Politics & Government

Green Building Law Signed by Governor

California Building Standards Commission will now include a green building expert.

A bill authored by Assemblyman Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park) designed to strengthen California’s green building standards was signed into law last weekend by Governor Jerry Brown.

The bill, AB 930, requires that one member of the California Building Standards Commission be “experienced and knowledgeable in sustainable building, design, construction, and operation,” according to a state released today by Gordon’s office.

 "With the implementation of our new green building standards, CALGreen, it is crucial that the Building Standards Commission membership reflects the various constituencies represented in the building codes," said Assemblyman Gordon following the Governor's signature of AB 930. "Adding this requirement to the Commission’s make-up will improve the integrity of future adherence to CALGreen."

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The BSC has the responsibility of administering the state’s building codes, including adopting, approving, publishing, and implementing codes and standards.

All eleven members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. The members represent public, building design professionals, the building and construction industry, local government building officials, fire officials, and labor.

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With the passage of AB 930, the green building industry has a seat at the table.

Strict green building laws that took effect January 1 require new buildings to reduce water consumption, employ building commissioning to increase building system efficiencies, divert construction waste from landfills, and install low pollutant emitting finish materials.

The measures established by CALGreen require a minimum for green construction practices, and weave environmentally responsible buildings into California cityscapes without any significant increases in construction costs, according to the statement.

AB 930 passed the state legislature with bipartisan support.


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