[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 99 (Monday, June 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4825-H4826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STREAMLINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR SCHOOLS ACT OF 2017
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 627) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide
for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal
programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 627
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 ``Streamlining Energy
Efficiency for Schools Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF ENERGY RETROFITTING ASSISTANCE FOR
SCHOOLS.
Section 392 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42
U.S.C. 6371a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Coordination of Energy Retrofitting Assistance for
Schools.--
``(1) Definition of school.--Notwithstanding section
391(6), for the purposes of this subsection, the term
`school' means--
``(A) an elementary school or secondary school (as defined
in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
``(B) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1002(a)));
``(C) a school of the defense dependents' education system
under the Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20
U.S.C. 921 et seq.) or established under section 2164 of
title 10, United States Code;
``(D) a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
``(E) a tribally controlled school (as defined in section
5212 of the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988 (25
U.S.C. 2511)); and
``(F) a Tribal College or University (as defined in section
316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c(b))).
``(2) Establishment of clearinghouse.--The Secretary,
acting through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, shall establish a clearinghouse to disseminate
information regarding available Federal programs and
financing mechanisms that may be used to help initiate,
develop, and finance energy efficiency, distributed
generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools.
``(3) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (2), the
Secretary shall--
``(A) consult with appropriate Federal agencies to develop
a list of Federal programs and financing mechanisms that are,
or may be, used for the purposes described in paragraph (2);
and
``(B) coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies to
develop a collaborative education and outreach effort to
streamline communications and promote available Federal
programs and financing mechanisms described in subparagraph
(A), which may include the development and maintenance of a
single online resource that includes contact information for
relevant technical assistance in the Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy that States, local education
agencies, and schools may use to effectively access and use
such Federal programs and financing mechanisms.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H.R. 627.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 627, is an important bill that would
help the Nation's schools make use of existing Federal programs to
actually reduce their energy use. There currently are a number of such
programs that help schools undertake projects that improve energy
efficiency. Unfortunately, school districts don't always have the know-
how to navigate the complexities
[[Page H4826]]
of the Federal system and take full advantage of these programs.
The bill creates a simple one-stop shop to get all the needed
information and help school districts participate more fully in these
programs. The bottom line is that the Nation's schools will, in fact,
reduce their energy costs.
As it is, energy use in American K-12 schools totals $6 billion every
year, and reducing this figure can certainly save taxpayer dollars or
free up funds that schools can use on things other than energy bills.
This bill, H.R. 627, has no cost since it merely sets up a system
under which existing school energy efficiency programs can work better.
A similar bill was passed under suspension of the rules at the end of
the last Congress, and I would hope that we can do it today, at the
beginning of this Congress, so that the Senate can follow suit and get
this to the President's desk.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to voice my strong support for H.R. 627, Mr.
Cartwright's Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act. This is a
great bill that will provide a coordinated structure for our Nation's
schools to help them better navigate available Federal programs and
financing options.
Across the country, K-12 school districts spend literally billions of
dollars on their energy bills each year while an estimated 14 million
American children attend deteriorating public schools. By upgrading
these systems, we can increase efficiency and focus school funding to
achieve better educational outcomes.
This legislation passed the House previously with broad bipartisan
support, and I urge everybody to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), the author of the bill.
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership and Chairman
Upton for bringing this bill up under suspension today, and I thank the
gentlewoman from Colorado for yielding me the time.
I thank the entire Energy and Commerce Committee, which, once again,
voted unanimously in committee in favor of this bill--a bill that has
passed the House twice under suspension in each of the past two
Congresses. Both times it passed during the final days of the Congress,
and the Senate did not have a chance to take the bill up. I am glad the
House is considering it now in plenty of time for the Senate to
consider it and act.
I would also thank Congressman Peter Welch from Vermont for his
leadership on the bill. It is no secret that he is one of the great
champions in the House on the issue of energy efficiency, and it has
been my pleasure to work with him.
Mr. Speaker, so many schools across the country are in need of
upgrades and improvements to their facilities. In its most recent 2017
Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers
gave the condition of our Nation's schools a grade of D-plus.
As school administrators undertake badly needed improvements, they
have an opportunity to substantially improve their facilities' energy
efficiency, producing benefits for both the environment and the
economy. In reducing their energy bills, schools can put the savings to
use on other educational priorities.
According to the EPA and the Department of Energy, K-12 school
districts nationwide spend approximately $8 billion on their energy
bills every year--second only to personnel costs--exceeding the costs
of textbooks and supplies. An estimated $2 billion of that cost could
be saved by improving energy efficiency, an amount that could pay for,
for example, 40 million textbooks.
Energy expenses are one of the few costs that can be reduced while at
the same time improving classroom instruction. In fact, high-
performance schools can lower a school district's operating costs by up
to 30 percent.
There are numerous Federal initiatives already available to schools
to help them become more energy efficient, but these programs are
spread across the Federal Government, making it challenging, time
consuming, and costly for schools to identify and take full advantage
of these programs.
In addition, schools can use several different general purpose
programs for energy efficiency projects if they know how to locate and
apply for them.
Introduced in the Senate as S. 383 by Senator Susan Collins, this
bipartisan Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act aims to
provide a coordinating structure for busy school administrators to help
them better navigate available Federal programs and financing options.
This legislation does not spend an additional dime and keeps its
decisionmaking authority with the States, the school boards, and local
officials.
This bill establishes a clearinghouse through the Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which will disseminate information on
Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to develop
energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting
projects for schools.
The bill also directs the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy to coordinate with Federal agencies and develop an outreach
effort to streamline communications and promote available Federal
programs. Such outreach may include a single website where school
officials can learn more about the relevant programs.
Overburdened school administrators should not have to spend hours and
hours wading through the Federal bureaucracy as they look for ways to
improve energy efficiency. This commonsense legislation will ensure
that schools can more easily take advantage of existing energy
efficiency programs.
It is a strategic and cost-saving investment to relieve the fiscal
pressure felt by school districts across the country, supported by
overburdened homeowners, while bringing us closer to energy security in
America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this
great, bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 627.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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