2022 District of Columbia Code
Title 6 - Housing and Building Restrictions and Regulations
Chapter 14A - Green Building Requirements
§ 6–1451.09. Establishment of the Green Building Advisory Council

(a) DOEE shall provide the central coordination and technical assistance to District agencies and instrumentalities in the implementation of the provisions of this chapter.

(b) Within 90 days after March 8, 2007, the Mayor shall establish a Green Building Advisory Council to monitor the District’s compliance with the requirements of this chapter and to make policy recommendations designed to continually improve and update the chapter.

(c)(1) The GBAC shall consist of the following 13 members:

(A) The Director of DOEE, or the Director’s designee;

(B) The Director of the Office of Planning, or the Director’s designee;

(C) The Director of the Department of General Services, or the Director’s designee;

(D) The Director of the Department of Buildings, or the Director’s designee;

(E) The Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, or the Director’s designee;

(F) Six members appointed by the Mayor comprised in equal number of representatives from the private and nonprofit sectors;

(G) One member appointed by the chairperson of the committee of the Council that oversees the building permit function in the District of Columbia; and

(H) One member appointed by the chairperson of the Committee of the Council that oversees DOEE.

(2) Members of the GBAC who are not ex officio members shall have expertise in building construction, development, engineering, natural resources conservation, energy conservation, green building practices, environmental protection, environmental law, or other similar green building expertise.

(3) The Chairperson of the GBAC shall be the Director of DOEE.

(4) All members of the GBAC shall either work in, or be residents of the District, and shall serve without compensation.

(5) The members shall serve a 2-year term.

(6) A member appointed to fill a vacancy or after a term has begun, shall serve only for the remainder of the term or until a successor is appointed.

(d) The GBAC shall advise the Mayor on:

(1) The development, adoption, and revisions of this chapter, including suggestions for additional incentives to promote green building practices;

(2) The evaluation of the effectiveness of the District’s green building policies and their impact on the District’s environmental health, including the relation of the development of the District’s green building policies to the specific environmental challenges facing the District;

(3) The green building practices to be included in the triennial revisions of the Construction Codes; and

(4) The promotion of green building education, including educating relevant District employees, the building community, and the public regarding the benefits and techniques of high-performance building standards.

(e) The GBAC shall meet at least 6 times each year.

(f) GBAC shall issue an annual report of its recommendations. The report shall include recommended updates of green building standards, building systems monitoring and data compiled from District-owned or District instrumentality-owned and operated buildings, and an analysis of the building projects exempted by the Mayor under § 6-1451.10. The report shall be distributed to all members of the Council and the Mayor and made available to the general public within 30 days after its issuance.

(g) The Mayor shall provide GBAC with the following to be included in the annual report required by subsection (f) of this section:

(1) An accounting of funds deposited into the Green Building Fund during the past fiscal year, separated by category;

(2) An accounting of funds spent from the Green Building Fund during the past fiscal year, referencing that year’s annual green plan’s goals; and

(3) A 2-year District Green Building Plan updated annually, with goals and associated projections of expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year, produced in consultation with the GBAC.

(h)(1) Within 90 days of October 1, 2019, the Mayor shall establish the Building Energy Performance Standards Task Force, which shall:

(A) Advise DOEE on creation of an implementation plan for the Building Energy Performance Program;

(B) Recommend amendments to proposed regulations issued by DOEE; and

(C) Recommend complementary programs or policies.

(2) The task force shall be comprised of representatives, or their designees, from the following entities:

(A) The Director of DOEE;

(B) The Director of the Department of General Services;

(C) The Director of DOB;

(D) The Department of Housing and Community Development;

(E) The Department of Planning and Economic Development;

(F) A representative from the Green Building Advisory Council;

(G) A representative from the DC Sustainable Energy Utility;

(H) A representative who is an affordable housing developer;

(I) A representative from a rent-controlled apartment building;

(J) A representative from a market-rate apartment building;

(K) A representative from a commercial building;

(L) A representative from the Apartment and Office Buildings Association;

(M) A representative from the Consortium of Universities in the Washington Metropolitan Area;

(N) A representative who operates affordable housing;

(O) A representative of a nonprofit or professional association advocating for energy efficient buildings or a low-carbon built environment;

(P) A provider of energy efficiency or renewable energy services to large buildings or affordable housing in the District; and

(Q) A representative from the Green Finance Authority.

(Mar. 8, 2007, D.C. Law 16-234, § 10, 54 DCR 377; Mar. 31, 2011, D.C. Law 18-349, § 2(f), 58 DCR 724; June 5, 2012, D.C. Law 19-139, § 2(h), 59 DCR 2555; Sept. 26, 2012, D.C. Law 19-171, § 46, 59 DCR 6190; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 6044(d), 63 DCR 10775; Mar. 22, 2019, D.C. Law 22-257, § 302(b), 66 DCR 1344; Apr. 5, 2021, D.C. Law 23-269, § 501(i)(4), 68 DCR 001490.)

This section is referenced in § 6-1451.01.

D.C. Law 18-349 substituted “DDOE” for “The Department of the Environment” or “the Department of the Environment ”.

D.C. Law 19-139, in subsec. (c)(1)(C), substituted “Department of General Services” for “Office of Property Management”; in subsec. (c)(1)(G), substituted “building permit” for “building construction permit”; and added subsec. (g).

The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-171 substituted “Department of General Services” for “Office of Property Management” in (c)(1)(C).

Section 7276 of D.C. Law 24-45 repealed the applicability provision of section 601 of D.C. Law 23-269 that impacted this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by Law 23-269 has been implemented.

Section 7164 of D.C. Law 23-16 repealed § 601 of D.C. Law 22-257. Therefore the amendment of this section by D.C. Law 22-257 has been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 22-257: § 601 of D.C. Law 22-257 provided that the change made to this section by § 302(b) of D.C. Law 22-257 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

For temporary (90 days) repeal of applicability provision of D.C. Law 22-255, see § 7164 of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-112, Sept. 4, 2019, 66 DCR 11964).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of applicability provision of D.C. Law 22-255, see § 7164 of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-91, July 22, 2019, 66 DCR 8497).