January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Ogles, and Mr. Higgins of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agriculture to withdraw a final determination relating to energy efficiency standards for housing, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Helping Owners with Unaffordable Shoddy Edicts Act of 2025
or the HOUSE Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Energy efficiency standards for housing
(a) In general
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Agriculture—
(1)
shall withdraw the final determination announced in the notice of final determination entitled Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing
(89 Fed. Reg. 33112);
(2)
may not take any action or use any Federal funds to implement or enforce the final determination described in paragraph (1) or any substantially similar final determination; and
(3)
shall revert energy efficiency standards for covered programs under such final determination to the energy efficiency standards required before such final determination.
(b) Action by additional agencies
(1) Department of Veterans Affairs
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not take any action or use any Federal funds to implement or enforce a final determination that is substantially similar to the final determination described in subsection (a)(1).
(2) Federal Housing Finance Agency
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency may not finalize, implement, or enforce a determination or rule relating to energy efficiency standards for single and multifamily housing.
(c) Consideration of State standards
Section 109(d) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12709(d)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1), by striking and
at the end;
(2)
in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(3)
not less than 26 States have adopted an energy efficiency code or standard that meets or exceeds the requirements of the revised code or standard.