energy codes. 16
71	71	(9) Applicability of energy codes and building codes in Vermont is 17
72	72	inconsistent. The RBES apply to residential buildings up to three stories; the 18
73	73	CBES apply to all other building types. The Division of Fire Safety 19
74	74	jurisdiction encompasses all public buildings, including rented residential 20
75	75	buildings covered by the RBES. However, its fire and building safety code is 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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80	80	based on commercial codes; in residential buildings, it applies only to 1
81	81	apartment buildings four stories and above. While as of late 2024 the Division 2
82	82	of Fire Safety is in the process of considering adopting a residential building 3
83	83	code, currently Vermont has no building code covering residential construction 4
84	84	up to three stories in height. Further, the Department of Public Service has 5
85	85	advised the General Assembly that RBES-enabling legislation does not provide 6
86	86	clear authority for municipalities to administer and enforce the RBES at the 7
87	87	local level. 8
88	88	Sec. 2. 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 151, Sec. 2 is amended to read: 9
89	89	Sec. 2. ENERGY CODE COMPLIANCE; WORKING GROUP 10
90	90	* * * 11
91	91	(f) Meetings. 12
92	92	* * * 13
93	93	(4) The Working Group shall cease to exist on July 1, 2026 30 days after 14
94	94	the General Assembly enacts legislation giving authority to a State entity to 15
95	95	enforce the building energy codes. 16
96	96	* * * 17
97	97	Sec. 3. 30 V.S.A. § 209(d) is amended to read: 18
98	98	(d) Energy efficiency. 19
99	99	* * * 20
100	100	(2) Appointment of independent efficiency entities. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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105	105	(A) Electricity and natural gas. In place of utility-specific programs 1
106	106	developed pursuant to this section and section 218c of this title, the 2
107	107	Commission shall, after notice and opportunity for hearing, provide for the 3
108	108	development, implementation, and monitoring of gas and electric energy 4
109	109	efficiency and conservation programs and measures, including programs and 5
110	110	measures delivered in multiple service territories, by one or more entities 6
111	111	appointed by the Commission for these purposes. The Commission may 7
112	112	include appropriate combined heat and power systems that result in the 8
113	113	conservation and efficient use of energy and meet the applicable air quality 9
114	114	standards of the Agency of Natural Resources. Except with regard to a 10
115	115	transmission company, the Commission may specify that the appointment of 11
116	116	an energy efficiency utility to deliver services within an electric utility’s 12
117	117	service territory satisfies that electric utility’s corresponding obligations, in 13
118	118	whole or in part, under section 218c of this title and under any prior orders of 14
119	119	the Commission. The entities appointed under this subdivision (2) shall 15
120	120	attribute energy savings to building energy code compliance. The Department 16
121	121	of Public Service shall establish a procedure for calculating those building 17
122	122	energy savings. 18
123	123	* * * 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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128	128	Sec. 4. 30 V.S.A. § 51 is amended to read: 1
129	129	§ 51. RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ENERGY STANDARDS; STRETCH 2
130	130	CODE 3
131	131	* * * 4
132	132	(c) Revision and interpretation of energy standards. The Commissioner of 5
133	133	Public Service shall amend and update the RBES by means of administrative 6
134	134	rules adopted in accordance with 3 V.S.A. chapter 25. On or before January 1, 7
135	135	2011, the Commissioner shall complete rulemaking to amend the energy 8
136	136	standards to ensure that, to comply with the standards, residential construction 9
137	137	must be designed and constructed in a manner that complies with the 2009 10
138	138	edition of the IECC. After January 1, 2011, the Commissioner may direct the 11
139	139	timely and appropriate revision of the RBES after the issuance of updated 12
140	140	standards for residential construction under the IECC. The Department of 13
141	141	Public Service shall provide technical assistance and expert advice to the 14
142	142	Commissioner in the interpretation of the RBES and in the formulation of 15
143	143	specific proposals for amending the RBES. Prior to final adoption of each 16
144	144	required revision of the RBES, the Department of Public Service shall convene 17
145	145	an Advisory Committee to include one or more mortgage lenders, builders, 18
146	146	building designers, utility representatives, and other persons with experience 19
147	147	and expertise, such as consumer advocates and energy conservation experts. 20
148	148	The Advisory Committee may provide the Commissioner with additional 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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153	153	recommendations for revision of the RBES after they review the associated 1
154	154	software and handbook guidance for the update. 2
155	155	(1) Any amendments to the RBES shall be: 3
156	156	(A) consistent with duly adopted State energy policy, as specified in 4
157	157	section 202a of this title, and consistent with duly adopted State housing 5
158	158	policy; 6
159	159	(B) evaluated relative to their technical applicability and reliability; 7
160	160	and 8
161	161	(C) cost-effective and affordable from the consumer’s perspective. 9
162	162	(2) Each time the RBES are amended by the Commissioner, the 10
163	163	amended RBES shall become effective upon a date specified in the adopted 11
164	164	rule, a date that shall not be less than three six months after the date of 12
165	165	adoption. Persons commencing residential construction before the effective 13
166	166	date of the amended RBES shall have the option of complying with the 14
167	167	applicable provisions of the earlier or the amended RBES. After the effective 15
168	168	date of the original or the amended RBES, any person commencing residential 16
169	169	construction shall comply with the most recent version of the RBES. 17
170	170	* * * 18
171	171	Sec. 5. 10 V.S.A. § 582 is amended to read: 19
172	172	§ 582. GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES; REGISTRY 20
173	173	* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
174	174	2025 Page 8 of 9
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178	178	(g) Greenhouse gas accounting. 1
179	179	(1) In consultation with the Department of Public Service created under 2
180	180	30 V.S.A. § 1, the Secretary shall research and adopt by rule greenhouse gas 3
181	181	accounting protocols that achieve transparent and accurate life cycle 4
182	182	accounting of greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions of such gases 5
183	183	from the use of fossil fuels and from renewable fuels such as biomass. On 6
184	184	adoption, such protocols shall be the official protocols to be used by any 7
185	185	agency or political subdivision of the State in accounting for greenhouse gas 8
186	186	emissions. 9
187	187	(2) The Department of Public Service, in consultation with the energy 10
188	188	efficiency utilities, the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Home 11
189	189	Weatherization Assistance Program, and any other entities claiming energy or 12
190	190	emissions savings, shall develop a methodology for calculating and reporting 13
191	191	greenhouse gas reductions annually. 14
192	192	Sec. 6. 26 V.S.A. § 5501 is amended to read: 15
193	193	§ 5501. REGISTRATION REQUIRED 16
194	194	(a) A person shall register with the Office of Professional Regulation prior 17
195	195	to contracting with a homeowner to perform residential construction in 18
196	196	exchange for consideration of more than $10,000.00 $2,000.00, including labor 19
197	197	and materials. 20
198	198	* * * 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.181
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203	203	Sec. 7. 26 V.S.A. § 5509 is amended to read: 1
204	204	§ 5509. REQUIREMENTS OF REGISTRANTS 2
205	205	(a) Insurance. A person registered under this chapter shall maintain 3
206	206	minimum liability insurance coverage in the amount of $1,000,000.00 per 4
207	207	occurrence and $2,000,000.00 aggregate, evidence of which may be required 5
208	208	as a precondition to issuance or renewal of a registration if the estimated value 6
209	209	of the labor and materials exceeds $10,000.00. 7
210	210	* * * 8
211	211	Sec. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE 9
212	212	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 10