SB 748 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Uniform Statewide Building Code; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation.

Summary

Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; temperature regulation. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to, during the 2024 Virginia Code Development Cycle, evaluate potential revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to require that certain owners and operators that rent, lease, or let one or more dwelling unit, rooming unit, or guestroom to supply cooling and furnish heat to maintain certain temperatures in all habitable rooms.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2024

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Jan 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Nov 23, 2024 Last action Feb 17, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → General Laws and Technology Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from an 'Introduced' version to a 'Senate Substitute' version, shifting from directing the Board to convene a stakeholder advisory group for evaluation to directly requiring the Board to evaluate potential code revisions during the 2024 Virginia Code Development Cycle. The substantive policy content regarding temperature requirements (77°F cooling and 68°F heating for Group R-2 buildings) remains largely the same, but the process for implementation changed from an advisory group study to direct evaluation by the Board.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from requiring stakeholder input through an advisory group to direct Board evaluation of code changes, though the core temperature regulation requirements for apartment buildings remain unchanged.

TIMELINE

Changed from requiring an advisory group to submit findings by November 1, 2025 to requiring the Board to evaluate potential revisions during the 2024 Virginia Code Development Cycle

REQUIREMENT

Changed from convening a stakeholder advisory group to directly requiring the Board to evaluate potential code revisions

DEFINITION

Changed reference from 'Uniform Statewide Building Code' and '13VAC5-63-540' to '2021 Virginia Property Maintenance Code'

TECHNICAL

Added bill number change from 25100538D to 25105063D and updated session header to 'SENATE SUBSTITUTE'

ELIGIBILITY

Changed from 'apartment building' to 'apartment building or other residential building' for temperature regulation requirements

Floor votes · Senate Jan 17, 2025

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Jan 17, 2025

D Democratic21

21 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

19 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Rules

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N)

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (9-Y 6-N)

upper

Nov 23, 2024

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors