What's happening
This bill requires New York to update its building and energy codes within a year of updates to international standards.
Why it matters
Mandates faster adoption of modern safety and efficiency standards. By requiring New York to update its building and energy codes within 12 months of international code updates, the law ensures that new construction and renovations incorporate the latest fire prevention, structural, and energy-saving measures much more quickly than before.
Removes cost-effectiveness barriers to code adoption. The bill strikes language that required building codes to be “economically reasonable” and “cost effective,” meaning updates must now be made regardless of whether the anticipated energy savings outweigh the immediate costs, potentially speeding up the adoption of stricter energy standards.
Aligns New York with global best practices. The law ties state code updates directly to widely recognized international standards (like the International Building Code and the ASHRAE energy code), helping ensure that New York’s buildings match or exceed the safety, sustainability, and resilience benchmarks established worldwide.
Limits local discretion over code changes. By prescribing a specific, mandatory timeline and removing the council’s prior flexibility to decide when and how to update codes, the bill reduces potential delays or resistance from state officials and industry stakeholders who might otherwise slow or weaken code improvements.
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Who cares
State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council
The bill would require the council to update state building, fire and energy codes within twelve months of publication of revised editions of the specified model codes and standards.
Builders, architects and construction trades
Required updates would change the state code requirements governing building design and construction, including plumbing, mechanical, electrical and energy systems.
Building owners and developers
The bill would remove the requirement that energy code changes remain cost-effective under a ten-year energy-savings test.
Energy conservation advocates
The bill would require regular energy code updates tied to the International Energy Conservation Code and ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, rather than leaving updates to the council’s discretion.
Headline styles
Update Building Safety Codes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4460
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER, LAWRENCE, PEOPLES-STOKES -- 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.
LBD04864-01-9
A. 4460 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.