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Amend SB 2453 (senate committee report) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ___. Section 388.003, Health and Safety Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (b-2) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:
(a) To achieve energy conservation in single-family residential construction, the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code in this state for single-family residential construction. On September 1, 2016, the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2015, is adopted as the energy code in this state for single-family residential construction. On or after September 1, 2021, the State Energy Conservation Office may adopt and substitute for that energy code the latest published edition of the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, based on written findings on the stringency of the chapter submitted by the laboratory under Subsection (b-3). The office:
(1) may not amend or adopt an edition under this subsection more often than once every six years; [and]
(2) by rule shall establish an effective date for an adopted edition that is not earlier than nine months after the date of adoption; and
(3) may amend an adopted edition.
(a-1) Before amending or adopting an edition of the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code under Subsection (a), the State Energy Conservation Office shall conduct an analysis that:
(1) measures the impact of the amendment or adoption on housing attainability in this state; and
(2) quantifies the incremental construction cost and energy use cost savings associated with construction to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed amendment or adoption.
(a-2) The analysis under Subsection (a-1)(2) must calculate the payback period for any required products or minimum standards or requirements that are more stringent than the energy code in effect on the date immediately before the date the amendment or adoption would take effect.
(b) To achieve energy conservation in all other residential, commercial, and industrial construction, the International Energy Conservation Code as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code for use in this state for all other residential, commercial, and industrial construction. The State Energy Conservation Office may adopt and substitute for that energy code the latest published edition of the International Energy Conservation Code, based on written findings on the stringency of the edition submitted by the laboratory under Subsection (b-3). The office:
(1) by rule shall establish an effective date for an adopted edition that is not earlier than nine months after the date of adoption; and
(2) may amend an adopted edition.
(b-2) The State Energy Conservation Office by rule shall establish a procedure for persons who have an interest in the amendment or adoption of energy codes under Subsection (a) or (b) to have an opportunity to comment on the codes under consideration. The office shall consider persons who have an interest in adoption of those codes to include:
(1) commercial and residential builders, architects, and engineers;
(2) municipal, county, and other local government authorities;
(3) environmental groups; and
(4) manufacturers of building materials and products.