20250AB__036894CHP INTRODUCED 2025-02-03 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-04-07 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-07-10 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-08-29 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-09-09 PASSED_SENATE 2025-09-08 ENROLLED 2025-09-11 CHAPTERED 2025-10-01 APPROVED 2025-10-01 FILED 2025-10-01 2025 AB CHP CHP 0 Introduced by Assembly Member Ward (Coauthors: Assembly Members Boerner and Schultz) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz

An act to add

Section 25402.17 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy. energy Energy: building standards: passive house standards. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards, and energy and water conservation design standards, for new residential and new nonresidential buildings to reduce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy, as specified.

This bill would require the commission to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of passive house energy efficiency standards by California climate zone, using commission-adopted metrics such as long-term system cost. The bill would require the commission to evaluate the use of the passive house energy models currently required for passive house certification in its analysis and the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction compared to existing construction, as specified.

The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature documenting its findings and recommendations. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 25402.17 is added to the Public Resources Code , to read: 25402.17. (

a) The commission shall evaluate the cost-effectiveness of passive house energy efficiency standards by California climate zone, using commission-adopted metrics such as long-term system cost. (

b) The commission shall evaluate the use of the two passive house energy models currently required for passive house certification in its analysis and the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction compared to existing construction under

Part 6 (commencing with

Section 100.0) of Title of the California Code of Regulations. (

c) The evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction conducted by the commission pursuant to this

section shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (

b) of

Section 25402. (d)

(1) On or before July 1, 2028, the commission shall submit a report to the Legislature documenting its findings and recommendations.

(2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subdivision is inoperative on January 1, 2032, pursuant to

Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(3) The report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with

Section of the Government Code.