Bill > HB119

This bill directs the Board of Housing and Community Development, a state agency responsible for housing and community development, to establish a stakeholder advisory group to examine potential updates to the Uniform Statewide Building Code, specifically concerning temperature regulation in residential buildings. This group, which will include representatives from tenant advocacy groups, landlords, real estate professionals, public health experts, and other interested parties, is tasked with evaluating proposed changes that would require owners and operators of apartment buildings (Group R-2 buildings) to provide cooling between May 1 and October 15 to keep habitable rooms at or below 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and heating between October 15 and May 1 to maintain a minimum temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit in all habitable rooms. The advisory group must then submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on General Laws and Technology by November 1, 2026.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB119