An act relating to building energy efficiency

The residential building code section was changed from a mandate requiring the Division of Fire Safety to adopt a code based on the International Residential Code effective January 1, 2028, to a requirement that the Director complete an assessment by January 15, 2027 on whether and how to adopt such a code, with a report to legislative committees. The authorized permanent position for a code administrator was also removed.

A new section amending 24 V.S.A. 3101 explicitly authorizes municipalities to incorporate the Residential and Commercial Building Energy Standards by reference in local building codes and regulations, and confirms that such incorporation allows municipal enforcement. Municipal codes must remain consistent with state fire safety standards.

The Task Force was renamed from 'Residential Contractor Regulation Task Force' to 'Residential Contractor Registry Task Force,' expanded from 11 to 15 members (adding municipal, contractor association, and public representatives while removing Vermont Works for Women, ReSOURCE, and the Secretary of Natural Resources), and given additional duties including assessing whether to change the regulatory model from registration to certification or licensure and whether to transfer oversight from OPR to the Division of Fire Safety.

The requirement that registered residential contractors disclose prior criminal convictions, adverse civil judgments, and regulatory violations to clients before executing contracts (26 V.S.A. 5509(d)) was deleted entirely.

A three-year review cycle was added for energy education modules across all covered professions (architects, engineers, heating technicians, electricians, plumbers), requiring the relevant commissioner or office to review modules starting January 1, 2028 and every three years thereafter, considering stakeholder recommendations. The boiler inspector section had a previously existing provision marked as repealed.

New transitional safe harbor provisions were added to both the Residential Building Energy Standards (30 V.S.A. 51(k)) and Commercial Building Energy Standards (30 V.S.A. 53(i)). Buildings that used the 2020 code version during the period from September 17, 2025 until new rules are adopted are deemed compliant, and the State cannot bring enforcement actions or award damages based solely on use of the 2020 compliance path.

The introduced version appropriated $200,000 from the Fuel Efficiency Fund to DPS for municipal technical support and $200,000 from the Fuel Efficiency Fund to OPR for a contractor registry website and marketing plan in FY2027. The passed version replaces these with a contingency-of-funding provision making the Task Force duty contingent on a General Fund appropriation to OPR in FY2027, without specifying an amount.

The requirement for the Commissioner of Public Safety to seek federal and private grant funding to facilitate development and adoption of a residential building code was removed entirely.

The energy professionals regulation report deadline was extended from July 1, 2027 to November 1, 2028. The scope was narrowed to only assess whether HERS raters and energy professionals should be regulated; the assessment of contractor registration-to-certification transfer was moved into the Task Force's duties.