I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7240 

To update and expand the requirements for energy efficiency for federally 

assisted housing, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2020 

Mr. CASTEN of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To update and expand the requirements for energy efficiency 

for federally assisted housing, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Housing Efficiency 

5 Standards Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS. 

7 Section 109 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Af8 fordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12709) is amended to 

9 read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 109. ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS. 

2 ‘‘(a) COVERED BUILDINGS.—The requirements in 

3 this section shall apply to— 

4 ‘‘(1) new construction of public and assisted 

5 housing and single family and multifamily residen6 tial housing subject to mortgages insured under the 

7 National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 

8 ‘‘(2) new construction of single family and mul9 tifamily housing subject to mortgages insured, guar10 anteed, or made by the Secretary of Agriculture 

11 under title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 

12 1471 et seq.); and 

13 ‘‘(3) rehabilitation and new construction of pub14 lic and assisted housing funded under the United 

15 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et 

16 seq.). 

17 ‘‘(b) INITIAL REQUIREMENT.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning 1 year after the 

19 date of enactment of this section, all new construc20 tion and rehabilitation of housing specified in sub21 section (a), but not including any manufactured 

22 home, shall meet the requirements of the 2018 

23 International Energy Conservation Code (in this sec24 tion referred to as the ‘IECC’), or, in the case of 

25 multifamily high rises, the requirements of ANSI/ 

26 ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1–2019. 


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1 ‘‘(2) MANUFACTURED HOMES.—Beginning 1 

2 year after the date of enactment of this section, all 

3 new construction of manufactured homes specified in 

4 subsection (a) shall meet— 

5 ‘‘(A) the requirements of Energy Star Cer6 tified Manufactured Homes; or 

7 ‘‘(B) the standards issued by the Secretary 

8 of Energy under section 413 of the Energy 

9 Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 

10 U.S.C. 17071) when such standards are issued. 

11 ‘‘(c) REVISIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the requirements of the 

13 IECC, or, in the case of multifamily high rises, 

14 ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, are revised, all 

15 new construction and rehabilitation of housing sub16 ject to subsection (b)(1) shall meet the requirements 

17 of the revised code or standard beginning 1 year 

18 after— 

19 ‘‘(A) the Secretary of Energy makes a de20 termination under section 304 of the Energy 

21 Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 6833) that the revised code or standard would 

23 improve energy efficiency; or 


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1 ‘‘(B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban 

2 Development makes a positive determination 

3 under paragraph (3). 

4 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) of this sub5 section shall not apply to any category of housing 

6 with respect to which the Secretary of Housing and 

7 Urban Development or the Secretary of Agriculture 

8 determines that compliance with such revised code 

9 or standard would not be technologically feasible or 

10 economically justified. 

11 ‘‘(3) DETERMINATION.—If the Secretary of En12 ergy fails to make a determination under section 

13 304 of the Energy Conservation and Production Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 6833) by the deadline under such sec15 tion, within 1 year of such deadline the Secretary of 

16 Housing and Urban Development shall determine 

17 whether compliance with such revised code or stand18 ard will improve energy efficiency, be technologically 

19 feasible, and be economically justified for housing 

20 subject to subsection (b)(1). 

21 ‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL OR DIFFERENT STANDARDS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing 

23 and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agri24 culture may jointly or separately establish additional 

25 or different energy efficiency requirements for housVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:33 Jul 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7240.IH H7240

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1 ing specified in subsection (a) if they are at least as 

2 stringent as the code or standard applicable under 

3 this section. 

4 ‘‘(2) CONTINUATION OF EXISTING REQUIRE5 MENTS.—Any energy efficiency requirements for new 

6 construction and rehabilitation of housing specified 

7 in subsection (a) established by the Secretary of 

8 Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of 

9 Agriculture prior to the date of the enactment of the 

10 Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 2020 shall re11 main in effect to the extent they are more stringent 

12 than the code or standard applicable under this sec13 tion. 

14 ‘‘(e) IMPLEMENTATION.— 

15 ‘‘(1) GUIDANCE REGARDING STANDARDS.—The 

16 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and 

17 the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise guidance, 

18 handbooks, builder certifications, and other relevant 

19 documents to incorporate the requirements under 

20 this section— 

21 ‘‘(A) not later than the expiration of the 

22 10-month period beginning on the date of the 

23 enactment of the Housing Efficiency Standards 

24 Act of 2020; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) in the case of a positive determina2 tion under subparagraph (A) or (B) of sub3 section (c)(1), not later than the expiration of 

4 the 10-month period beginning on the date of 

5 such determination. 

6 ‘‘(2) EFFECTIVE DATES.—The Secretary of 

7 Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of 

8 Agriculture may set an effective date for the applica9 ble code or standard for one or more category of 

10 housing that is earlier than the effective date speci11 fied in subsection (b) or (c). 

12 ‘‘(3) COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary of Housing 

13 and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agri14 culture shall— 

15 ‘‘(A) within 1 year after the date of the en16 actment of the Housing Efficiency Standards 

17 Act of 2020, develop plans for increasing and 

18 measuring compliance with the requirements of 

19 this section, including builder and mortgage fi20 nance institution training; 

21 ‘‘(B) within 1 year after the date of the 

22 determinations specified in subsection (c) up23 date such plans; and 


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1 ‘‘(C) implement the plans in a timely man2 ner.’’. 

Æ 


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