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H 7738Energy Efficiency

Health and Safety - State Building Code

This bill mandates adoption of the 2024 energy code, skips the 2021 code, and freezes changes until 2031.

Introduced65 Yea0 Nay10 Not voting
Population
Affected
45
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Environment and Natural Resources

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the Rhode Island State Building Code regarding energy conservation standards. Specifically, it prohibits the adoption of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Instead, it mandates the adoption of the 2024 IECC within three months of its publication. Additionally, the bill establishes a moratorium on any further changes to the state energy conservation code until January 1, 2031. During this period, state officials are prevented from enforcing any standards that deviate from the 2024 IECC unless explicitly approved by the General Assembly and the Governor.

For younger readers

There are special rules for how buildings are built to save energy, like electricity and heat. This law tells the people in charge of these rules to skip the rule book from 2021. Instead, they must use the new rule book coming out in 2024. Once they start using the 2024 book, they are not allowed to change the rules again for a long time—until the year 2031. This keeps the building rules the same for several years so builders know exactly what to do.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Residential and Commercial BuildersReal Estate DevelopersArchitects and EngineersProperty OwnersEnvironmental Advocacy Groups
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Mandates the future adoption of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, ensuring that Rhode Island eventually implements updated standards for energy efficiency and sustainability.
  • Requires the state code to meet or exceed "electric readiness" provisions, which facilitates the transition away from fossil fuels and supports climate change mitigation efforts.
  • Provides a period of regulatory stability that may encourage the construction of housing by giving developers certainty, potentially aiding in the creation of affordable housing stock.
  • Imposes a strict moratorium until 2031, preventing the state from adopting future, more advanced energy codes (such as a potential 2027 or 2030 code) that would be necessary to aggressively combat the climate crisis.
  • Prohibits the adoption of the 2021 IECC, which delays immediate improvements in energy efficiency standards and leaves the state with older regulations until the 2024 code is released and implemented.
  • Removes the flexibility of the state building code standards committee to react quickly to new environmental technologies or urgent climate findings by requiring legislative approval for changes.
For Conservatives
  • Establishes a regulatory moratorium until 2031, providing significant predictability and stability for construction businesses, developers, and investors by preventing constantly shifting rules.
  • Prevents the adoption of the 2021 IECC, shielding businesses and builders from the immediate costs and regulatory burdens associated with compliance to that specific code.
  • Checks the power of unelected administrative boards by requiring approval from the General Assembly and Governor for any deviations from the code, ensuring more democratic oversight.
  • Mandates adherence to "electric readiness" provisions, which effectively pushes the market toward electrification and restricts consumer choice regarding the use of natural gas and other fuel sources.
  • Forces the adoption of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, subjecting Rhode Island businesses to international standards that may increase construction costs.
  • Surrenders state autonomy by automatically tying Rhode Island law to the future release schedule and content of an external international body rather than developing a state-specific solution.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 7 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-100.1.5.4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows: 23-27.3-100.1.5.4. State energy conservation code.

(a) The state building code standards committee (“committee”) shall adopt an energy conservation code that shall be based on appropriate nationally and internationally recognized models, and shall promulgate and administer the energy conservation code. The energy conservation code shall contain provisions pertaining to, but not limited to, the construction of buildings, the use of renewable energy resources in buildings, the efficient use of energy within buildings, and the orientation of buildings on their sites. The state energy conservation code shall at a minimum:

(1) For residential or commercial buildings, meet or exceed the most recently published International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings. The state building code standards committee shall revise the state energy conservation code to comply with this requirement within one year of any update to the International Energy Conservation Code; provided, however, that the 2021 IECC published by the International Code Council shall not be adopted and the 2024 IECC published by the International Code Council shall be adopted within (3) three months of its release.; and further, provided, that a moratorium on changes to the state energy conservation code from the 2024 IECC shall be in effect until January 1, 2031, during which period the state building code standards committee shall not adopt, and the state building office shall not enforce, any changes to the state energy conservation code that deviate from the 2024 IECC, unless otherwise approved by the general assembly and made effective by the governor.

(2) Within one year of the release of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, the state building code standards committee shall revise the state energy conservation code to meet or exceed the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code’s electric readiness provisions.

(b) No later than six (6) months after the adoption of the building code(s) described in subsection (a) of this section, the state building code standards committee shall develop a plan to achieve compliance with the building code(s) described in subsection (a) of this section in at least ninety percent (90%) of new and renovated residential and commercial building space in the state. Such plan shall include active training and enforcement programs and measurement of the rate of compliance each year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.