Building Code Council sends residential energy-code petitions to technical review group

The Washington State Building Code Council voted on June 6 to refer a package of residential energy-code petitions to the Residential Energy technical advisory group for technical review and public comment, excluding one incomplete submission.

Council staff described the process and said the referral is procedural: staff performs intake and completeness reviews and the council is sending the accepted petitions directly to the TAG so the TAG can begin its work. Dustin (council staff) told members that two proposals lacked complete documentation and staff had disapproved one of them; the council struck O47 from the package and the other incomplete item (O41) remained listed but had not been fully linked at the time of the meeting.

A council member moved to refer the package (all items listed except O47) to the Residential Energy TAG; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Patrick Hanks of the Building Industry Association of Washington asked whether only accepted proposals were included; staff and other council members confirmed the referral applied to the proposals that passed staff completeness review.

Council members and staff emphasized that this step is not a technical endorsement of content. Dustin told the group that the statutory process (RCWs governing the state building code) requires council referral to a standing committee or TAG, and that the TAG will perform the technical review and accept public comment as part of its work.

There was no substantive public comment on the referral during the meeting. The council chair closed discussion after the voice vote and the items were moved to the Residential Energy TAG to begin their technical review and public-comment processes.

The action sends the petitions into the TAG-review phase; any amendments, public hearings, or regulatory filings will take place in the TAG and subsequent council steps per the code-adoption process.