Green building standards.

Existing law requires the California Building Standards Commission to codify all building standards of adopting agencies or state agencies that propose the building standards and statutes defining building standards into one California Building Standards Code. Existing law provides that if no state agency has the authority or expertise to propose green building standards applicable to a particular occupancy, the commission shall adopt, approve, codify, update, and publish green building standards for those occupancies. This bill would require the commission and state agencies that propose green building standards to allow for input by other state agencies that have expertise in green building subject areas. The bill would require the process by which these other state agencies shall submit suggested changes for consideration to be adopted as administrative regulations that include certain elements. Existing law requires that funds deposited into the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund be expended, upon appropriation, to carry out specified provisions of law that relate to building standards, with emphasis placed on the development, adoption, publication, updating, and educational efforts associated with green building standards. This bill would expand these provisions to authorize the expenditure of those funds for carrying out the updating of green building standards and the updating of verification guideline for Tier 1 and Tier 2 green building standards and educational efforts, including, but not limited to, training for local building officials associated with green building standards. Existing law provides that codification of building standards approved by the commission shall be incorporated into the code and shall not be incorporated into other individual titles of state agencies in the California Code of Regulations. This bill would also require, as part of the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code, that state agencies that propose green building standards, as specified, to the extent that it is feasible, reference or reprint those green building standards in other relevant portions of the California Building Standards Code.