AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 29, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 10, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

94

CHAPTER 145

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 1, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 1, 2025. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Ward

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Boerner and Schultz)

February 3, 2025

An act to add Section 25402.17 to the Public Resources Code, relating to energy.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards, and energy and water conservation design standards, for new residential and new nonresidential buildings to reduce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy, as specified.

This bill would require the commission to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of passive house energy efficiency standards by California climate zone, using commission-adopted metrics such as long-term system cost. The bill would require the commission to evaluate the use of the 2 passive house energy models currently required for passive house certification in its analysis and the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction compared to existing construction, as specified. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature documenting its findings and recommendations.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 25402.17 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

25402.17.

(a) The commission shall evaluate the cost-effectiveness of passive house energy efficiency standards by California climate zone, using commission-adopted metrics such as long-term system cost.

(b) The commission shall evaluate the use of the two passive house energy models currently required for passive house certification in its analysis and the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction compared to existing construction under Part 6 (commencing with Section 100.0) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c) The evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction conducted by the commission pursuant to this section shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25402.

(d) (1) On or before July 1, 2028, the commission shall submit a report to the Legislature documenting its findings and recommendations.

(2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subdivision is inoperative on January 1, 2032, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(3) The report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.