What's happening
This bill requires New York to update its building and energy codes within twelve months of updates to certain international standards.
Why it matters
Mandates faster adoption of international safety and efficiency standards. , meaning New York buildings would consistently reflect the latest best practices for fire prevention, structural integrity, and energy conservation—potentially improving public health, safety, and resilience to hazards.
Removes the requirement that code updates be “cost effective” or “economically reasonable”. , which could result in stricter standards being implemented even if they initially increase construction costs, prioritizing long-term benefits like energy savings and reduced environmental impact.
Limits local discretion in code updates by requiring automatic, time-bound adoption. , reducing delays and potential political or industry resistance to implementing new standards, thereby ensuring uniformity and predictability for builders, developers, and residents across the state.
Aligns state codes with international benchmarks. , potentially making New York more attractive to national and international investors, architects, and construction firms familiar with these standards, while also supporting broader climate and sustainability goals.
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Who cares
State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council
The bill would require the council to update the state building, fire and energy codes within twelve months of publication of revised editions of the specified model codes and standards.
Builders, developers and building designers
Required updates would change the state code requirements governing their work, while the bill would remove the energy code’s cost-effectiveness requirement and ten-year energy-savings test.
Local code enforcement officials
They would need to apply state codes updated to reflect revisions to the listed building, fire, residential, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, existing building, property maintenance and electrical codes.
Energy conservation advocates
The bill would require energy code updates tied to revised international energy codes and standards and remove “economically” from the requirement for reasonable energy conservation techniques.
Headline styles
Update Building Safety Codes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to codes
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Update Fire and Energy Codes
In Senate Committee · Housing, Construction And Community Development · Sponsor Betty Little
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6824
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 21, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the energy law, in relation to requiring the updating of the state uniform fire prevention and building code and the state energy conservation construction code on the basis of update of certain international codes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 377 of the executive law is renumbered subdivision 3 and a new subdivision 2 is added to read as follows:
2. Each time a revised or updated edition of the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, the International Residential Code, the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Fuel Gas Code, the International Existing Building Code, the International Property Maintenance Code or the National Electrical Code is published, the council shall, within twelve months of such publication of a revised or updated edition, cause the uniform fire prevention and building code to be updated to reflect changes in any such revised or updated edition.
§ 2. Section 11-101 of the energy law, as amended by chapter 516 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
§ 11-101. Purpose. In furtherance of the policy set forth in subdivision two of section 3-101 of this chapter, the legislature hereby directs that a state energy conservation construction code be adopted to protect the health, safety and security of the people of the state and to assure a continuing supply of energy for future generations and that such code mandate that [economically] reasonable energy conservation techniques be used in the design and construction of all public and private buildings in the state.
§ 3. Subdivision 2 of section 11-103 of the energy law, as amended by chapter 560 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09608-01-7
A. 6824 2
2. The state fire prevention and building code council [is authorized, from time to time as it deems appropriate and consistent with the purposes of this article, to review and amend the code, or adopt a new code, through rules and regulations provided that the code remains cost effective with respect to building construction in the state. In determining whether the code remains cost effective, the code council shall consider whether the cost of materials and their installation to meet its standards would be equal to or less than the present value of energy savings that could be expected over a ten year period in the building in which such materials are installed. For residential buildings, the code shall meet or exceed the then most recently published International Energy Conservation Code, or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings; and for commercial buildings, the code shall meet or exceed ASHRAE 90.1-2007, or achieve equivalent or greater energy savings] shall, within twelve months of the publication of each revised or updated edition of the International Energy Conservation Code or the ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, cause the state energy conservation construction code to be updated to reflect changes in any such revised or updated edition.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.