I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7325 

To make grants to support online training of residential contractors and 

rebates for the energy efficiency upgrades of homes, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2020 

Mr. WELCH (for himself, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. TONKO, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. 

CARSON of Indiana, and Mrs. HAYES) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 

to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To make grants to support online training of residential 

contractors and rebates for the energy efficiency upgrades of homes, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘HOPE for HOMES Act of 2020’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 


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Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—HOPE TRAINING 

Sec. 101. Notice for HOPE Qualification training and grants. 

Sec. 102. Course criteria. 

Sec. 103. HOPE Qualification. 

Sec. 104. Grants. 

Sec. 105. Authorization of appropriations. 

TITLE II—HOME ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT REBATE PROGRAM 

Sec. 201. Establishment of Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program. 

Sec. 202. Partial system rebates. 

Sec. 203. State administered rebates. 

Sec. 204. Special provisions for moderate income households. 

Sec. 205. Evaluation reports to Congress. 

Sec. 206. Administration. 

Sec. 207. Treatment of rebates. 

Sec. 208. Authorization of appropriations. 

TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS 

Sec. 301. Appointment of personnel. 

Sec. 302. Maintenance of funding. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION.—The term 

4 ‘‘contractor certification’’ means an industry recog5 nized certification that may be obtained by a resi6 dential contractor to advance the expertise and edu7 cation of the contractor in energy efficiency retrofits 

8 of residential buildings, including— 

9 (A) a certification provided by— 

10 (i) the Building Performance Insti11 tute; 

12 (ii) the Air Conditioning Contractors 

13 of America; 

14 (iii) the National Comfort Institute; 


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1 (iv) the North American Technician 

2 Excellence; 

3 (v) RESNET; 

4 (vi) the United States Green Building 

5 Council; or 

6 (vii) Home Innovation Research Labs; 

7 and 

8 (B) any other certification the Secretary 

9 determines appropriate for purposes of the 

10 Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Pro11 gram. 

12 (2) CONTRACTOR COMPANY.—The term ‘‘con13 tractor company’’ means a company— 

14 (A) the business of which is to provide 

15 services to residential building owners with re16 spect to HVAC systems, insulation, air sealing, 

17 or other services that are approved by the Sec18 retary; 

19 (B) that holds the licenses and insurance 

20 required by the State in which the company 

21 provides services; and 

22 (C) that provides services for which a par23 tial system rebate, measured performance re24 bate, or modeled performance rebate may be 


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1 provided pursuant to the Home Energy Savings 

2 Retrofit Rebate Program. 

3 (3) ENERGY AUDIT.—The term ‘‘energy audit’’ 

4 means an inspection, survey, and analysis of the en5 ergy use of a building, including the building enve6 lope and HVAC system. 

7 (4) HOME.—The term ‘‘home’’ means a resi8 dential dwelling unit in a building with no more than 

9 4 dwelling units that— 

10 (A) is located in the United States; 

11 (B) was constructed before the date of en12 actment of this Act; and 

13 (C) is occupied at least 6 months out of 

14 the year. 

15 (5) HOME ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT REBATE

16 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Home Energy Savings Ret17 rofit Rebate Program’’ means the Home Energy 

18 Savings Retrofit Rebate Program established under 

19 section 201. 

20 (6) HOMEOWNER.—The term ‘‘homeowner’’ 

21 means the owner of an owner-occupied home or a 

22 tenant-occupied home. 

23 (7) HOME VALUATION CERTIFICATION.—The 

24 term ‘‘home valuation certification’’ means the fol25 lowing home assessments: 


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1 (A) Home Energy Score. 

2 (B) PEARL Certification. 

3 (C) National Green Building Standard. 

4 (D) LEED. 

5 (E) Any other assessment the Secretary 

6 determines to be appropriate. 

7 (8) HOPE QUALIFICATION.—The term ‘‘HOPE 

8 Qualification’’ means the qualification described in 

9 section 103. 

10 (9) HOPE TRAINING CREDIT.—The term 

11 ‘‘HOPE training credit’’ means a HOPE training 

12 task credit or a HOPE training supplemental credit. 

13 (10) HOPE TRAINING TASK CREDIT.—The 

14 term ‘‘HOPE training task credit’’ means a credit 

15 described in section 102(a). 

16 (11) HOPE TRAINING SUPPLEMENTAL CRED17 IT.—The term ‘‘HOPE training supplemental cred18 it’’ means a credit described in section 102(b). 

19 (12) HVAC SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘HVAC sys20 tem’’ means a system— 

21 (A) consisting of a heating component, a 

22 ventilation component, and an air-conditioning 

23 component; and 


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1 (B) which components may include central 

2 air conditioning, a heat pump, a furnace, a boil3 er, a rooftop unit, and a window unit. 

4 (13) MEASURED PERFORMANCE REBATE.—The 

5 term ‘‘measured performance rebate’’ means a re6 bate provided in accordance with section 203 and 

7 described in subsection (e) of that section. 

8 (14) MODELED PERFORMANCE REBATE.—The 

9 term ‘‘modeled performance rebate’’ means a rebate 

10 provided in accordance with section 203 and de11 scribed in subsection (d) of that section. 

12 (15) MODERATE INCOME.—The term ‘‘mod13 erate income’’ means, with respect to a household, a 

14 household with an annual income that is less than 

15 80 percent of the area median income, as deter16 mined annually by the Department of Housing and 

17 Urban Development. 

18 (16) PARTIAL SYSTEM REBATE.—The term 

19 ‘‘partial system rebate’’ means a rebate provided in 

20 accordance with section 202. 

21 (17) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ 

22 means the Secretary of Energy. 

23 (18) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ includes— 

24 (A) a State; 

25 (B) the District of Columbia; 


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1 (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 

2 (D) Guam; 

3 (E) American Samoa; 

4 (F) the Commonwealth of the Northern 

5 Mariana Islands; 

6 (G) the United States Virgin Islands; and 

7 (H) any other territory or possession of the 

8 United States. 

9 (19) STATE ENERGY OFFICE.—The term ‘‘State 

10 energy office’’ means the office or agency of a State 

11 responsible for developing the State energy conserva12 tion plan for the State under section 362 of the En13 ergy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322). 

14 TITLE I—HOPE TRAINING 

15 SEC. 101. NOTICE FOR HOPE QUALIFICATION TRAINING 

16 AND GRANTS. 

17 Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 

18 of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Director of 

19 the Building Technologies Office of the Department of 

20 Energy, shall issue a notice that includes— 

21 (1) criteria established under section 102 for 

22 approval by the Secretary of courses for which cred23 its may be issued for purposes of a HOPE Qualifica24 tion; 


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1 (2) a list of courses that meet such criteria and 

2 are so approved; and 

3 (3) information on how individuals and entities 

4 may apply for grants under this title. 

5 SEC. 102. COURSE CRITERIA. 

6 (a) HOPE TRAINING TASK CREDIT.— 

7 (1) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish 

8 criteria for approval of a course for which a credit, 

9 to be known as a HOPE training task credit, may 

10 be issued, including that such course— 

11 (A) is equivalent to at least 30 hours in 

12 total course time; 

13 (B) is accredited by the Interstate Renew14 able Energy Council or is determined to be 

15 equivalent by the Secretary; 

16 (C) is, with respect to a particular job, 

17 aligned with the relevant National Renewable 

18 Energy Laboratory Job Task Analysis, or other 

19 credentialing program foundation that helps 

20 identify the necessary core knowledge areas, 

21 critical work functions, or skills, as approved by 

22 the Secretary; 

23 (D) has established learning objectives; 

24 and 


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1 (E) includes, as the Secretary determines 

2 appropriate, an appropriate assessment of such 

3 learning objectives that may include a final 

4 exam, to be proctored on-site or through remote 

5 proctoring, or an in-person field exam. 

6 (2) INCLUDED COURSES.—The Secretary shall 

7 approve one or more courses that meet the criteria 

8 described in paragraph (1) for training related to— 

9 (A) contractor certification; 

10 (B) energy auditing or assessment; 

11 (C) home energy systems (including HVAC 

12 systems); 

13 (D) insulation installation and air leakage 

14 control; 

15 (E) health and safety regarding the instal16 lation of energy efficiency measures or health 

17 and safety impacts associated with energy effi18 ciency retrofits; and 

19 (F) indoor air quality. 

20 (b) HOPE TRAINING SUPPLEMENTAL CREDIT CRI21 TERIA.—The Secretary shall establish criteria for approval 

22 of a course for which a credit, to be known as a HOPE 

23 training supplemental credit, may be issued, including 

24 that such course provides— 

25 (1) training related to— 


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1 (A) small business success, including man2 agement, home energy efficiency software, or 

3 general accounting principles; 

4 (B) the issuance of a home valuation cer5 tification; 

6 (C) the use of wifi-enabled technology in 

7 an energy efficiency upgrade; or 

8 (D) understanding and being able to par9 ticipate in the Home Energy Savings Retrofit 

10 Rebate Program; and 

11 (2) as the Secretary determines appropriate, an 

12 appropriate assessment of such training that may in13 clude a final exam, to be proctored on-site or 

14 through remote proctoring, or an in-person field 

15 exam. 

16 (c) EXISTING APPROVED COURSES.—The Secretary 

17 may approve a course that meets the applicable criteria 

18 established under this section that is approved by the ap19 plicable State energy office or relevant State agency with 

20 oversight authority for residential energy efficiency pro21 grams. 

22 (d) IN-PERSON AND ONLINE TRAINING.—An online 

23 course approved pursuant to this section may be con24 ducted in-person, but may not be offered exclusively in25 person. 


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1 SEC. 103. HOPE QUALIFICATION. 

2 (a) ISSUANCE OF CREDITS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, or an entity 

4 authorized by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph 

5 (2), may issue— 

6 (A) a HOPE training task credit to any 

7 individual that completes a course that meets 

8 applicable criteria under section 102; and 

9 (B) a HOPE training supplemental credit 

10 to any individual that completes a course that 

11 meets the applicable criteria under section 102. 

12 (2) OTHER ENTITIES.—The Secretary may au13 thorize a State energy office implementing an au14 thorized program under subsection (b)(2), an organi15 zation described in section 104(b), and any other en16 tity the Secretary determines appropriate, to issue 

17 HOPE training credits in accordance with para18 graph (1). 

19 (b) HOPE QUALIFICATION.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may certify 

21 that an individual has achieved a qualification, to be 

22 known as a HOPE Qualification, that indicates that 

23 the individual has received at least 3 HOPE training 

24 credits, of which at least 2 shall be HOPE training 

25 task credits. 


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1 (2) STATE PROGRAMS.—The Secretary may au2 thorize a State energy office to implement a pro3 gram to provide HOPE Qualifications in accordance 

4 with this title. 

5 SEC. 104. GRANTS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, to the extent 

7 amounts are made available in appropriations Acts for 

8 such purposes, provide grants to support the training of 

9 individuals toward the completion of a HOPE Qualifica10 tion. 

11 (b) PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide a 

13 grant of up to $20,000 under this section to an or14 ganization to provide training online, including es15 tablishing, modifying, or maintaining the online sys16 tems, staff time, and software and online program 

17 management, through a course that meets the appli18 cable criteria established under section 102. 

19 (2) CRITERIA.—In order to receive a grant 

20 under this subsection, an organization shall be— 

21 (A) a nonprofit organization; 

22 (B) an educational institution; or 

23 (C) an organization that has experience 

24 providing training to contractors that work with 

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1 mented under part A of title IV of the Energy 

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

3 6861 et seq.) or equivalent experience, as deter4 mined by the Secretary. 

5 (3) ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.—In addition 

6 to any grant provided under paragraph (1), the Sec7 retary may provide an organization up to $5,000 for 

8 each additional course for which a HOPE training 

9 credit may be issued that is offered by the organiza10 tion. 

11 (c) CONTRACTOR COMPANY.—The Secretary may 

12 provide a grant under this section of $1,000 per employee 

13 to a contractor company, up to a maximum of $10,000, 

14 to reimburse the contractor company for training costs for 

15 employees, and any home technology support needed for 

16 an employee to receive training pursuant to this section. 

17 Grant funds provided under this subsection may be used 

18 to support wages of employees during training. 

19 (d) TRAINEES.—The Secretary may provide a grant 

20 of up to $1,000 under this section to an individual who 

21 receives a HOPE Qualification. 

22 (e) STATE ENERGY OFFICE.—The Secretary may 

23 provide a grant under this section to a State energy office 

24 of up to $25,000 to implement an authorized program 

25 under section 103(b). 


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1 SEC. 105. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 this title $500,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2020 

4 through 2025. 

5 TITLE II—HOME ENERGY SAV6 INGS RETROFIT REBATE PRO7 GRAM 

8 SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF HOME ENERGY SAVINGS 

9 RETROFIT REBATE PROGRAM. 

10 The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known 

11 as the Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program, 

12 to— 

13 (1) provide rebates in accordance with section 

14 202; and 

15 (2) provide grants to States to carry out pro16 grams to provide rebates in accordance with section 

17 203. 

18 SEC. 202. PARTIAL SYSTEM REBATES. 

19 (a) AMOUNT OF REBATE.—In carrying out the Home 

20 Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program, and subject to 

21 the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the 

22 Secretary shall provide a homeowner a rebate, to be known 

23 as a partial system rebate, of, except as provided in section 

24 204, up to— 


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1 (1) $800 for the purchase and installation of 

2 insulation and air sealing within a home of the 

3 homeowner; and 

4 (2) $1,500 for the purchase and installation of 

5 insulation and air sealing within a home of the 

6 homeowner and replacement of an HVAC system, 

7 the heating component of an HVAC system, or the 

8 cooling component of an HVAC system, of such 

9 home. 

10 (b) SPECIFICATIONS.— 

11 (1) COST.—The amount of a partial system re12 bate provided under this section shall, except as pro13 vided in section 204, not exceed 30 percent of cost 

14 of the purchase and installation of insulation and air 

15 sealing under subsection (a)(1), or the purchase and 

16 installation of insulation and air sealing and replace17 ment of an HVAC system, the heating component of 

18 an HVAC system, or the cooling component of an 

19 HVAC system, under subsection (a)(2). Labor may 

20 be included in such cost but may not exceed— 

21 (A) in the case of a rebate under sub22 section (a)(1), 50 percent of such cost; and 

23 (B) in the case of a rebate under sub24 section (a)(2), 25 percent of such cost. 


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1 (2) REPLACEMENT OF AN HVAC SYSTEM, THE

2 HEATING COMPONENT OF AN HVAC SYSTEM, OR THE

3 COOLING COMPONENT OF AN HVAC SYSTEM.—In 

4 order to qualify for a partial system rebate described 

5 in subsection (a)(2)— 

6 (A) any HVAC system, heating component 

7 of an HVAC system, or cooling component of 

8 an HVAC system installed shall be Energy Star 

9 Most Efficient certified; 

10 (B) installation of such an HVAC system, 

11 the heating component of an HVAC system, or 

12 the cooling component of an HVAC system, 

13 shall be completed in accordance with standards 

14 specified by the Secretary that are at least as 

15 stringent as the applicable guidelines of the Air 

16 Conditioning Contractors of America that are in 

17 effect on the date of enactment of this Act; 

18 (C) if ducts are present, replacement of an 

19 HVAC system, the heating component of an 

20 HVAC system, or the cooling component of an 

21 HVAC system shall include duct sealing; and 

22 (D) the installation of insulation and air 

23 sealing shall occur within 6 months of the re24 placement of the HVAC system, the heating 


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1 component of an HVAC system, or the cooling 

2 component of an HVAC system. 

3 (c) ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES FOR CONTRACTORS.— 

4 In carrying out the Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate 

5 Program, the Secretary may provide a $250 payment to 

6 a contractor per home for which— 

7 (1) a partial system rebate is provided under 

8 this section for the installation of insulation and air 

9 sealing, or installation of insulation and air sealing 

10 and replacement of an HVAC system, the heating 

11 component of an HVAC system, or the cooling com12 ponent of an HVAC system, by the contractor; 

13 (2) the applicable homeowner has signed and 

14 submitted to the Secretary a release form made 

15 available pursuant to section 206(b) authorizing the 

16 contractor access to information in the utility bills of 

17 the homeowner; and 

18 (3) the contractor inputs, into the Department 

19 of Energy’s Building Performance Database— 

20 (A) the energy usage for the home for the 

21 12 months preceding, and the 24 months fol22 lowing, the installation of insulation and air 

23 sealing or installation of insulation and air seal24 ing and replacement of an HVAC system, the 


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1 heating component of an HVAC system, or the 

2 cooling component of an HVAC system; 

3 (B) a description of such installation or in4 stallation and replacement; and 

5 (C) the total cost to the homeowner for 

6 such installation or installation and replace7 ment. 

8 (d) PROCESS.— 

9 (1) FORMS; REBATE PROCESSING SYSTEM.— 

10 Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

11 of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 

12 Secretary of the Treasury, shall— 

13 (A) develop and make available rebate 

14 forms required to receive a partial system re15 bate under this section; 

16 (B) establish a Federal rebate processing 

17 system which shall serve as a database and in18 formation technology system that will allow 

19 homeowners to submit required rebate forms; 

20 and 

21 (C) establish a website that provides infor22 mation on partial system rebates provided 

23 under this section, including how to determine 

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1 bate under this section and how to receive such 

2 a rebate. 

3 (2) SUBMISSION OF FORMS.—In order to re4 ceive a partial system rebate under this section, a 

5 homeowner shall submit the required rebate forms, 

6 and any other information the Secretary determines 

7 appropriate, to the Federal rebate processing system 

8 established pursuant to paragraph (1). 

9 (e) FUNDING.— 

10 (1) LIMITATION.—For each fiscal year, the Sec11 retary may not use more than 50 percent of the 

12 amounts made available to carry out this title to 

13 carry out this section. 

14 (2) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary shall allocate 

15 amounts made available to carry out this section for 

16 partial system rebates among the States using the 

17 same formula as is used to allocate funds for States 

18 under part D of title III of the Energy Policy and 

19 Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.). 

20 SEC. 203. STATE ADMINISTERED REBATES. 

21 (a) FUNDING.—In carrying out the Home Energy 

22 Savings Retrofit Rebate Program, and subject to the 

23 availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Sec24 retary shall provide grants to States to carry out programs 

25 to provide rebates in accordance with this section. 


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1 (b) STATE PARTICIPATION.— 

2 (1) PLAN.—In order to receive a grant under 

3 this section a State shall submit to the Secretary an 

4 application that includes a plan to implement a 

5 State program that meets the minimum criteria 

6 under subsection (c). 

7 (2) APPROVAL.—Not later than 60 days after 

8 receipt of a completed application for a grant under 

9 this section, the Secretary shall either approve the 

10 application or provide to the applicant an expla11 nation for denying the application. 

12 (c) MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR STATE PROGRAMS.— 

13 Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 

14 this Act, the Secretary shall establish and publish min15 imum criteria for a State program to meet to qualify for 

16 funding under this section, including— 

17 (1) that the State program be carried out by 

18 the applicable State energy office or its designee; 

19 (2) that a rebate be provided under a State pro20 gram only for a home energy efficiency retrofit 

21 that— 

22 (A) is completed by a contractor who 

23 meets minimum training requirements and cer24 tification requirements set forth by the Sec25 retary; 


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1 (B) includes installation of one or more 

2 home energy efficiency retrofit measures for a 

3 home that together are modeled to achieve, or 

4 are shown to achieve, a reduction in home en5 ergy use of 20 percent or more from the base6 line energy use of the home; 

7 (C) does not include installation of any 

8 measure that the Secretary determines does not 

9 improve the thermal energy performance of the 

10 home, such as a pool pump, pool heater, spa, or 

11 EV charger; and 

12 (D) includes, after installation of the appli13 cable home energy efficiency retrofit measures, 

14 a test-out procedure conducted in accordance 

15 with guidelines issued by the Secretary of such 

16 measures to ensure— 

17 (i) the safe operation of all systems 

18 post retrofit; and 

19 (ii) that all improvements are included 

20 in, and have been installed according to— 

21 (I) manufacturers installation 

22 specifications; and 

23 (II) all applicable State and local 

24 codes or equivalent standards ap25 proved by the Secretary; 


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1 (3) that the State program utilize— 

2 (A) for purposes of modeled performance 

3 rebates, modeling software approved by the Sec4 retary for determining and documenting the 

5 baseline energy use of a home and the reduc6 tions in home energy use resulting from the im7 plementation of a home energy efficiency ret8 rofit; and 

9 (B) for purposes of measured performance 

10 rebates, methods and procedures approved by 

11 the Secretary for determining and documenting 

12 the baseline energy use of a home and the re13 ductions in home energy use resulting from the 

14 implementation of a home energy efficiency ret15 rofit, including methods and procedures for use 

16 of advanced metering infrastructure, weather17 normalized data, and open source standards, to 

18 measure such baseline energy use and such re19 ductions in home energy use; 

20 (4) that the State program include implementa21 tion of a quality assurance program— 

22 (A) to ensure that home energy efficiency 

23 retrofits are achieving the stated level of energy 

24 savings, that efficiency measures were installed 

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1 ance with procedures developed by the Sec2 retary, including through quality-control inspec3 tions for a portion of home energy efficiency 

4 retrofits completed by each applicable con5 tractor; and 

6 (B) under which a quality-control inspec7 tion of a home energy efficiency retrofit is per8 formed by a quality assurance provider who— 

9 (i) is independent of the contractor 

10 for such retrofit; and 

11 (ii) will confirm that such contractor 

12 is a contractor who meets minimum train13 ing requirements and certification require14 ments set forth by the Secretary; 

15 (5) that the State program include require16 ments for a homeowner, contractor, or rebate 

17 aggregator to claim a rebate, including that the 

18 homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator submit 

19 any applicable forms approved by the Secretary to 

20 the State, including a copy of the certificate pro21 vided by the applicable contractor certifying pro22 jected or measured reduction of home energy use; 

23 (6) that the State program may include require24 ments for an entity to be eligible to serve as a rebate 


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1 aggregator to facilitate the delivery of rebates to 

2 homeowners or contractors; 

3 (7) that the State program include procedures 

4 for a homeowner to transfer the right to claim a re5 bate to the contractor performing the applicable 

6 home energy efficiency retrofit or to a rebate 

7 aggregator that works with the contractor; and 

8 (8) that the State program provide that a 

9 homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator may 

10 claim more than one rebate under the State pro11 gram, and may claim a rebate under the State pro12 gram after receiving a partial system rebate under 

13 section 202, provided that no 2 rebates may be pro14 vided with respect to a home using the same baseline 

15 energy use of such home. 

16 (d) MODELED PERFORMANCE REBATES.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a State pro18 gram under this section, a State may provide a 

19 homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator a re20 bate, to be known as a modeled performance rebate, 

21 for an energy audit of a home and a home energy 

22 efficiency retrofit that is projected, using modeling 

23 software approved by the Secretary, to reduce home 

24 energy use by at least 20 percent. 

25 (2) AMOUNT.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

2 section 204, and subject to subparagraph (B), 

3 the amount of a modeled performance rebate 

4 provided under a State program shall be equal 

5 to 50 percent of the cost of the applicable en6 ergy audit of a home and home energy effi7 ciency retrofit, including the cost of diagnostic 

8 procedures, labor, reporting, and modeling. 

9 (B) LIMITATION.—Except as provided in 

10 section 204, with respect to an energy audit 

11 and home energy efficiency retrofit that is pro12 jected to reduce home energy use by— 

13 (i) at least 20 percent, but less than 

14 40 percent, the maximum amount of a 

15 modeled performance rebate shall be 

16 $2,000; and 

17 (ii) at least 40 percent, the maximum 

18 amount of a modeled performance rebate 

19 shall be $4,000. 

20 (e) MEASURED PERFORMANCE REBATES.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a State pro22 gram under this section, a State may provide a 

23 homeowner, contractor, or rebate aggregator a re24 bate, to be known as a measured performance re25 bate, for a home energy efficiency retrofit that reVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jul 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7325.IH H7325

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1 duces home energy use by at least 20 percent as 

2 measured using methods and procedures approved 

3 by the Secretary. 

4 (2) AMOUNT.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

6 section 204, and subject to subparagraph (B), 

7 the amount of a measured performance rebate 

8 provided under a State program shall be equal 

9 to 50 percent of the cost, including the cost of 

10 diagnostic procedures, labor, reporting, and en11 ergy measurement, of the applicable home en12 ergy efficiency retrofit. 

13 (B) LIMITATION.—Except as provided in 

14 section 204, with respect to a home energy effi15 ciency retrofit that is measured as reducing 

16 home energy use by— 

17 (i) at least 20 percent, but less than 

18 40 percent, the maximum amount of a 

19 measured performance rebate shall be 

20 $2,000; and 

21 (ii) at least 40 percent, the maximum 

22 amount of a measured performance rebate 

23 shall be $4,000. 

24 (f) COORDINATION OF REBATE AND EXISTING

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1 GRAMS.—A State that receives a grant under this section 

2 is encouraged to work with State agencies, energy utilities, 

3 nonprofits, and other entities— 

4 (1) to assist in marketing the availability of the 

5 rebates under the applicable State program; 

6 (2) to coordinate with utility or State managed 

7 financing programs; 

8 (3) to assist in implementation of the applicable 

9 State program, including installation of home energy 

10 efficiency retrofits; and 

11 (4) to coordinate with existing quality assur12 ance programs. 

13 (g) ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT.— 

14 (1) REVIEW OF APPROVED MODELING SOFT15 WARE.—The Secretary shall, on an annual basis, list 

16 and review all modeling software approved for use in 

17 determining and documenting the reductions in 

18 home energy use for purposes of modeled perform19 ance rebates under subsection (d). In approving such 

20 modeling software each year, the Secretary shall en21 sure that modeling software approved for a year will 

22 result in modeling of energy efficiency gains for any 

23 type of home energy efficiency retrofit that is at 

24 least as substantial as the modeling of energy effi25 ciency gains for such type of home energy efficiency 


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1 retrofit using the modeling software approved for 

2 the previous year. 

3 (2) OVERSIGHT.—If the Secretary determines 

4 that a State is not implementing a State program 

5 that was approved pursuant to subsection (b) and 

6 that meets the minimum criteria under subsection 

7 (c), the Secretary may, after providing the State a 

8 period of at least 90 days to meet such criteria, 

9 withhold grant funds under this section from the 

10 State. 

11 SEC. 204. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR MODERATE INCOME 

12 HOUSEHOLDS. 

13 (a) CERTIFICATIONS.—The Secretary shall establish 

14 procedures for certifying that the household of a home15 owner is moderate income for purposes of this section. 

16 (b) PERCENTAGES.—Subject to subsection (c), for 

17 households of homeowners that are certified pursuant to 

18 the procedures established under subsection (a) as mod19 erate income the— 

20 (1) amount of a partial system rebate under 

21 section 202 shall not exceed 60 percent of the appli22 cable purchase and installation costs described in 

23 section 202(b)(1); and 

24 (2) amount of— 


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1 (A) a modeled performance rebate under 

2 section 203 provided shall be equal to 80 per3 cent of the applicable costs described in section 

4 203(d)(2)(A); and 

5 (B) a measured performance rebate under 

6 section 203 provided shall be equal to 80 per7 cent of the applicable costs described in section 

8 203(e)(2)(A). 

9 (c) MAXIMUM AMOUNTS.—For households of home10 owners that are certified pursuant to the procedures estab11 lished under subsection (a) as moderate income the max12 imum amount— 

13 (1) of a partial system rebate— 

14 (A) under section 202(a)(1) for the pur15 chase and installation of insulation and air seal16 ing within a home of the homeowner shall be 

17 $1,600; and 

18 (B) under section 202(a)(2) for the pur19 chase and installation of insulation and air seal20 ing within a home of the homeowner and re21 placement of an HVAC system, the heating 

22 component of an HVAC system, or the cooling 

23 component of an HVAC system, of such home, 

24 shall be $3,000; 


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1 (2) of a modeled performance rebate under sec2 tion 203 for an energy audit and home energy effi3 ciency retrofit that is projected to reduce home en4 ergy use as described in— 

5 (A) section 203(d)(2)(B)(i) shall be 

6 $4,000; and 

7 (B) section 203(d)(2)(B)(ii) shall be 

8 $8,000; and 

9 (3) of a measured performance rebate under 

10 section 203 for a home energy efficiency retrofit that 

11 reduces home energy use as described in— 

12 (A) section 203(e)(2)(B)(i) shall be 

13 $4,000; and 

14 (B) section 203(e)(2)(B)(ii) shall be 

15 $8,000. 

16 (d) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall establish proce17 dures to— 

18 (1) provide information to households of home19 owners that are certified pursuant to the procedures 

20 established under subsection (a) as moderate income 

21 regarding other programs and resources relating to 

22 assistance for energy efficiency upgrades of homes, 

23 including the weatherization assistance program im24 plemented under part A of title IV of the Energy 


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1 Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 

2 et seq.); and 

3 (2) refer such households, as applicable, to such 

4 other programs and resources. 

5 SEC. 205. EVALUATION REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter until 

8 the termination of the Home Energy Savings Retrofit Re9 bate Program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 

10 report on the use of funds made available to carry out 

11 this title. 

12 (b) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under sub13 section (a) shall include— 

14 (1) how many home energy efficiency retrofits 

15 have been completed during the previous year under 

16 the Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program; 

17 (2) an estimate of how many jobs have been 

18 created through the Home Energy Savings Retrofit 

19 Rebate Program, directly and indirectly; 

20 (3) a description of what steps could be taken 

21 to promote further deployment of energy efficiency 

22 and renewable energy retrofits; 

23 (4) a description of the quantity of verifiable 

24 energy savings, homeowner energy bill savings, and 


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1 other benefits of the Home Energy Savings Retrofit 

2 Rebate Program; 

3 (5) a description of any waste, fraud, or abuse 

4 with respect to funds made available to carry out 

5 this title; and 

6 (6) any other information the Secretary con7 siders appropriate. 

8 SEC. 206. ADMINISTRATION. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide such 

10 administrative and technical support to contractors, rebate 

11 aggregators, States, and Indian Tribes as is necessary to 

12 carry out this title. 

13 (b) INFORMATION COLLECTION.—The Secretary 

14 shall establish, and make available to a homeowner, or the 

15 homeowner’s designated representative, seeking a rebate 

16 under this title, release forms authorizing access by the 

17 Secretary, or a designated third-party representative to in18 formation in the utility bills of the homeowner with appro19 priate privacy protections in place. 

20 SEC. 207. TREATMENT OF REBATES. 

21 For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 

22 gross income shall not include any rebate received under 

23 this title. 


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1 SEC. 208. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro3 priated to the Secretary to carry out this title 

4 $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 

5 2025, to remain available until expended. 

6 (b) TRIBAL ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 

7 available pursuant to subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the 

8 Secretary shall work with Indian Tribes and use 2 percent 

9 of such amounts to carry out a program or programs that 

10 as close as possible reflect the goals, requirements, and 

11 provisions of this title, taking into account any factors 

12 that the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

13 TITLE III—GENERAL 

14 PROVISIONS 

15 SEC. 301. APPOINTMENT OF PERSONNEL. 

16 Notwithstanding the provisions of title 5, United 

17 States Code, regarding appointments in the competitive 

18 service and General Schedule classifications and pay rates, 

19 the Secretary may appoint such professional and adminis20 trative personnel as the Secretary considers necessary to 

21 carry out this Act. 

22 SEC. 302. MAINTENANCE OF FUNDING. 

23 Each State receiving Federal funds pursuant to this 

24 Act shall provide reasonable assurances to the Secretary 

25 that it has established policies and procedures designed 

26 to ensure that Federal funds provided under this Act will 


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1 be used to supplement, and not to supplant, State and 

2 local funds. 

Æ 


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