An Act To Clarify the Limits of the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0997
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: HINCK, BARTLETT, BERRY, FLETCHER, RICHARDSON, TREAT, WATSON, PERRY, SIMPSON
Amends: 10 MRSA §9722, 10 MRSA §9724

124th MAINE LEGISLATURE. 
Legislative Document 
No. 997 
H.P.685 
House of Representatives, March 12,2009 
An Act To Clarify the Limits of the Maine Uniform Building and 
Energy Code 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered plinted. 
Presented by Representative HINCK of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, FLETCHER of Winslow, MacDONALD of 
Boothbay, RICHARDSON of Warren, TREAT of Hallowell, WATSON of Bath, Senators: 
PERRY ofPenobscet, SIMPSON of Androscoggin. 
PrilllcJ (In I t.'cyclcd paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, Gj'fJ, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 699, §6, is 
amended to read: 
J. In the adoption and amendment of the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, 
ensure that nontraditional or experimental construction, including but not limited to 
straw bale and earth berm construction, is permissible under the code; arui 
Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, crrK, as enacted by PL 2007, c, 699, §6, is 
amended to read: 
K. In the adoption and amendment of the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, 
ensure that building materials from local sawmills, including but not limited to 
nongraded lumber, are permissible under the code.,.; and 
Sec. 3. 10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, 'ilL is enacted to read: 
L. No later than July 1, 2010, adopt, amend and maintain an appendix to the Maine 
Uniform Building and Energy Code that contains energy conservation and efficiency 
requirements that are based on established national voluntary efficiency standards 
that exceed the energy code requirements established in the Maine Uniform Building 
and Energy Code. The appendix must be made available for voluntary adoption by 
any municipality. 
The board must maintain a list of municipalities that have 
voluntarily adopted the appendix to the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code on 
its publicly accessible website. 
Sec. 4. 10 MRSA §9724, sub-§I~ as enacted by PL 2007, c. 699, §6, is amended 
to read: 
1. Limitations on home rule authority. This chapter provides express limitations 
on municipal home rule authority. Beginning July 1, 2010, the Maine Uniform Building 
and Energy Code must be enforced in a municipality that has more than 2,000 residents 
and that has adopted any building code by August 1,2008. Beginning July 1, 2012, the 
Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code must be enforced in a municipality that has 
more than 2,000 residents and that has not adopted any building code by August 1, 2008. 
The Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code must be enforced through inspections that 
comply with Title 25, section 2373. Notwithstanding this section, a municipality may 
adopt and enforce an appendix to the Maine UnifOlTI1 Building and Energy Code pursuant 
to section 9722, subsection 6, paragraph L that contains energy standards that exceed the 
energy conservation and efficiency requirements established by the board. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the laws governing the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code 
to allow a municipality to voluntarily adopt and enforce an.appeQdix to the code, the so-
called "stretch energy code," that contains energy standards that exceed the energy 
conservation and efficiency requirements established by the code. This bill requires the 
Technical Building Codes and Standards Board within the Department of Public Safety to 
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adopt, amend and maintain no later than July 1, 2010 an appendix to the code that 
contains energy conservation and efficiency requirements based on established national 
voluntary efficiency standards that exceed the energy requirements of the code. The bill 
provides that the appendix must be made available for voluntary adoption by any 
municipality interested in adopting standards and that the board must maintain a list of 
municipalities that have voluntarily adopted the appendix to the code on the board's 
publicly accessible website.