69–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 115–171 

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 EnVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:35 Jun 14, 2017 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR171.XXX HR171
2 

ergy 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 

3 

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.’’ 

4 

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— 

5 

(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. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ