AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- THE GREEN BUILDINGS ACT (Creates the green buildings act commission to consist of 17 members, responsible for the implementation of the green buildings act.)

H7739

2026 -- H 7739
========
LC004093
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- THE GREEN BUILDINGS ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives Cortvriend, McGaw, Handy, Carson, Boylan, Bennett,
and Kazarian

Date Introduced:
February 12, 2026

Referred To:
House Environment and Natural Resources
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Sections 37-24-2, 37-24-3, 37-24-4, 37-24-5 and 37-24-6 of the General
2
Laws in Chapter 37-24 entitled "The Green Buildings Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:
3

37-24-2. Legislative findings.
4
It is hereby found and declared as follows:
5
(1) Energy costs for public buildings and public projects are skyrocketing and will likely
6
continue to increase.
7
(2) Energy use by public buildings and public projects contributes substantially to the
8
problems of pollution and global warming.
9
(3) Public buildings, public structures, public real property and public projects can be built,
10
renovated, and located using high-performance methods that
are resilient, sustainable and
11
regenerative; that
save and generate energy;
that
reduce and conserve
our waters and
water
12
consumption;
that foster the appropriate use of our lands and buildings; that
improve indoor air and
13
environmental quality;
that
improve water quality;
that
reduce transportation demand and
14
emissions;
that
preserve the environment;
that
make workers and students more productive;
and

15
that
improve the quality of our individual and shared human experience and environmental justice
16
for all citizens of the state
, creating a working continuum of ecology embracing and enhancing the
17
very places and experiences of Rhode Island 's heritage, its people, all life, communities, lands, air
18
and waters
.
19
(4) The green buildings act is a strategic tool to achieve the greenhouse gas emission

1
reduction targets and other objectives of chapter 6.2 of title 42 ("2021 act on climate") and the work
2
of the executive climate change coordinating council established in § 42-6.2-1.
3
(5) This law is necessary to more efficiently spend public funds.
4

37-24-3. Definitions.
5
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
6
(1) "Construction" means the
design and construction
process
of

involved for any new

7
building,
or for the renovation and
altering, repairing, improving,
or

and/or
demolishing
forty
8
percent (40%)

twenty percent (20%)
or more of any public structures, public buildings, public real
9
property or other public improvements of any kind to any public structures, public buildings or
10
public real property
that are governed by the threshold requirements of "public major facility
11
projects" as defined in this section
.
12
(2) "Department"
, when used without a specific department name,
means the
department
13
of administration

state building office, building code commission of the Rhode Island department
14
of business regulation, or any subsequently identified successor to the above "department", or any
15
other subsequently named "department" or any other entity of the state. The department through
16
the state building office, building code commission shall provide staff, other administrative support
17
services, and funding to the green buildings act commission, and shall provide consultation to, and
18
with, the green buildings act commission in order to implement the green buildings act
.
19
(3) "Equivalent standard" means a high-performance green building standard, other than
20
LEED
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES
21
certified standard
, that provides an independent, third-party verification and certification of a rating
22
system or measurement tool, that, when used, leads to outcomes equivalent to, LEED, LEED for
23
Neighborhood Development, and SITES outcomes, in terms of green building, green infrastructure,
24
and green site performance; current accepted equivalent standards include green globes, Northeast
25
collaborative high-performance schools protocol; or other equivalent high-performance green
26
building, green infrastructure, and green site standards accepted by the
green buildings act
27
commission in consultation with the
department.
28
(4)
"Green buildings act commission" means the appointed entity of public and public
29
agency members, described in § 37-24-5, who shall be responsible for the implementation of the
30
green buildings act in consultation with the department.
31

(5)
"LEED
certified standard
" also, "LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified
32
standard"
, and
"
SITES certified standard" means the current version of the U.S. Green Building
33
Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating standard
34
referred to as LEED
certified
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified
, and SITES

LC004093 - Page 2 of 10
1
certified. SITES means the U.S. Green Building Council’s SITES — The Sustainable SITES
2
Initiative.
3

(5)
(6)
"Public agency" means every state or municipal office, board, commission,
4
committee, bureau, department, or public institution of education, or any political subdivision
5
thereof.
6

(6)
(7)
"Public facility" means any public institution, public facility, public equipment, or
7
any physical asset owned, including its public real-property site, leased or controlled in whole or
8
in part by this state, a public agency, a municipality or a political subdivision, that is for public or
9
government use.
10

(7)
(8)
"Public major facility project" means:
11
(i) A public facility building construction project
larger than
ten thousand (10,000) gross
12
square feet
or greater
of occupied or conditioned space, and its public real-property site; or
13
(ii) A public facility building renovation project
larger than
ten thousand (10,000) gross
14
square feet
or greater
of occupied or conditioned space, and its public real-property site.
15

37-24-4. Green building standards.
16
(a) All public major facility projects of the state, public agencies, municipalities and
17
political subdivisions shall be designed
and
, permitted, and
constructed to at least the LEED
18
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES
certified
19
standard
, as provided herein,
certified
or an equivalent high-performance green building standard
20
approved by the green buildings act commission
. This provision applies to public major facility
21
projects or other public improvements of any kind to any public facility
that have not entered the
22
design phase prior to July 1, 2023, for LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development and for
23
SITES
.
24
(b) All public major facility projects of a public school facility, where the project receives
25
any funding from the state, shall be designed
and
, permitted, and
constructed to at least the LEED
26
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES
certified
27
standard
, as provided herein,
certified standard,
or the Northeast Collaborative for High-
28
Performance Schools Protocol, Version 1.1 or above. This provision applies to public major facility
29
projects or other public improvements by the state or a public school district to any public school
30
facility
that have not entered the design phase prior to July 1, 2023, for LEED, LEED for
31
Neighborhood Development, and for SITES
.
32
(c)
All public major facility projects described in § 37-24-3 (8) and subsections (a) and (b)
33
of this section, shall comply with this section as a condition precedent in order to apply for and
34
receive a building permit under section 105 permits of the Rhode Island state building code,

LC004093 - Page 3 of 10
1
certification under § 23-27.3-128.0, design and construction procedures, and a certificate of
2
occupancy for that public major facility project in accordance with section 111 certificate of
3
occupancy of the Rhode Island state building code, commercial editions, shall be required to be in
4
compliance with this chapter. This chapter shall hereby be incorporated in the Rhode Island state
5
building code in accordance with RISBC § 23-27.3-100.4 specialized codes incorporated.
6

(d) All public agencies identified in § 37-24-3(6) shall provide the requested and required
7
reports and information to the green buildings act commission for all the public major facility
8
projects described in the statutory requirements of this chapter ("the green buildings act").
9

(e)
A public major facility project does not have to meet the LEED
certified standard
,
10
LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES certified standard or an
11
equivalent high-performance green building standard if:
12
(1) There is no appropriate LEED
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood
13
Development
certified standard
, and SITES
certified
standard or other high-performance green
14
building standard for that type of building or renovation project or other public improvements of
15
any kind to any public facility. In such case, the
department will

green buildings act commission
16
shall
set green building standards that are appropriate to the project.
17
(2) There is no practical way to apply the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for
18
Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES
certified
standard or other high-
19
performance green building standard to a particular building or renovation project or other public
20
improvements of any kind to any public facility. In such case, the
department will

green buildings
21
act commission shall
set green building standards that are appropriate to the project.
22

(d)
(f)
[Deleted by P.L. 2022, ch. 204, § 1 and P.L. 2022, ch. 205, § 1.]
23

37-24-5.
Administration and reports -- Green buildings advisory committee

24
Administration and reports -- Green buildings act commission.
25
(a) The
department shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to enforce this
26
section by January 1, 2023

green buildings act commission shall promulgate such additional
27
regulations as are necessary to enforce this section in consultation with the department
. Those
28
regulations shall include how the
department

green buildings act commission
will determine
29
whether a project qualifies for an exception from the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for
30
Neighborhood Development
certified standard
, and SITES certified
standard
or equivalent high-
31
performance green building standard, and
shall determine
the green building standards that may be
32
imposed on projects that are granted exceptions.
33
(b) The
department

green buildings act commission
shall monitor and document ongoing
34
operating savings that result from major facility projects designed, constructed, and certified as

LC004093 - Page 4 of 10
1
meeting the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified standard
,
2
and SITES certified standard
, and shall
annually publish a public report of findings
, addressing the
3
legislative findings of § 37-24-2,
and recommended changes in policy. The report shall also include
4
a description of projects that were granted exceptions from the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for
5
Neighborhood Development
certified standard
,
and
SITES certified standard,
as provided herein,
6
certified or an equivalent high-performance green building certified standard approved by the green
7
buildings act commission,
the reasons for exception, and the lesser green building standards
8
imposed.
9
(c) — (f) [Deleted by P.L. 2022, ch. 204, § 1 and P.L. 2022, ch. 205, § 1.]
10
(g) A green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
shall be created composed of
11
nineteen (19)

seventeen (17)
members. The
advisory committee

green buildings act commission

12
shall have
eleven (11)

nine (9)
public members and eight (8) public agency members.
Five (5)

13
Three (3)
of the public members shall be appointed by the governor;
three (3)

two (2)
of the public
14
members shall be appointed by the president of the senate; and,
three (3)

two (2)
of the public
15
members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
One of the public
16
members shall be appointed by and represent the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. One of the public
17
members shall be appointed by and represent the Rhode Island league of cities and towns.
18

(h)(1) The governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the senate shall make
19
the following seven (7) appointments representing accordingly as stated with the appointees initial
20
terms of service:
21

(i) Governor: one from general construction contracting, three-year (3) term; one at-large
22
citizen from the urban municipalities of Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, Woonsocket,
23
or Newport, two (2) year term; and one at-large citizen from the other thirty-two (32) municipalities
24
in the state, two-year (2) term;
25

(ii) Speaker of the house: one from architecture, three-year (3) term; one from planning,
26
two-year (2) term;
27

(iii) President of the senate: one from engineering, three-year (3) term; one from landscape
28
architecture, two-year (2) term.
29

(1)
(2)
The
eleven (11)

nine (9)
public members of the
advisory committee

green buildings
30
act commission
shall be composed of
nine (9)
representatives
who are involved in and have
31
recognized knowledge and accomplishment in their respective professions, of high-performance
32
green building standards, relating to the standards set forth in § 37-24-4. The public members shall
33
include
one from each of the following fields: architecture, engineering, landscape architecture,
34
energy

planning
, labor through the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, general construction contracting,

LC004093 - Page 5 of 10
1
building product and building materials industries who are involved in, and have recognized
2
knowledge and accomplishment in their respective professions, of high-performance green
3
building standards, relating to the standards set forth in § 37-24-4;
in addition to
two (2)

three (3)
4
additional
public members,
one public member representing the Rhode Island league of cities and
5
towns;
one
at-large citizen public member
representing an urban municipality from Providence,
6
Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, or Newport, and one
at-large citizen
public member
7
representing the other thirty-two (32) municipalities in the state in order to ensure geographic
8
diversity.
9

(2)
(3)
The
advisory committee

green buildings act commission
shall have eight (8) public
10
agency members representing personnel from affected public agencies,
and cities and towns,
that
11
oversee public
works

buildings, public structures, and public real property
projects and workforce
12
development, who shall be appointed by the directors or chief executive officers of the respective
13
public agencies which shall include the department of administration; the department of
14
environmental management; the department of education; the department of transportation; the
15
department of labor and training;
the department of health;
the office of the state building code
16
commissioner;
and
the Rhode Island infrastructure bank
, and the Rhode Island League of Cities
17
and Towns
.
18

(3)
(4)
The chairperson of the green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
shall be
19
a public member chosen by the green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
.
20

(4)
(5)
Of the initial
eleven (11)

nine (9)
public members,
six (6)

three (3)
shall serve three-
21
year (3) terms and
five (5)

four (4)
shall have two-year (2) terms.
Each appointing authority shall
22
appoint two (2) public members to three-year (3) terms with the remainder of the public member
23
appointments serving two-year terms. Thereafter, all public members shall be appointed to three-
24
year (3) terms.

25

(i) The three (3) appointees from architecture, engineering, and general construction
26
contracting shall each have a three-year (3) term of service with a maximum of three (3) terms of
27
service.
28

(ii) The two (2) appointees from landscape architecture and planning, shall each have a
29
two-year (2) term of service, with a maximum of two (2) terms of service;
30

(iii) The two (2) at-large citizen appointees from the urban municipalities, and the at-large
31
citizens appointees from the other thirty-two (32) municipalities shall each have a two-year (2) term
32
of service, with a maximum of two (2) terms of service;
33

(iv) The two (2) appointees from the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and the Rhode Island league
34
of cities and towns shall each have a two-year (2) term of service, with a maximum of two (2) terms

LC004093 - Page 6 of 10
1
of service;
2

(6) Upon the effective date of this section, the current public members of the green
3
buildings advisory committee shall continue their service on the green buildings act commission
4
until reappointed or when replacement appointments are made by the appointing authorities.
5

(7) The chairperson of the green buildings advisory committee shall be a LEED Accredited
6
Professional with a specialty in building design and construction (LEED AP BD+C), and shall have
7
current Rhode Island professional registration in architecture, engineering, or landscape
8
architecture, and with said credentials shall have the ability to continue as the chairperson for the
9
green buildings act commission for a maximum of three (3) three-year (3) terms of service in order
10
to establish the direction and implementation of this chapter across the state and its municipalities.
11

(8) With, and in, any given appointments by the appointing authorities, there shall not be
12
appointments made for the public members which would constitute more than one-third (⅓) of the
13
total nine (9) public members of the green buildings advisory commission. The chairperson of the
14
green buildings advisory commission shall annually inform the appointing authorities of the
15
makeup and constituencies of the green buildings advisory commission, and provide
16
recommendations to that effect.
17

(h)
(i)
The green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
shall:
18
(1)
Make all determinations for the implementation of and compliance with the green
19
buildings act;
20

(2)
Make recommendations regarding an ongoing evaluation process of the green buildings
21
act to
help

assist
the department and the executive climate change coordinating council implement
22
this chapter
and to achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and other objectives of
23
chapter 6.2 of title 42 ("2021 act on climate")
;
24

(2)
(3)
Identify the needs, actions, and funding required to implement the requirements set
25
forth in this chapter, in achieving high-performance green building projects for our public
26
buildings, public structures, and our public real properties;
27

(3)
(4)
Establish clear, measurable targets for implementing the standards, defined in this
28
chapter, for all public major facility projects including timeline, workforce needs, anticipated costs
29
and other measures identified by the green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
and
30
required by chapter 6.2 of title 42 ("2021 act on climate");
and
31

(4)
(5)
Identify ways to monitor and document ongoing operating savings and greenhouse
32
gas emission reductions that result from public major facility projects designed, constructed and
33
certified as meeting the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified
34
standard
, SITES certified standard, Green Globes, Northeast Collaborative for High-Performance

LC004093 - Page 7 of 10
1
Schools Protocol, Version 1.1 or above and annually publish a report to the general assembly and
2
the executive climate change coordinating council of findings and recommended changes in
3
policy
.
;
4

(6) Shall have the authority to establish subcommittees appointed by the chairperson to
5
further the implementation of this chapter, and the chairperson of the green buildings act
6
commission shall have the authority to appoint the chairperson and the members of the
7
subcommittees, whereas each subcommittee shall have at least one member of the green buildings
8
act commission serving on each of the appointed subcommittees;
9

(7) Shall have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of
10
this chapter, and shall have the authority to establish bylaws for the governance of the green
11
buildings act commission;
12

(8) Shall collaborate with the executive climate change coordinating council regarding the
13
implementation of this chapter including, but not be limited to, the establishment of the
14
benchmarking requirements, technical assistance, building owner needs, outreach and education,
15
opportunities for funding related to this chapter, the implementation of state policies, programs,
16
and statutes related to this chapter and recommendations for building performance standards; and
17

(9) Shall have the authority to identify, pursue, apply for, and receive funding from any
18
public, private, nonprofit entity or any other organization or private citizen.
19

(i)
(j)
All
public agency
requests for proposals, requests for information, requests for bids,
20
requests for design/build, requests for construction managers, and any requests relating to obtaining
21
the professional services, pricing, and construction for
public
major facility projects by a public
22
agency for a public facility, shall
prominently
include the notice of the statutory requirements of
23
this chapter ("the green buildings act")
at the beginning of such requests
.
24

(j)
(k)
The green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
shall have no responsibility
25
for, and shall not develop requests for proposals, requests for information, requests for bids,
26
requests for design/build, requests for construction managers, and any requests relating to obtaining
27
the professional services, pricing, and construction for major facility projects by a public agency
28
for a public facility; and the green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
shall have no
29
responsibility for, and shall not select any vendors for any requests for proposals, requests for
30
information, requests for bids, requests for design/build, requests for construction managers, and
31
any requests relating to obtaining the professional services, pricing, and construction for major
32
facility projects by a public agency for a public facility. Nothing shall prohibit public members of
33
the green buildings
advisory committee

act commission
from responding to, and being involved
34
with, any submittals of requests for proposals, requests for information, requests for bids, requests

LC004093 - Page 8 of 10
1
for design/build, requests for construction managers, and any requests relating to obtaining the
2
professional services, pricing, and construction for major facility projects by a public agency for a
3
public facility.
4

37-24-6. Protection from liability.
5
No person, corporation, or entity shall be held liable for the failure of a public major facility
6
project to meet the LEED
certified standard
, LEED for Neighborhood Development
certified
7
standard
, and SITES certified standard or other standards established for the project as long as a
8
good faith attempt was made to achieve the standard set for the project.
9
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC004093
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LC004093 - Page 9 of 10
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- THE GREEN BUILDINGS ACT
***
1
This act would create the green buildings act commission to consist of seventeen (17)
2
members, responsible for the implementation of the green buildings act in consultation with the
3
state building office, building code commission of the Rhode Island department of business
4
regulation.
5
This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC004093
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LC004093 - Page 10 of 10