110th CONGRESS
1st Session

S. 1165

To require Federal buildings to be designed, constructed, and certified to meet, at a minimum, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating standard identified as silver by the United States Green Building Council, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 19, 2007

Mr. CARDIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To require Federal buildings to be designed, constructed, and certified to meet, at a minimum, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating standard identified as silver by the United States Green Building Council, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the `American Green Building Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:

      (1) LEED SILVER STANDARD- The term `LEED silver standard' means the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating standard identified as silver by the United States Green Building Council.

      (2) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Energy.

SEC. 3. GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL BUILDINGS.

    (a) Requirement- Except as provided in subsection (b), a Federal building for which the design phase for construction or major renovation is begun after the date of enactment of this Act shall be designed, constructed, and certified to meet, at a minimum, the LEED silver standard.

    (b) Determination of Impracticability-

      (1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (3)(B), the requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to a Federal building if the head of the Federal agency with jurisdiction over the Federal building, in accordance with the factors described in paragraph (2), determines that compliance with the requirement under subsection (a) would be impracticable.

      (2) FACTORS FOR DETERMINATION- In determining whether compliance with the requirement under subsection (a) would be impracticable, the head of the Federal agency with jurisdiction over the Federal building shall determine--

        (A) the quantity of energy required by each activity carried out in the Federal building; and

        (B) whether the Federal building is used to carry out an activity relating to national security.

      (3) REPORT-

        (A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the head of each Federal agency shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a report that includes a description of each Federal building for which the head of the Agency with jurisdiction over the Federal building determined that compliance with the requirement under subsection (a) would be impracticable.

        (B) REVIEW BY SECRETARY- Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a report from a head of a Federal agency under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall review the report and notify the head of the Federal agency on whether any Federal building described in the report submitted by the head of the Federal agency shall be required to comply with the requirement under subsection (a).

      (4) REGULATIONS- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection.

    (c) Study-

      (1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress the results of a study comparing--

        (A) the expected energy savings resulting from the implementation of this section; with

        (B) energy savings under all other Federal energy savings requirements.

      (2) INCLUSION- The Secretary shall include in the report any recommendations for changes to Federal law necessary to reduce or eliminate duplicative or inconsistent Federal energy savings requirements.

SEC. 4. STORM WATER RUNOFF REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

    The sponsor of any development or redevelopment project involving property with a footprint that exceeds 5,000 square feet and that is federally-owned or federally-financed shall use site planning, design, construction, and maintenance strategies for the property to maintain, to the maximum extent technically feasible, predevelopment hydrology with regard to the temperature, rate, volume, and duration of flow.

END