2018 -- S 2651

========

LC005100

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - THE GREEN BUILDINGS ACT

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Sosnowski, Seveney, Coyne, and Calkin

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 37-24-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 37-24 entitled "The Green

Buildings Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     37-24-4. Green building standards.

     (a) All major facility projects of public agencies shall be designed and constructed to at

least the meet or exceed the following standards:

     (1) LEED- LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development- Development, and SITES-

SITES, as provided herein, certified or an equivalent high-performance, green-building standard.;

     (2) Green globes certification as established by the Green Building Institute, a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization;

     (3) American National Standards Institute (ANSI); or

     (4) Substantially equivalent standards as determined by the director of administration.

     This provision applies to major facility projects or other public improvements of any kind

to any public real property that have not entered the design phase prior to January 1, 2010, for

LEED, and July 1, 2017, for LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES and green globes

certification through December 31, 2020, or for up to four (4) projects, whichever comes first,

unless otherwise continued or expanded by the general assembly.

     (b) All major facility projects of a public school district, where the project receives any

funding from the state, shall be designed and constructed to at least the LEED- LEED, LEED for

Neighborhood Development- Development, and SITES- SITES and green globes certification, as

provided herein, certified standard standards, or the Northeast Collaborative for High-

Performance Schools Protocol, Version 1.1 or above. This provision applies to major facility

projects or other public improvements of any kind to any public real property that have not

entered the design phase prior to January 1, 2010, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and

SITES and green globes certification through December 31, 2020 or for up to four (4) projects,

whichever comes first, unless otherwise continued or expanded by the general assembly.

     (c) A major facility project does not have to meet the LEED- LEED, LEED for

Neighborhood Development- Development, and SITES- SITES or green globes certified standard

or an equivalent high-performance, green-building standard if:

     (1) There is no appropriate LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES or

green globes standard or other high-performance, green-building standard for that type of

building or renovation project or other public improvements of any kind to any public real

property. In such case, the department will set lesser green-building standards that are appropriate

to the project.

     (2) There is no practical way to apply the LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development,

and SITES or green globes standard or other high-performance, green-building standard to a

particular building or renovation project or other public improvements of any kind to any public

real property. In such case, the department will set lesser green-building standards that are

appropriate to the project.

     (d) The provisions related to LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES and

green globes certification shall continue through December 31, 2020, for up to four (4) projects

selected by the department, subject to evaluation and continuation by the general assembly

thereafter.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC005100

========

LC005100 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - THE GREEN BUILDINGS ACT

***

     This act would require major facility projects of public agencies to meet green globes

certification as established by the Green Building Initiative and the standards of American

National Standards Institute (ANSI) in addition to the pre-existing requirements of LEED (United

States Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), LEED for

Neighborhood Development and SITES (United States Green Building Council's Sustainable

Sites Initiative). Exceptions are made where not practical.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC005100

========

LC005100 - Page 3 of 3