An Act To Promote Energy-efficient Affordable Housing
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1656
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_A_S621 (Senate)
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4722, 30-A MRSA §4726

SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1227, 
L.D. 1656, "An Act To Promote Energy-efficient Affordable Housing" 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 1 and 2 and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ,rz-1 is enacted to read: 
Z-1. 
Condition approval of funding of a housing project upon an applicant's 
compliance with standards and requirements under section 4726; 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §4726 is enacted to read: 
§4726. Housing design standards and sustainability requirements 
1. Housing design standards. The Maine State Housing Authority shall require that 
construction projects funded by the Maine State Housing Authority meet the standards of 
at least one of the following: 
A. A set of design principles used to attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy , 
efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level, as determined by a national 
passive house institute or an international passive house association; 
B. A 3rd-party green building certification program that is a globally recognized 
standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green 
buildings and neighborhoods, as established by a national green building council; 
C. A living building program with site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and 
beauty standards as established by an international institute; or 
D. A 3rd-party-recognized certification or state program that is substantially similar 
to a certification system under paragraph A, B or C and that is approved by the Maine 
State Housing Authority. 
2. Sustainability requirements. The Maine State Housing Authority shall require 
that construction projects funded by the Maine State Housing Authority: 
A. Use all-electric equipment and systems or other non-fossil fuel systems for heating, 
domestic hot water, cooking and cooling needs. Backup and secondary systems may 
use other fuels, including fossil fuels; 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT" /Jr "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1227, L.D. 1656 ( $-(a 2 ~ 
B. Provide infrastructure for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations for 
resident parking facilities or provide for electric vehicle charging; or 
C. Provide infrastructure for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems and energy 
storage where appropriate, including providing for sufficient interior space to allow for 
solar photovoltaic inverters and energy storage. 
The Maine State Housing Authority may provide for a limited waiver to the requirements 
of this subsection for specific and extenuating circumstances where local conditions limit 
the ability of the construction project to comply with the requirements of this subsection. 
3. Rulemaking. The Maine State Housing Authority shall adopt rules to implement 
this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3. Rules. No later than January 1, 2024, the Maine State Housing Authority 
shall adopt rules to implement the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4726. 
Sec. 4. Collaboration. The Maine State Housing Authority shall collaborate with 
the Efficiency Maine Trust on program incentives to supp01t the affordable implementation 
of the housing design standards and requirements under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
30-A, section 4726, as appropriate, within available existing resources.' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces Committee Amendment "A" and requires that the Maine 
State Housing Authority condition approval of funding of a housing project upon an 
applicant's compliance with housing design standards and requirements related to energy-
efficient design and sus ·nability. 
SPONSORED BY: -'-------'---+--l----"----------
COUNTY: Cumberland 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
( 
Approved: 04/21/22 feac:.. 
LD 1656 
LR 1448(04) 
An Act To Promote Energy-efficient Affordable Housing 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment "If to Committee Amendment "A" ( 5:,- ~ z0 
Sponsor: Sen. Breen of Cumberland 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2021-22 
FY2022-23 
Projections 
FY2023-24 
Projections 
FY2024-25 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
($25,000,000) 
($75,000,000) 
$0 
($25,000,000) 
($75,000,000) 
$0 
This amendment eliminates the General Fund cost of the bill by removing the General Fund appropriations in fiscal 
year 2021-22 and 2022-23 to the Maine State Housing Authority to provide funding for the construction of energy-
efficient affordable housing. 
$0 
$0 
As amended, this bill requires that, no later than January 1, 2024, new construction projects funded by the Maine State 
Housing Authority meet certain housing design standards and requirements for future readiness. To the extent that the 
costs for these new construction projects are higher under these requirements than they would have been absent these 
requirements, the number of construction projects funded by MSHA may be reduced. 
LR1448(04) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1