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[House Report 115-171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

115th Congress    }                                      {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session      }                                      {    115-171

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         STREAMLINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR SCHOOLS ACT OF 2017

                                _______
                                

 June 12, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Walden, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 627]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 627) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act to provide for the dissemination of information regarding 
available Federal programs relating to energy efficiency 
projects for schools, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     1
Committee Action.................................................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     2
Oversight Findings and Recommendations...........................     2
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     2
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     2
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     2
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     2
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     2
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     3
Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits.......     3
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................     3
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     3
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     3
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     3
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     4

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 627 would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
to direct the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to establish a 
clearinghouse for disseminating information regarding available 
Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to 
help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, 
distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for 
schools.

                            Committee Action

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce has not held hearings 
on the legislation.
    On June 7, 2017, the full Committee on Energy and Commerce 
met in open markup session and ordered H.R. 627, without 
amendment, favorably reported to the House by unanimous 
consent.

                            Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the 
record votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments 
thereto. There were no record votes taken in connection with 
ordering H.R. 627 reported.

                 Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    Pursuant to clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII, the Committee has not held hearings on this 
legislation.

   New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII, the Committee 
finds that H.R. 627 would result in no new or increased budget 
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or 
revenues.

                  Congressional Budget Office Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII, at the time this 
report was filed, the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not available.

                       Federal Mandates Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general 
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to amend 
the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish a 
clearinghouse for disseminating information regarding available 
Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to 
help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, 
distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for 
schools.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of 
H.R. 627 is known to be duplicative of another Federal program, 
including any program that was included in a report to Congress 
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the most recent 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. At the time this report was 
filed, the estimate was not available.

       Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits

    Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 
Committee finds that H.R. 627 contains no earmarks, limited tax 
benefits, or limited tariff benefits.

                  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings

    Pursuant to section 3(i) of H. Res. 5, the Committee finds 
that H.R. 627 contains no directed rule makings.

                      Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                  Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

             Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides that the Act may be cited as the 
``Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2017.''

Section 2. Coordination of energy retrofitting assistance for schools

    Section 2 would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act to direct the Secretary of Energy, acting through the 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to establish 
a clearinghouse for disseminating information regarding 
available Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be 
used to help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, 
distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for 
schools.
    In establishing the clearinghouse, the Secretary must 
consult with appropriate Federal agencies to develop a list of 
available Federal programs and financing mechanisms; and 
coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies to develop a 
collaborative education and outreach effort to streamline 
communications and promote available Federal programs and 
financing mechanisms.
    Section 2 also defines the term ``school.''

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

TITLE III--IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

Part G--Energy Conservation Program for Schools and Hospitals

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                               guidelines

  Sec. 392. (a) the Secretary shall, by rule, not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this part--
          (1) prescribe guidelines for the conduct of 
        preliminary energy audits, including a description of 
        the type, number, and distribution of preliminary 
        energy audits of school and hospital facilities that 
        will provide a reasonably accurate evaluation of the 
        energy conservation needs of all such facilities in 
        each State, and
          (2) prescribe guidelines for the conduct of energy 
        audits.
  (b) The Secretary shall, by rule, not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this part, prescribe guidelines 
for State plans for the implementation of energy conservation 
projects in schools and hospitals. The guidelines shall 
include--
          (1) a description of the factors which the State 
        energy agency may consider in determining which energy 
        conservation projects will be given priority in making 
        grants pursuant to this part, including such factors as 
        cost, energy consumption, energy savings, and energy 
        conservation goals,
          (2) a description of the suggested criteria to be 
        used in establishing a State program to identify 
        persons qualified to implement energy conservation 
        projects, and
          (3) a description of the types of energy conservation 
        measures deemed appropriate for each region of the 
        Nation.
  (c) Guidelines prescribed under this section may be revised 
from time to time after notice and opportunity for comment.
  (d) The Secretary shall, by rule prescribe criteria for 
determining schools and hospitals which are in a class of 
severe hardship. Such criteria shall take into account climate, 
fuel costs, fuel availability, ability to provide the non-
Federal share of the costs, and such other factors that he 
deems appropriate.
  (e) Coordination of Energy Retrofitting Assistance for 
Schools.--
          (1) Definition of school.--Notwithstanding section 
        391(6), for the purposes of this subsection, the term 
        ``school'' means--
                  (A) an elementary school or secondary school 
                (as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary 
                and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                7801));
                  (B) an institution of higher education (as 
                defined in section 102(a) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)));
                  (C) a school of the defense dependents' 
                education system under the Defense Dependents' 
                Education Act of 1978 (20 U.S.C. 921 et seq.) 
                or established under section 2164 of title 10, 
                United States Code;
                  (D) a school operated by the Bureau of Indian 
                Affairs;
                  (E) a tribally controlled school (as defined 
                in section 5212 of the Tribally Controlled 
                Schools Act of 1988 (25 U.S.C. 2511)); and
                  (F) a Tribal College or University (as 
                defined in section 316(b) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))).
          (2) Establishment of clearinghouse.--The Secretary, 
        acting through the Office of Energy Efficiency and 
        Renewable Energy, shall establish a clearinghouse to 
        disseminate information regarding available Federal 
        programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to 
        help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, 
        distributed generation, and energy retrofitting 
        projects for schools.
          (3) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall--
                  (A) consult with appropriate Federal agencies 
                to develop a list of Federal programs and 
                financing mechanisms that are, or may be, used 
                for the purposes described in paragraph (2); 
                and
                  (B) coordinate with appropriate Federal 
                agencies to develop a collaborative education 
                and outreach effort to streamline 
                communications and promote available Federal 
                programs and financing mechanisms described in 
                subparagraph (A), which may include the 
                development and maintenance of a single online 
                resource that includes contact information for 
                relevant technical assistance in the Office of 
                Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy that 
                States, local education agencies, and schools 
                may use to effectively access and use such 
                Federal programs and financing mechanisms.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

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