Bill > HB255

This bill requires that when "green building standards" – systems used to rate a building's environmental efficiency and sustainability – are applied to the construction, operation, repair, or renovation of any "state building" (any facility owned or acquired by the State of Georgia or its institutions), those standards must give equal credit to Georgia forest products certified by recognized organizations like the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the American Tree Farm System, or the Forest Stewardship Council, or other similar approved certifying bodies. This amendment to existing state purchasing laws ensures that various forestry certification systems are treated equitably when the state undertakes construction projects that adhere to green building principles.