[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 695 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 695

 To provide for a green building certification program as part of the 
                          Energy Star program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2009

  Mr. Weiner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for a green building certification program as part of the 
                          Energy Star program.

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

SECTION 1. GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Green building.--The term ``green building'' means a 
        building constructed taking into account sustainable site 
        development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials 
        selection, indoor environmental quality, life-cycle concerns of 
        building materials, and transit and density-oriented 
        development.
            (2) Life-cycle concerns of building materials.--The term 
        ``life-cycle concerns of building materials'' includes 
        emissions and environmental impact related to the production 
        and use of building materials from source to end of use.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy shall expand the Energy 
Star program to include the certification, beginning not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, of buildings as green 
buildings. Such expanded program shall build on the existing Energy 
Star building efficiency program, and a building certified under such 
program shall receive an Energy Star label.
    (c) Study.--In creating the program under this section, the 
Secretary of Energy shall study and provide recommendations to--
            (1) streamline the certification process with other 
        required municipal certification submissions to maximum extent 
        feasible;
            (2) develop an online certification program; and
            (3) design a program that will allow those without green 
        building expertise to certify their building without being 
        required to have greater knowledge than the building's 
        parameters.
    (d) Program Design.--The program under this section shall be 
designed--
            (1) based on the recommendations made under subsection (c);
            (2) to set minimum energy efficiency standards, and other 
        standards comparable to standards of the United States Green 
        Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 
        Green Building Rating Program;
            (3) to establish separate regional certification standards;
            (4) to use procedures that are streamlined and compatible 
        with any other required municipal certification or energy 
        efficiency assessment submissions procedures and databases, to 
        maximum extent feasible;
            (5) to have certifications integrated into existing Energy 
        Star building program energy efficiency assessment documents 
        and databases to maximum extent feasible;
            (6) to be primarily an online certification program that 
        minimizes the need for paper forms and permits automated 
        calculations and approval and gives real-time feedback on 
        meeting certification parameters;
            (7) to allow those without green building expertise to 
        certify their building without being required to have greater 
        knowledge than the building's parameters;
            (8) to include separate certification programs for offices, 
        schools, residential buildings (including single-family homes), 
        commercial and retail buildings, high-rise buildings, 
        manufacturing buildings, and any other building types as the 
        Secretary of Energy considers appropriate;
            (9) to include renovation certification programs for all 
        building types described in paragraph (8);
            (10) to include a public awareness campaign component 
        pursuant to section 324A(c) of the Energy Policy and 
        Conservation Act;
            (11) to integrate the results of the high-performance 
        building assessment under section 914 of the Energy Policy Act 
        of 2005, as applicable, when available; and
            (12) to require review and updating of the certification 
        program to meet market needs at least once every 5 years.
    (e) Report to Congress on Program Design.--Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall 
transmit to the Congress a report setting forth the design of the 
expanded program under this section. Such report shall include an 
explanation of how each of the program design requirements under 
subsection (d) have been incorporated into the program.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this section--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
            (2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
            (3) $2,000,000 for each fiscal year thereafter.
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