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A bill to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agriculture to withdraw a final determination relating to energy efficiency standards for housing, and for other purposes.
8/2/2024, 10:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 4958
The main focus of the bill is to reverse a decision made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture regarding energy efficiency standards for housing. The bill seeks to prevent these agencies from implementing any new energy efficiency standards that may have been determined in the past.
In addition to the withdrawal of the final determination, the bill also includes provisions for other purposes related to energy efficiency in housing. These provisions may include measures to promote energy efficiency in housing, support research and development of energy-efficient technologies, or provide incentives for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Overall, Bill 118 s 4958 is aimed at addressing concerns about energy efficiency standards for housing and ensuring that any future decisions regarding these standards are carefully considered and in the best interest of homeowners and the environment.
Congressional Summary of S 4958
This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw the final determination titled Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing and published on April 26, 2024.
The determination adopted updated minimum energy efficiency standards for newly built homes (except manufactured housing) financed through certain HUD and USDA programs. Specifically, it adopted the (1) 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which applies to single family homes and multifamily low-rise buildings up to three stories; and (2) 2019 American National Standards Institute/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers/Illuminating Electrical Society (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES) Standard 90.1, which applies to multifamily residential buildings with four or more stories. HUD and USDA must also revert to using the energy efficiency standards required before the determination.
In addition, the bill prohibits HUD, USDA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs from taking actions or using federal funds to implement or enforce the determination or any substantially similar determination. It also prohibits the Federal Housing Finance Agency from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a determination or rule relating to energy efficiency standards for single and multifamily housing.
Finally, the bill prohibits HUD and USDA from adopting updates to the IECC or ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 in certain circumstances unless at least 26 states have adopted codes or standards that meet or exceed the update's requirements.
