Committee approves substitute to let schools request 10‑year Clean Buildings compliance extension

Senate Bill 5190 would let school districts request a 10‑year extension to comply with the Clean Buildings performance standard for K‑12 school buildings, and would bar the Department of Commerce from imposing administrative penalties on a district that has submitted a request, committee staff said.

A partial fiscal note estimates about $58,000 to adopt rules related to exemption processing. Chair Wellman offered an amendment (substitute B) to expand eligibility so that public and private schools may request compliance‑date extensions; staff noted no other amendments were pending.

Committee discussion reflected concerns that surfaced in the hearing record about interactions between the Clean Buildings Act and school capital/funding timelines. Chair Wellman said the committee would send the bill to the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee for additional consideration after members raised conflicts with the broader Green Buildings Act and the need for Commerce rulemaking and cross‑agency work.

In executive session the committee adopted the proposed substitute and moved the bill with a due‑pass recommendation to the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee; the transcript records voice votes and a motion to pass the substitute was adopted.