SEC. 6. BLUE RIBBON PANEL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The National Institute of 
Building Sciences shall establish a blue ribbon panel to 
provide independent advice and counsel to the Adminis-
trator on policy issues associated with the conservation of 
energy in residential, commercial, and Federal buildings, 
green building design systems, the health of the indoor 
environment, and reduction of water use and waste out-
put. 
(b) APPOINTMENT.—The blue ribbon panel shall be 
appointed by the Board of Directors of the National Insti-
tute of Building Sciences. Appointees shall represent all 
sectors that are knowledgeable about or affected by green 
buildings, including architects, professional engineers, gov-
ernment officials, representatives of consumer organiza-
tions, representatives of construction labor organizations, 
product manufacturers, builders, housing management ex-
perts, and experts in building standards, codes, research, 
testing, and fire safety. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the blue ribbon 
panel shall report to Congress on the results of study to 
determine best practices for quantifying the information 
necessary to make informed property investment decisions, 
including with respect to buildings that meet carbon-neu-
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tral emission standards and use green building design 
practices. 
SEC. 7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the National Institute of Building Sciences 
shall report to Congress on the estimated amount of fund-
ing necessary for research and development on green 
building design in the United States. Such report shall in-
clude recommendations on further policies needed to pro-
mote green building design. 
SEC. 8. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION STANDARDS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Institute 
of Building Sciences shall establish standards for the con-
struction of new commercial and residential buildings that 
will reduce carbon emissions, compared to emissions from 
similar buildings in 2003, by— 
(1) 40 percent by 2010; and 
(2) 70 percent by 2020. 
(b) COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Effective 6 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, no State shall receive 
funding under this Act unless it demonstrates to the 
satisfaction of the Administrator that— 
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(A) the State (and all of the local jurisdic-
tions within the State) has— 
(i) adopted the standards established 
under subsection (a); and 
(ii) fully implemented such standards; 
or 
(B) technical barriers exist that prevent 
such adoption and implementation. 
(2) SUPPORTING
INFORMATION.—In order to 
make a demonstration to the Administrator under 
paragraph (1), a State shall receive, and submit to 
the Administrator, reports from all local jurisdic-
tions in the State on how many building permits 
were issued each year and how many of these per-
mits met the standards established under subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 9. STUDY OF USE OF FHA ENERGY EFFICIENT MORT-
GAGE PROGRAM. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study of the program of the Sec-
retary of Housing and Urban Development for energy effi-
cient mortgages insured under title II of the National 
Housing Act, established and operated pursuant to section 
106 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 12712 
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note) and expanded in 1995 pursuant to subsection (b) 
of such section, to determine— 
(1) the extent to which such program is utilized 
by mortgagors in the United States; 
(2) any impediments to wider or more efficient 
use of such program, including any such impedi-
ments relating to— 
(A) knowledge of or about the program; 
and 
(B) the terms, limitations, or operation of 
the program; 
(3) effective actions which may be taken to in-
crease utilization of the program by mortgagors in 
the United States. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than the expiration of the 
6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the 
Congress a report describing the findings of the study pur-
suant to subsection (a) and setting forth recommendations 
for actions under subsection (a)(3). 
SEC. 10. HEALTHY, HIGH-PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Adminis-
trator of the Environmental Protection Agency, acting 
through the National Institute of Building Sciences, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Sec-
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retary of Education, is authorized to award grants to 
State educational agencies to permit such State edu-
cational agencies to carry out this section. 
(b) SUBGRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 
receiving a grant under this section shall use funds 
made available under the grant to award subgrants 
to local educational agencies to permit such local 
educational agencies to carry out the activities de-
scribed in subsection (e). 
(2) LIMITATION.—A State educational agency 
shall award subgrants under this subsection to local 
educational agencies that are the neediest, as deter-
mined by the State, and that have made a commit-
ment to develop healthy, high-performance school 
buildings in accordance with the plan developed and 
approved under subsection (c)(1). 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) PLANS.—A State educational agency shall 
award subgrants under this section only to local edu-
cational agencies that, in consultation with the State 
educational agency and State agencies with respon-
sibilities relating to energy and health, have devel-
oped plans that the State educational agency deter-
mines to be feasible and appropriate in order to 
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