SB 795: Energy: building energy efficiency: heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment sale registry and compliance tracking system: electronic statewide compliance documentation data repository.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, building design and construction standards and energy and water conservation design standards for new residential and nonresidential buildings. Existing law requires the commission to prescribe, by regulation, standards for minimum levels of operating efficiency to promote the use of energy-efficient and water-efficient appliances whose use requires a significant amount of energy or water on a statewide basis. Existing law requires the commission to approve a plan that will promote compliance with specified regulations in the installation of central air-conditioning and heat pumps and authorizes the commission to adopt regulations to increase compliance with permitting and inspection requirements for central air-conditioning and heat pumps, and associated sales and installations, consistent with that plan.

This bill would require the commission to develop and implement an electronic statewide heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment sales registry and compliance tracking system to allow the Contractors State License Board and other responsible enforcement agencies to cross-check the purchase of HVAC equipment with the submittal of permit compliance verification documents in order to identify contractors and other installers that fail to comply with the law. The bill would specify that the HVAC equipment sales registry and compliance tracking system is not to be publicly available and available, that certain information in the registry and compliance tracking system is confidential and not to be disclosed to the public. public, and that other information that is in the system is a public record and shall be made available to the public in an electronic format upon request.

This bill would also require the commission to develop and implement an electronic statewide compliance documentation data repository for the installation of HVAC equipment and lighting controls with certain capabilities. The bill would specify that the repository is not to be publicly available and that certain information in the data repository is confidential and not to be disclosed to the public.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.