The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
Ruth B. Balser
Barbara A. L'Italien
Anthony J. Verga
Denise Provost
William N. Brownsberger
Mary E. Grant
Stephen M. Brewer
Peter V. Kocot
Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.
Kay Khan
Alice Hanlon Peisch
Eric Kostegan
Vasilios Katsavrias
Benjamin Gordon
Erin Hoffer
James E. Timilty
Jennifer M. Callahan
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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
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An Act creating the division of sustainable building design in the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Energy. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. The general court finds that in the pursuit of sustainable design, both the producer and the individual developer face a confusing array of organizations, operating independently, that create obstacles to the increased production of “green buildings” within the Commonwealth. To rectify this problem, there shall be established, within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Energy, a Division of Sustainable Building Design.
Said Division shall:
1. Provide a central information clearinghouse with data regarding state-based, regional, national, and international sustainable products and methods.
2. Require, monitor, and analyze the use of Building Information Models (BIM) and BIM-based energy and sustainability analysis for all state funded projects.
3. Provide conceptual assistance to privately funded projects through case studies and proof of concept demonstrations.
4. Provide technical assistance to privately funded projects regarding
Building Information Models and BIM-based energy and sustainability analysis, and “green” product and materials based information resources.
5. Establish a consortium of public and private research institutions and academic institutions to exchange models, methods, and information in order to foster a more cooperative and substantive network of information interchange.
6. Foster public awareness; collaborate with similar initiatives to implement curriculum changes focused on sustainable design in all levels of public education institutions.
SECTION 2.
1. The Division, in collaboration with the Division of Capital Asset Management and the Department of Revenue, shall determine the cost and feasibility of requiring all future state projects, partially state funded projects, and projects built on state land to meet or exceed LEED Silver standards. Should feasibility and cost be within acceptable parameters, the Division shall promulgate regulations and/or file legislation to require such standards.
2. The Division, in collaboration with the Division of Capital Asset Management and the Department of Revenue, shall determine the cost and feasibility of requiring existing state buildings to provide maintenance and operations of buildings in accordance with LEED Silver standards. Should feasibility and cost be within acceptable parameters, the Division shall promulgate regulations and/or file legislation to require such standards.
3. The Division shall work cooperatively with Division of Capital Asset Management and Department of Revenue in instances when context makes compliance to established standards infeasible with exceptions granted through a process mitigation. Final approval of mitigation activities shall reside with the Division.
4. The Division, in collaboration with the Department of Revenue, shall promulgate an array of incentives (tax credits, direct grants, etc.) which they believe will accelerate the construction of sustainable buildings, a.k.a. “green buildings.” Such findings will be reported to the Chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees.
SECTION 3. Two years after the implementation of the above recommendations, and every two years thereafter, the Division shall publish a report documenting the results of each of the strategies, as listed above, as they pertain to any increased production of sustainable building practices in the Commonwealth.