Title: Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 2020
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 2020
This bill updates energy efficiency requirements for new construction or rehabilitation of certain federally assisted housing, as well as for new construction of manufactured housing.
Specifically, new construction or rehabilitation of certain federally assisted housing must comply with recently updated energy efficiency standards issued by certain industry bodies. Current law requires compliance with older versions of these standards.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture may establish additional or different energy efficiency requirements if they are at least as stringent as the otherwise applicable standards.
Additionally, new construction of manufactured housing must comply with standards issued by certain industry bodies or by the Department of Energy.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7240 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS.

    Section 109 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing 
Act (42 U.S.C. 12709) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 109. ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS.

    ``(a) Covered Buildings.--The requirements in this section shall 
apply to--
            ``(1) new construction of public and assisted housing and 
        single family and multifamily residential housing subject to 
        mortgages insured under the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 
        1701 et seq.);
            ``(2) new construction of single family and multifamily 
        housing subject to mortgages insured, guaranteed, or made by 
        the Secretary of Agriculture under title V of the Housing Act 
        of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.); and
            ``(3) rehabilitation and new construction of public and 
        assisted housing funded under the United States Housing Act of 
        1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.).
    ``(b) Initial Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Beginning 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this section, all new construction and 
        rehabilitation of housing specified in subsection (a), but not 
        including any manufactured home, shall meet the requirements of 
        the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (in this 
        section referred to as the `IECC'), or, in the case of 
        multifamily high rises, the requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 
        Standard 90.1-2019.
            ``(2) Manufactured homes.--Beginning 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this section, all new construction of 
        manufactured homes specified in subsection (a) shall meet--
                    ``(A) the requirements of Energy Star Certified 
                Manufactured Homes; or
                    ``(B) the standards issued by the Secretary of 
                Energy under section 413 of the Energy Independence and 
                Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17071) when such 
                standards are issued.
    ``(c) Revisions.--
            ``(1) In general.--If the requirements of the IECC, or, in 
        the case of multifamily high rises, ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 
        90.1, are revised, all new construction and rehabilitation of 
        housing subject to subsection (b)(1) shall meet the 
        requirements of the revised code or standard beginning 1 year 
        after--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of Energy makes a determination 
                under section 304 of the Energy Conservation and 
                Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6833) that the revised code 
                or standard would improve energy efficiency; or
                    ``(B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                Development makes a positive determination under 
                paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 
        not apply to any category of housing with respect to which the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of 
        Agriculture determines that compliance with such revised code 
        or standard would not be technologically feasible or 
        economically justified.
            ``(3) Determination.--If the Secretary of Energy fails to 
        make a determination under section 304 of the Energy 
        Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6833) by the 
        deadline under such section, within 1 year of such deadline the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall determine 
        whether compliance with such revised code or standard will 
        improve energy efficiency, be technologically feasible, and be 
        economically justified for housing subject to subsection 
        (b)(1).
    ``(d) Additional or Different Standards.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development and the Secretary of Agriculture may jointly or 
        separately establish additional or different energy efficiency 
        requirements for housing specified in subsection (a) if they 
        are at least as stringent as the code or standard applicable 
        under this section.
            ``(2) Continuation of existing requirements.--Any energy 
        efficiency requirements for new construction and rehabilitation 
        of housing specified in subsection (a) established by the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of 
        Agriculture prior to the date of the enactment of the Housing 
        Efficiency Standards Act of 2020 shall remain in effect to the 
        extent they are more stringent than the code or standard 
        applicable under this section.
    ``(e) Implementation.--
            ``(1) Guidance regarding standards.--The Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agriculture 
        shall revise guidance, handbooks, builder certifications, and 
        other relevant documents to incorporate the requirements under 
        this section--
                    ``(A) not later than the expiration of the 10-month 
                period beginning on the date of the enactment of the 
                Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 2020; and
                    ``(B) in the case of a positive determination under 
                subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (c)(1), not later 
                than the expiration of the 10-month period beginning on 
                the date of such determination.
            ``(2) Effective dates.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development or the Secretary of Agriculture may set an 
        effective date for the applicable code or standard for one or 
        more category of housing that is earlier than the effective 
        date specified in subsection (b) or (c).
            ``(3) Compliance.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development and the Secretary of Agriculture shall--
                    ``(A) within 1 year after the date of the enactment 
                of the Housing Efficiency Standards Act of 2020, 
                develop plans for increasing and measuring compliance 
                with the requirements of this section, including 
                builder and mortgage finance institution training;
                    ``(B) within 1 year after the date of the 
                determinations specified in subsection (c) update such 
                plans; and
                    ``(C) implement the plans in a timely manner.''.
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