HB 973

Maryland Building Performance Standards - Fossil Fuel Use, Energy Conservation, and Electric- and Solar-Ready Standards (Better Buildings Act of 2025)

Sponsor: Adrian Boafo (District 23)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: Public SafetyStatus: Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to adopt, by October 1, 2025, and as part of the Maryland Building Performance Standards, energy conservation requirements, an electric- and solar-ready standard for certain buildings, and a requirement that new buildings and significant improvements meet all laundry, water, and space heating demands of the building without the use of fossil fuels.

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Testimony (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 42FavorableUNF 27Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Parts, Chris	AIA Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Coronado Flores, Jose	CASA	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Manuel, Anne	CCAN Action Fund volunteer	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mascioli, William	CCAN Volunteer	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mauk, Jeff	Ceres	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Brittanylobbyist	Chesapeake Climate Action Network	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Searcy, Talisha	City of Takoma Park	Written (PDF)
FAV	McGilvray, Laurie	Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Frances	Elders Climate Action Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartolomeo, Kathleen	GCAN, MCRT	Position only
FAV	Feighner, Liz	HoCo Climate Action	Written (PDF)
FAV	Orozco, Andrea	Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Singer, Elizabeth	Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hunter, Caseylobbyist	League of Women Voters of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Webster, Phil	Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis	Written (PDF)
FAV	Feighner, Liz	Less Plastic Please	Position only
FAV	Feighner, Liz	Liz Feighner, self	Position only
FAV	Bartock, Laura	Maryland Climate Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kinsey, Kathy	Mobilize Frederick	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sherman, Erin	RMI	Oral
FAV	Yarmus, Henry	River Hill High School	Written (PDF)
FAV	Southerland, Mark	Safe Skies Maryland	Position only
FAV	Shriner, Mariahlobbyist	Sierra Club Maryland Chapter	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Phelps Jr, Ken	The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tilman, Gracie	U.S. Green Building Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	Morhaim, Dan	none	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alexander, Peter	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Arney, Cheryl	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cohn, Debbie	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Boafo, Delegate Boafolegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Deutschmann, Richard	Individual	Position only
FAV	Earnest, Ray	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kerr, Cait	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	LeVesque, Raymond	Individual	Position only
FAV	Little, Kathryn	Individual	Position only
FAV	Stith, John	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Jones, Brittanylobbyist	BGE	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Popham, Brysonlobbyist	Bryson F. Popham, P.A.	Written (PDF)
UNF	Baccino, Steve	Chesapeake Utilities Corporation	Written (PDF)
UNF	Waitlevertch, Scottlobbyist	Columbia Gas of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Marczyk, Bernielobbyist	Cornerstone Government Affairs	Written (PDF)
UNF	Peters, Sarahlobbyist	Husch Blackwell Strategies	Written (PDF)
UNF	Gallagher, George	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Enten, robert	Maryland Building Industry Assoc	Oral
UNF	Andelsman, Alex	Maryland Building Industry Association	Oral
UNF	Graf, Lorilobbyist	Maryland Building Industry Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Allen, Hannahlobbyist	Maryland Chamber of Commerce	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Brice, Tyler	Maryland Municipal League	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Price, Sarahlobbyist	Maryland Retailers Alliance	Oral
UNF	Levine, Brianlobbyist	Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ballentine, Tom	NAIOP Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Castelli, Williamlobbyist	Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLC	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ellington, Paullobbyist	State and Local Advisors	Oral
UNF	Rozenberg, Paul	Suburban Propane	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 69

Organizations on record

AIA MarylandFAV 1

BGEUNF 1

Bryson F. Popham, P.A.UNF 1

CASAFAV 1

CCAN Action Fund volunteerFAV 1

CCAN VolunteerFAV 1

CeresFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Chesapeake Climate Action NetworkFAV 1

Chesapeake Utilities CorporationUNF 1

City of Takoma ParkFAV 1

Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Columbia Gas of MarylandUNF 1

Cornerstone Government AffairsUNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Elders Climate Action MarylandFAV 1

GCAN, MCRTFAV 1

HoCo Climate ActionFAV 1

Husch Blackwell StrategiesUNF 1

IndividualUNF 1

Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)FAV 1

Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Howard CountyFAV 1

League of Women Voters of MarylandFAV 1

Legislative body for the Unitarian Universalist faith, C/O Unitarian Universalist Church of AnnapolisFAV 1

Less Plastic PleaseFAV 1

Liz Feighner, selfFAV 1

Maryland Building Industry AssocUNF 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 2

Maryland Chamber of CommerceUNF 1

Maryland Climate PartnersFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueUNF 1

Maryland Retailers AllianceUNF 1

Mobilize FrederickFAV 1

Montgomery County Chamber of CommerceUNF 1

NAIOP MarylandUNF 1

noneFAV 1

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCUNF 1

River Hill High SchoolFAV 1

RMIFAV 1

Safe Skies MarylandFAV 1

Sierra Club Maryland ChapterFAV 1

State and Local AdvisorsUNF 1

Suburban PropaneUNF 1

The Episcopal Diocese of MarylandFAV 1

U.S. Green Building CouncilFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Washington GasUNF 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBaker, BrittanyChesapeake Climate Action NetworkRegistered for: Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund

FAVHunter, CaseyLeague of Women Voters of MarylandRegistered for: League of Women Voters of Maryland

FAVShriner, MariahSierra Club Maryland ChapterRegistered for:

UNFJones, BrittanyBGERegistered for: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company

UNFPopham, BrysonBryson F. Popham, P.A.Registered for: Agency Insurance Company of Maryland; Agency Services, Inc.; Army Alliance; Bryson F. Popham P.A.; Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Baltimore (BOMA); CVS Health…

UNFWaitlevertch, ScottColumbia Gas of MarylandRegistered for: Columbia Gas of Maryland

UNFMarczyk, BernieCornerstone Government AffairsRegistered for: Adobe Inc.; American Petroleum Institute; Amgen, Inc.; Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc., The; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP; Baltimore County Public Library Board of Trustees…

UNFPeters, SarahHusch Blackwell StrategiesRegistered for: Action Now Initiative, LLC; Alibaba; Ameresco; American Diabetes Association; Apartment & Office Building Association; Barwood Taxi Service…

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

UNFAllen, HannahMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce

UNFPrice, SarahMaryland Retailers AllianceRegistered for: Maryland Retailers Alliance; Maryland Retailers Association

UNFLevine, BrianMontgomery County Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

UNFCastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

UNFEllington, PaulState and Local AdvisorsRegistered for: Wicomico County, MD Executive Office; Greater Crisfield Action Committee; Glenn L Martin Maryland Aviation Museum; Maryland Aviation Council; Worcester County Maryland; Optimize Renewables…

UNFTodd, BrandonWashington GasRegistered for: