HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4090        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4052

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tommy Vitolo

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act sparking the construction of 21st century buildings.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4090        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4052

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act sparking the construction of 21st century buildings.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 6 of chapter 25A of the General Laws, as amended by section 19 of chapter 239 of the acts of 2024, is hereby further amended by striking out clauses (14) and (15) and adding the following 4 clauses:-

(14) develop and promulgate pursuant to chapter 30A, in consultation with the state board of building regulations and standards, a municipal opt-in specialized stretch energy code that includes, but is not limited to, net-zero building performance standards and a definition of net-zero building, designed to achieve compliance with the commonwealth’s statewide greenhouse gas emission limits and sublimits established pursuant to chapter 21N;

(15) develop and promulgate, regulations, criteria, guidelines and standard conditions, criteria and requirements that establish parameters for the siting, zoning, review and permitting of small clean energy infrastructure facilities by local government pursuant to section 21;

(16) develop and incorporate into the specialized stretch energy code developed and promulgated pursuant to clause (14), in consultation with the board of building regulations and standards, requirements for mandatory solar photovoltaic panel installation for all buildings deemed suitable for installation by the department. Develop and incorporate into the stretch energy code requirements for buildings to be made photo voltaic ready for all buildings deemed suitable for future installation by the department; and

(17) the specialized stretch energy base code shall include all provisions of the stretch energy code related to the latest International Energy Conservation Code, together with any more stringent energy-efficiency provisions promulgated more than 36 months prior.

SECTION 2. Section 139 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 99 and 100, 137 and 138 and 145 and 146, the words “that are not net metering facilities of a municipality or other governmental entity”.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any undertaking by a federal, state, county, municipal or quasi-governmental public agency for the planning, acquisition, design, construction, demolition, installation, repair or maintenance of a structure shall comply with the requirement of the specialized stretch energy code, as developed and promulgated pursuant to clause (14) of section 6 of chapter 25A of the General Laws.