Voluntary Verification Program Act of 2015

To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for the recognition of voluntary verification programs for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Voluntary Verification Program Act of 2015 2. Voluntary verification programs for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products Section 326(b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6296(b) (6) Voluntary verification programs for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products (A) Reliance on voluntary verification programs For the purpose of verifying compliance with energy conservation standards and Energy Star specifications established under sections 324A, 325, and 342 for covered products described in paragraphs (3), (4), (5), (9), and (11) of section 322(a) and covered equipment described in subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (F), (I), (J), and (K) of section 340(1), the Secretary and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (in this paragraph referred to as the Administrator (i) rely on voluntary verification programs that are recognized by the Secretary or the Administrator according to criteria that have consensus support established through a negotiated rulemaking; and (ii) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Voluntary Verification Program Act of 2015 (I) are nationally recognized; (II) maintain a publicly available list of all verified products and equipment; (III) require the changing of the performance rating or removal of the product or equipment from the program if testing determines that the performance rating does not meet the levels the manufacturer has verified to the Secretary or the Administrator; (IV) require the qualification of new participants in the program through testing and production of test reports; (V) allow for challenge testing of products and equipment within the scope of the program; (VI) require program participants to verify the performance rating of all covered products and equipment within the scope of the voluntary verification program; (VII) provide to the Secretary or the Administrator— (aa) prompt notification when program testing results in— (AA) the rerating of the performance rating of a product or equipment; or (BB) the delisting of a product or equipment; and (bb) test reports, on the request of the Secretary or the Administrator, for Energy Star compliant products, which shall be treated as confidential business information as provided for under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act (VIII) meet any additional requirements or standards that the Secretary or the Administrator shall establish consistent with this clause. (B) Administration (i) In general Neither the Secretary nor the Administrator shall require— (I) manufacturers to participate in a voluntary verification program described in subparagraph (A); or (II) participating manufacturers to provide information that can be obtained through a voluntary verification program described in subparagraph (A). (ii) List of covered products The Secretary or the Administrator may maintain a publicly available list of covered products and equipment verified under subparagraph (A) that distinguishes between— (I) covered products and equipment verified by a program described in subparagraph (A); and (II) products not verified by a program described in subparagraph (A). (iii) Periodic verification testing The Secretary and the Administrator shall not subject a manufacturer that participates in a voluntary verification program described in subparagraph (A), and that is in compliance with subparagraph (A)(ii) (I) through (VIII), to additional periodic verification testing to verify the accuracy of the performance rating of the product or equipment, if the voluntary verification program subjects covered products to periodic verification testing and provides test results to the Secretary or the Administrator on request. (iv) Effect on other authority Nothing in this paragraph limits the authority of the Secretary or the Administrator to enforce compliance with any law. .

Summary: Voluntary Verification Program Act of 2015 This bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rely on voluntary programs for certifying manufacturer compliance with energy conservation performance standards and Energy Star specifications for consumer products and industrial equipment. Consumer products are the following: central air conditioners and central air conditioning heat pumps, water heaters, furnaces, direct heating equipment, and pool heaters. Industrial equipment is the following: commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment, automatic commercial ice makers, packaged terminal air-conditioners and packaged terminal heat pumps, warm air furnaces and packaged boilers, and storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, and unfired hot water storage tanks. The consumer products exclude those that are designed solely for use in recreational vehicles and other mobile equipment. DOE and the EPA must initiate a negotiated rulemaking to establish criteria, meeting certain minimum requirements, for achieving recognition by DOE or the EPA as an approved voluntary verification program. Neither DOE nor the EPA may require manufacturers that participate in a voluntary verification program to provide information that can be obtained through the program. If a voluntary program subjects products to periodic verification testing and provides test results to DOE or the EPA on request, DOE and the EPA may not subject participating manufacturers that are in compliance with the program to additional testing to verify the accuracy of the performance rating of the product or equipment.