A bill to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agriculture to withdraw a final determination relating to energy efficiency standards for housing, and for other purposes.

This bill would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw a 2024 determination that updated energy efficiency standards for newly constructed homes financed through certain federal programs. The departments would be required to revert to previous energy standards and would be prohibited, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, from implementing or enforcing the 2024 standards or similar rules. Additionally, the bill proposes to restrict HUD and USDA from adopting future energy code updates unless at least 26 states have already adopted standards that meet or exceed those updates.

This bill affects the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency by restricting their ability to implement or enforce specific energy efficiency standards. It also impacts builders and owners of newly constructed single-family homes and multifamily residential buildings financed through HUD and USDA programs, as these properties would revert to previous energy efficiency requirements. Additionally, the bill affects state governments, as it conditions future federal adoption of updated energy codes on at least 26 states first adopting similar standards.

• Withdrawal of 2024 energy efficiency standards. Directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw the final determination published on April 26, 2024, which updated minimum energy efficiency standards for certain newly built homes.
• Reversion to prior energy efficiency standards. Requires HUD and USDA to return to using the energy efficiency standards that were in effect before the April 2024 determination was adopted.
• Prohibition on implementation and enforcement. Prohibits HUD, USDA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs from using federal funds or taking actions to implement or enforce the 2024 determination or any substantially similar determination.
• Restriction on Federal Housing Finance Agency rulemaking. Prevents the Federal Housing Finance Agency from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any rules or determinations regarding energy efficiency standards for single and multifamily housing.
• State adoption threshold for future updates. Prohibits HUD and USDA from adopting updated energy efficiency codes or standards unless at least 26 states have already adopted standards that meet or exceed those updates.

The bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture to withdraw the April 26, 2024, final determination regarding energy efficiency standards and revert to the standards in place prior to that determination. It also restricts the ability of these agencies and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to implement or update standards based on the International Energy Conservation Code or ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 unless specific state-level adoption thresholds are met.

The bill seeks to repeal recent federal energy efficiency mandates for new housing financed by the government and prevent the implementation of similar standards unless a majority of states have already adopted them. It requires federal agencies to revert to prior energy standards and prohibits the use of federal funds to enforce the updated 2021 IECC and 2019 ASHRAE requirements.