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2008 SESSION

080087304
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 32
Offered January 9, 2008
Prefiled January 4, 2008
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study options for energy efficient office buildings and public buildings. Report.
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Patron-- Puller
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, office building energy bills are the highest of any commercial building type; and

WHEREAS, to reduce energy use and costs in the workplace, office building designers, owners, and operators look to energy-efficient building design and technologies; and

WHEREAS, state and local governments spend more than $11 billion annually on fixed-site energy costs; and

WHEREAS, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 mandates a 35 percent reduction in energy use by 2010 for all federal buildings; and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Program, using energy-efficient design and technologies in constructing new office buildings can cut energy costs by as much as 50 percent;

WHEREAS, energy-smart office buildings incorporate efficient lighting systems and advanced windows, roofing, insulation, and mechanical and ventilation systems; and

WHEREAS, reducing energy usage in private and state-owned buildings in the Commonwealth can assist Virginia's stated goal, set forth in the third enactment of Chapters 888 and 933 of the 2007 Session of the General Assembly, of reducing the consumption of electric energy by 10 percent by 2022, compared to electric energy consumption in 2006; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study options for energy efficient office buildings and public buildings. The joint subcommittee shall propose amendments to the Statewide Building Code and to public building procurement requirements that will make offices buildings and public buildings more energy efficient, at costs that are recoverable through savings in energy usage.

The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 13 members that shall consist of 10 legislative members and three ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and six members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates. The Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Director of the Department of General Services, and the Governor's Senior Advisor for Energy, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with voting privileges.  If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services.  Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2008 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $10,000 without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk.  If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2008, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2009 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a Senate or House document. The executive summary and the report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee.  The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2008 interim.