Environment & Energy Committee advances several bills; votes, amendments and roll calls recorded

The House Environment & Energy Committee took formal action on several substitute bills, adopting an amendment on one measure and reporting others out of committee with due‑pass recommendations.

Substitute House Bill 15-43 (clean building standard flexibility): The committee adopted amendment MCPH 113 (technical changes and a tenant-protection clause that prohibits building owners from passing penalties for noncompliance to tenants). Vice Chair Hunt moved that substitute House Bill 15-43 be reported out of committee with a due‑pass recommendation; the committee recorded 20 ayes, 0 nays and 1 excused. The chair announced the result: "By your vote, substitute House Bill 15 43 is reported out of committee with a due pass recommendation."

Substitute House Bill 15-22 (wildfire mitigation plans and UTC review): The committee approved a proposed substitute that requires electric companies to file wildfire mitigation plans with the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), extends UTC review timelines (from 60 to 120 days for some filings), requires at least one stakeholder workshop and calls for rules on landowner compensation and cost‑benefit analysis. The committee voted to report the substitute out with a due‑pass recommendation; staff announced 20 ayes and 1 excused.

Substitute House Bill 15-14 (thermal energy / district energy systems): The committee reported a proposed substitute out with a due‑pass recommendation after a roll-call vote. The substitute clarifies regulatory exemptions, requires consultation with gas companies on thermal energy planning, and delays a UTC interoperability report. The roll call recorded 19 ayes, 1 nay and 1 excused.

Substitute House Bill 14-97 (organic material management / food‑waste reduction): The committee reported the proposed substitute out of committee with a due‑pass recommendation following discussion and a roll-call vote. The substitute refines outreach and grant language, adjusts BIN color‑coding and labeling timelines, creates feasibility waivers for multifamily collection, caps small‑business penalties at $10,000 per year, and adds a waiver for certain paper cooking products. The recorded vote was 13 ayes, 7 nays and 1 excused.

Procedural notes: Several bills were discussed in detail before the committee recessed for caucus and returned to vote. Amendments adopted on 15-43 were described as largely technical with the tenant‑protection clause added during committee consideration. Multiple members voiced concern during debates—particularly over housing costs tied to waste-collection or building compliance rules—and those concerns were reflected in recorded nay votes on some measures.

The committee also heard testimony on other bills (including HB 16-30 on methane reporting and HB 17-12 on biomass RECs) but took no votes on those measures at this meeting.

Votes at a glance (committee reported out with "due pass" unless noted): - Substitute HB 15-43: reported out with due pass recommendation; adopted amendment MCPH 113; tally 20 ayes, 0 nays, 1 excused (outcome: approved by committee). - Substitute HB 15-22: reported out with due pass recommendation; tally 20 ayes, 0 nays, 1 excused (outcome: approved by committee). - Substitute HB 15-14: reported out with due pass recommendation; roll-call tally 19 ayes, 1 nay, 1 excused (outcome: approved by committee). - Substitute HB 14-97: reported out with due pass recommendation; roll-call tally 13 ayes, 7 nays, 1 excused (outcome: approved by committee).

Committee members were reminded by the chair to correct their votes if necessary while the tally was displayed; staff posted the final tallies on the record. The committee suspended hearings on some bills and kept others open for additional testimony or follow-up work.