The HOUSE Act of 2025 (H.R. 75), introduced by Rep. Biggs (with Rep. Ogles and Rep. Higgins) and referred to committees, would roll back a federal energy-efficiency rule for housing financed by HUD and USDA. Specifically, it requires HUD and USDA to withdraw the final determination that adopted certain energy efficiency standards for new HUD- and USDA-financed housing, prohibit federal action to implement or enforce that final determination or any substantially similar standard, and revert to the energy-efficiency standards that were in effect before that determination. The bill also directs related federal agencies (the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Housing Finance Agency) to refrain from implementing or enforcing similar energy-efficiency determinations for housing. In addition, it would amend the National Affordable Housing Act to require that not less than 26 states have adopted energy-efficiency codes or standards that meet or exceed the revised standards. In short, the bill seeks to undo a modernized energy-efficiency standard for federally financed housing, block similar future actions by certain agencies, and institutionalize a state-coverage threshold for high-efficiency housing rules.
Key Points
- 1HUD and USDA are required to withdraw the final determination that adopted energy-efficiency standards for new construction of HUD- and USDA-financed housing, and cannot implement or enforce that final determination or any substantially similar standard.
- 2Energy-efficiency standards for covered HUD/USDA programs would revert to the standards in place before the final determination.
- 3The Department of Veterans Affairs may not implement or enforce a final determination substantially similar to the HUD/USDA standard.
- 4The Federal Housing Finance Agency may not finalize, implement, or enforce any energy-efficiency determination or rule relating to single- and multifamily housing.
- 5The law would revise the state-standards requirement by adding a new condition: not less than 26 states must have adopted an energy-efficiency code or standard that meets or exceeds the revised code or standard.