Committee reviews building‑energy package, contractor registry task force and municipal enforcement changes
Loading...
Summary
The committee examined H718, a broader building‑energy bill that directs an assessment of a residential building code, creates a residential contractor registry task force, expands energy‑education modules for trades, and clarifies municipal authority to adopt and enforce state energy codes with a temporary 'safe harbor' tied to the governor's executive order.
The Natural Resources & Energy committee took up H718 on April 1, a wide‑ranging bill that would change how Vermont approaches building energy standards, licensing education and municipal enforcement.
Legislative counsel explained that H718 directs the Director of the Division of Fire and Building Safety to assess whether Vermont should formally adopt a residential building code and submit recommendations by Jan. 15, 2027. The bill also establishes a 15‑member residential contractor registry task force to advise the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) on improvements to the existing registry, possible voluntary certifications and outreach; the draft requires monthly meetings through July 2027 and attaches reporting requirements through 2028. A contingency provision makes the duty to implement the task force dependent on an appropriation unless amended.
Sections in the bill revise mandatory energy‑education modules for specific trades and professionals (architects, engineers, real‑estate professionals, electricians, plumbers and others) so they focus on how each profession intersects with energy codes, airflow and moisture management; some professions keep a two‑hour cap, while design professionals were left unconstrained to allow more in‑depth training. Counsel said the Office of Professional Regulation and the Department of Public Service will collaborate on updating modules every three years.
The bill clarifies municipal authority to adopt and enforce residential (RVs) and commercial (CVs) building energy standards by reference. It also contains a 'safe harbor' for builders who used the compliance path in the governor’s executive order (the 2020 compliance path) during a transition period so that usage of that path does not, in itself, trigger enforcement actions or citizen suits while rules are under review.
Committee members asked multiple questions about which agency enforces what (the Department of Public Service currently updates energy codes but does not actively enforce them; the Division of Fire and Building Safety handles some building codes), whether some professions should be moved from one regulator to another, and how to fund outreach and registry modernization. Counsel noted that the House had removed an appropriation in an earlier draft and that outreach and website modernization originally proposed would require funding to implement.
The committee closed the session by discussing budget‑letter priorities — including conservation districts, farm security and dam‑safety items — and scheduled follow‑up testimony on several bill elements.
No formal vote on H718 was recorded in the transcript.
