BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1574|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1574
Author: Lowenthal (D)
Amended: 9/10/01 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U.&C. COMMITTEE : 6-0, 7/10/01
AYES: Bowen, Alarcon, Murray, Sher, Speier, Vincent
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-3, 9/6/01
AYES: Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette, McPherson,
Murray, Perata
NOES: Johannessen, Poochigian, Speier
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 54-21, 6/5/01 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Energy conservation: building standards
SOURCE : Owens Corning
North American Insulation Manufacturers
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the California Energy
Commission (CEC) to develop measures to enhance energy
efficiency for homes that were built prior to the
establishment of the current energy efficiency standards,
and makes related changes.
ANALYSIS : Current law requires the State Energy
Resources Conservation & Development Commission (CEC) to
prescribe lighting, insulation, climate control system, and
other building design and construction standards which
increase the efficiency in the use of energy for new
CONTINUED
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residential and new non-residential buildings.
Current law defines a "home inspection" as a non-invasive,
physical examination of one or more items including the
mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems, or the
structural and essential components of a home. As defined
in current law, the purpose of a home inspection is "to
identify material defects in those systems, structures or
components."
Current law establishes a standard of care for home
inspectors and prohibits certain inspections in which the
inspector or the inspector's employer has a financial
interest.
The bill provides that a home inspection may include an
energy efficiency component if requested by the buyer or
seller. In addition, it specifies that an inspector
certified by the statewide home energy rating program,
administered by the CEC, may perform the inspection. Staff
notes that program is not yet developed by the CEC and may
not be for a year or more. The bill specifies that an
uncertified inspector may refer the person to one of a
number of other entities, such as a municipal utility, for
home energy efficiency program information.
This bill authorizes the CEC to develop and disseminate
measures that enhance energy-efficiency in existing
single-family residential home that were built prior to the
development of the current energy efficiency standards.
The bill would allow CEC to comply with this section by
posting the measures on its website, or by making the
measures available to the public, upon request.
Background :
According to some estimates, approximately 80% of
California's 12 million existing homes and apartments were
built prior to 1983 when the first set of statewide energy
efficiency standards took effect. That means four out of
five homes and apartments in California weren't required to
be in compliance with any statewide energy efficiency
standard before they were sold.
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Most of the work of the CEC with regard to buildings has
been focused on new construction. This bill focuses on
existing residential buildings and aims to reduce energy
consumption by authorizing the CEC to adopt energy
efficiency guidelines for existing residential buildings
and by encouraging people to have their homes inspected for
energy efficiency.
In 1994, the Legislature considered, but defeated, AB 2780
(O'Connell), which proposed to establish a statewide
certification program for home inspectors, including
training and education standards and a certification exam.
In 1996, SB 258 (O'Connell), Chapter 338, Statutes of 1996,
was enacted to establish some consumer protections for
homebuyers purchasing home inspections and create basic
competency standards for home inspectors.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Costs could be $250,000-$500,000 plus.
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/10/01)
Owens Corning (co-source)
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
(co-source)
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
CertainTeed Corporation
Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers
International Union
Knauf Fiber Glass
NortheAmerican Insulation Manufacturers Association
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Alquist, Aroner, Calderon, Canciamilla, Cardenas,
Cardoza, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cogdill, Cohn, Corbett,
Correa, Diaz, Dickerson, Dutra, Firebaugh, Florez,
Frommer, Goldberg, Havice, Horton, Jackson, Keeley,
Kehoe, Koretz, Liu, Longville, Lowenthal, Maddox,
Maldonado, Matthews, Migden, Nakano, Nation, Negrete
McLeod, Oropeza, Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pavley, Pescetti,
Reyes, Salinas, Shelley, Simitian, Steinberg,
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Strom-Martin, Thomson, Vargas, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins,
Wright, Hertzberg
NOES: Aanestad, Ashburn, Bates, Bogh, John Campbell, Cox,
Daucher, Harman, Hollingsworth, Kelley, La Suer, Leach,
Leonard, Leslie, Mountjoy, Robert Pacheco, Richman,
Runner, Strickland, Wyland, Wyman
NC:jk 9/11/01 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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