SPONSOR: Jones (12)
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Commerce by a vote of 6 to 3. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules-Legislative by a vote of 7 to 3.
This bill prohibits any county or municipality from enacting or maintaining any ordinance, regulation, or other policy that requires an owner, builder, or developer to implement building design and construction practices for one- or two-family dwellings with the intent to improve sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental responsiveness that threatens the affordability of the construction, maintenance, repair or renovation.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this bill addresses the current crisis in affordability of homes, provides regulatory stability and return of investment. The ordinance adopted in the Kansas City area resulted in increased costs to purchase a home and lack of home sales overall. There was a 54% decrease in building permits after the ordinance went into effect and a substantial decrease in the number of builders where 98 companies pulled permits in Kansas City prior to the code change and 22 companies had permits following the code change.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Jones; Associated Industries of Missouri; Missouri Association of Realtors; Mortgage Bankers Association of Missouri; Home Builders Association of Central Missouri; St Louis Home Builders Association; Brian Tebbenkamp, Patriot Homes Inc; Will Ruder, Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City; Dennis Shriver; Shawn Woods.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that it sets a bad precedent in that the State is involved in local matters. Many are working to improve building codes to keep the energy bills low, to breathe easier, and reduce pollution. We need to look at operational costs for the life of the building, along with the safety, welfare, and quality of the environment.
Testifying in person against the bill were Laura Pastine, AIA Missouri (American Institute Of Architects); Sierra Club Missouri Chapter; Ashton Kuehnel, Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter; Missouri Municipal League. Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: