Feature image: The LEED Platinum Minnesota Multi-purpose Stadium in Minneapolis. Photo credit: Nic Lehoux Photography.

Most states’ legislative sessions run only a few months of the year—usually from January until spring. This means bills often move through state capitols quickly, requiring those monitoring policy to operate nimbly.

Since Jan. 1, USGBC has reviewed over 2,300 state bills and weighed in on more than 50. With 16 states' legislative sessions already adjourned for the year and many more on the cusp of sine die (the preestablished date of adjournment for the session), we’re already seeing some policy successes.

Successes at the state level

We’re pleased that a number of bills USGBC actively supported are now law. These bills include:

Washington HB 1728: Signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on April 20, this legislation creates a statewide disaster resilience program. As negative impacts from climate change, including more extreme weather patterns, become more common, resilience—the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from and more successfully adapt to adverse events—has emerged as a common organizing principle in policy. The new program will be responsible for developing disaster resilience initiatives and projects; conducting policy research and providing recommendations to enhance resilience; enhancing interagency collaboration, education and outreach; and coordinating applications for relevant federal funding opportunities.
Washington HB 1170: This new law, enacted on April 25, requires several state agencies to develop an integrated climate change resilience strategy, which will serve as an update to Washington’s 2012 Integrated Climate Response Plan. The law also directs the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group to examine existing best practices and methods that could be used to measure and evaluate climate change resilience.
Minnesota HF 1656: Signed by Gov. Tim Walz on April 18, HF 1656 creates several programs to support Minnesota’s pursuit of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds, such as grants to cover required matching funds, staff time to pursue federal funding opportunities, and staffing assistance for disadvantaged communities. There are many provisions in both the IRA and the IIJA that states can leverage to decarbonize their building stock, and this policy will help ensure that Minnesota receives as much federal funding as it can. USGBC hopes other states will borrow this concept and introduce similar legislation.
Tennessee HB 0213: This bill, which became public law on March 23, extends the lifetime of the Tennessee Energy Efficient Schools Council—which provides grants and loans to school districts for capital outlay projects and establishes and supports energy management programs—to June 30, 2027.
Colorado HB 23-1005: Property assessed clean energy (PACE) is a long-term financing mechanism whereby property owners pay for improvements to their buildings through property assessments or liens, which are secured by the property itself and paid as an addition to property taxes. While PACE was initially conceived to help finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, increased instances of climate-change-related events and shifts in weather patterns necessitate that buildings employ a new suite of technologies and measures. This new law expands Colorado’s PACE statute to commercial buildings, allowing owners to use C-PACE to finance resiliency and water efficiency improvements.

USGBC policy advocacy

USGBC supports policies that enable owners and operators to improve a building’s sustainability and performance, as well as policies that raise the bar for sustainable construction through regulations and incentives.

With 34 states still in session, USGBC remains active in advocating for bills that advance our mission, such as building performance standards, indoor air quality improvements in public schools, residential energy labeling, embodied carbon and buy-clean policies, green affordable housing, statewide emissions reduction targets, and climate action planning, as well as LEED requirements for public buildings and incentives for the private sector.

Join USGBC’s Advocacy Working Group to learn more about USGBC’s policy advocacy efforts and to get involved.

Check out USGBC's Advocacy Working Group

A look at USGBC engagement on state legislation in 2023