A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to extend the standards governing energy efficiency and water use for major facility construction and renovation projects involving state, university, and community college buildings to major facility construction and renovation projects involving buildings of entities that receive funding in excess of a total of twenty thousand dollars in state appropriations for facility construction and renovation projects.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 143‑135.35 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143‑135.35.  Findings; legislative intent.
The General Assembly finds that public buildings can be built and renovated using sustainable, energy‑efficient methods that save money, reduce negative environmental impacts, improve employee and student performance, and make employees and students more productive. The main objectives of sustainable, energy‑efficient design are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create buildings that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive. It is the intent of the General Assembly that State‑owned buildings and buildings of The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and State‑funded entities be improved by establishing specific performance standards for sustainable, energy‑efficient public buildings. These performance standards should be based upon recognized, consensus standards that are supported by science and have a demonstrated performance record. The General Assembly also intends, in order to ensure that the economic and environmental objectives of this Article are achieved, that State agencies, The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and State‑funded entities determine whether the performance standards are met for major facility construction and renovation projects, measure utility and maintenance costs, and verify whether these standards result in savings. Also, it is the intent of the General Assembly to establish a priority to use North Carolina‑based resources, building materials, products, industries, manufacturers, and businesses to provide economic development to North Carolina and to meet the objectives of this Article."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 143‑135.36(7) reads as rewritten:
"(7)	"Public agency" means every State office, officer, board, department, and commission and institutions of higher education, and State‑funded entity."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 143‑135.36 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(8)	"State‑funded entity" means an entity that receives in excess of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in State appropriations for a major facility construction project or a major facility renovation project."
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law. Section 1 and Section 2 of this act apply to every major facility construction project, as defined in G.S. 143‑135.36, and every major facility renovation project, as defined in G.S. 143‑135.36, of an entity that receives in excess of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in State appropriations for the construction or renovation project when the project has not entered the schematic design phase prior to the effective date of this act.