CAHB Latest News – Capitol Close-Up

Action Needed on State Energy Code and WUI Implementation

Take Action: Ask your local government to adopt 2024 ICC Codes by July 1

CAHB is advising local home builder associations to encourage municipalities planning to adopt the 2024 ICC codes to do so before July 1. After that date, any jurisdiction adopting or updating a building code must also adopt the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (MLECC) or a more stringent standard—regardless of whether the update is energy-related.

For communities already planning to move to the 2024 ICC codes, adopting before the deadline allows them to avoid automatically triggering the state energy code requirement. Local associations should work with city and county staff and elected officials to ensure decision-makers understand the timing implications.

For inquiries related to this from outside the Denver Metro area, please contact Ted Leighty – ted@hbacolorado.com. For Denver Metro area questions, please contact Albert Bozoki – abozoki@hbadenver.com.

CAHB working on legislation to delay WUI Code implementation

Local governments across the state are struggling to meet the April 1 deadline to adopt the state’s WUI code. We are encouraging them to contact their legislative delegations to request an extension. Local associations and HBA members should work with city and county staff and elected officials to educate them about the WUI code concerns.

CAHB is part of a growing coalition working to refine the code to align with the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) and address unintended consequences that are disrupting the supply chain and increasing building costs.

The code significantly departs from established national wildfire standards and is the first U.S. wildfire resiliency code not aligned with IWUIC. It creates inconsistencies in defensible space requirements, structure hardening philosophy, and material performance criteria. The code removes 37% of siding products from the market and applies inconsistent material prohibitions, allowing some combustible materials while banning others with comparable wildfire resistance, without adequately recognizing the role of wall assembly and defensible space in wildfire resiliency.

Here are (1) a Fact Sheet and (2) the Coalition Requested Changes—these were developed to help policy makers and the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board (WRCB) understand the concerns being raised and the reasonable suggested solutions, which will: strengthen the code, ensure no inconsistencies, and continue to promote wildfire resiliency. We are working on a comprehensive set of recommendations for modifications to the CWRC to better align with IWUIC and address the problems we have identified.

Our policy request is to:

• Delay the local government implementation deadline to allow for refinement of the code to ensure alignment with IWUIC and address unintended consequences.
• Provide an immediate mechanism to revisit the policy, rather than waiting for the 3-year review.
• Ensure policy is a balanced approach that thoroughly weighs benefits and costs.
• Provide a mechanism for appeal—for products and other interested parties.
• The significance of this policy change warrants reporting to the Legislature on progress during the annual SMART Act hearings.

GAC Update

The Colorado Association of Home Builder’s Government Affairs Committee met last Friday and took positions on several different bills. To review a complete list of the CAHB’s legislative positions—including bills that the GAC supported, opposed and monitored--please visit

https://fastdemocracy.com/shared-bills/?sharing-bill-list-id=3FY3wRWxzRtZ

HB26-1210—Oppose—This bill would define surveillance data as information obtained through observation, inference or surveillance of consumers or workers and that is related to personal characteristics, behaviors or biometrics of an individual or group. The bill would then prohibit discrimination against a consumer or worker through the use of automated decision systems used to engage in individualized price setting based on surveillance data regarding a consumer or individualized wage setting based on surveillance data regarding a worker.

SB26-093—Oppose—This legislation would prohibit the state or a county, municipality, district, or other political subdivision from issuing or renewing a building permit, construction permit or contractor's license unless the applicant has first filed with the governmental entity's licensing authority or permitting agency a signed declaration verifying that the applicant, the general contractor, and every subcontractor at any tier either maintains valid workers' compensation insurance coverage or has rejected such coverage. The bill would also require that before commencing any work under a building or construction permit, a general contractor or permit holder ensures that every subcontractor at any tier and any person performing work under the permit has provided proof of workers' compensation insurance coverage or proof of rejection of coverage. If at any time the governmental entity's licensing authority or permitting agency finds that a violation of the bill has occurred, the governmental entity's licensing authority or permitting agency would be required to revoke or suspend any building permit, construction permit, or contractor's license issued to that contractor.

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