Bill Text: GA SR1069 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Georgia Senate Resolution 1069 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Community Affairs Dept. & Georgia Environmental Finance Authority; urge to set aside the adoption; Ga. amendments to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 5-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-28 - Senate Read and Referred [SR1069 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-SR1069-Introduced.html

12 LC 93 0965

Senate Resolution 1069

By: Senators Stone of the 23rd, Millar of the 40th, Loudermilk of the 52nd, Jeffares of the 17th, Davis of the 22nd and others

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to set aside the adoption of the Georgia amendments to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the home-building industry is very important to the economy and the citizens of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, additional regulations increase the cost of building and the price of housing to consumers and create a constraint on an important, struggling industry; and

WHEREAS, the State of Georgia was required to adopt the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to comply with federal mandates attached to the receipt of "stimulus" funds; and

WHEREAS, a task force was appointed by the Department of Community Affairs comprised of 17 members, of which only one was a builder and one a code official, while the remaining members represented special interest groups, vendors, and state officials; and

WHEREAS, the task force adopted an additional 36 pages of amendments to the original 2009 IECC which mandated additional, unnecessary costs to builders and consumers while reducing the flexibility and authority of local governments; and

WHEREAS, every code adoption and amendment process should weigh carefully and openly any costs versus benefits to be derived from the additional code provisions; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Georgia should have confidence that all code adoptions and amendments are free of "sweetheart deals," conflicts of interest, and special interest influences; and

WHEREAS, due to the financial impact of the code adoption process, the state should use all reasonable means to inform and solicit input from the license holders of any affected industry; and

WHEREAS, the code adoption and amendment process should require that members of the task force be held to a code of ethics and prohibited from proposing and voting on amendments that mandate a product or service that they or their employers provide for a fee; prohibit members of the task force from entering contracts with the state to provide services to implement code revisions adopted by the task force; require a policy of written and published cost versus benefit analysis, which includes the identification of the parties who did the analysis; and require reasonable notice of the task force meetings to all licensed builders, contractors, specialty contractors, and code enforcement officials in this state.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to set aside the adoption of the Georgia amendments to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code that mandate the Blower Door Tests and third-party inspections and to revise the task force process to ensure a fair assessment of amendments and a fair process of code adoption.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.