§ 37-24-4. Green building standards. (a) All major facility projects of public agencies shall be designed and constructed to at least the LEED-, LEED for Neighborhood Development-, and SITES-, as provided herein, certified or an equivalent high-performance, green-building standard. This provision applies to major facility projects or other public improvements of any kind to any public real property that have not entered the design phase prior to January 1, 2010, for LEED, and July 1, 2017, for LEED for Neighborhood Development and SITES through December 31, 2020, or for up to four (4) projects, whichever comes first, unless otherwise continued or expanded by the general assembly.

(b) All major facility projects of a public school district, where the project receives any funding from the state, shall be designed and constructed to at least the LEED-, LEED for Neighborhood Development-, and SITES-, as provided herein, certified standard, or the Northeast Collaborative for High-Performance Schools Protocol, Version 1.1 or above. This provision applies to major facility projects or other public improvements of any kind to any public real property that have not entered the design phase prior to January 1, 2010, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES through December 31, 2020 or for up to four (4) projects, whichever comes first, unless otherwise continued or expanded by the general assembly.

(c) A major facility project does not have to meet the LEED-, LEED for Neighborhood Development-, and SITES-certified standard or an equivalent high-performance, green-building standard if:

(1) There is no appropriate LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES standard or other high-performance, green-building standard for that type of building or renovation project or other public improvements of any kind to any public real property. In such case, the department will set lesser green-building standards that are appropriate to the project.

(2) There is no practical way to apply the LEED, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and SITES standard or other high-performance, green-building standard to a particular building or renovation project or other public improvements of any kind to any public real property. In such case, the department will set lesser green-building standards that are appropriate to the project.

(d) The provisions related to LEED for Neighborhood Development and SITES shall continue through December 31, 2020, for up to four (4) projects selected by the department, subject to evaluation and continuation by the general assembly thereafter.

History of Section. (P.L. 2009, ch. 212, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 394, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 418, § 1.)