Summary of H.R. 7282 - Incentivizing Reasonable Energy Codes Act

Overview

H.R. 7282, the Incentivizing Reasonable Energy Codes Act, is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 30, 2026. The main purpose of the bill is to provide financial incentives for states to avoid enacting overly burdensome and costly energy code requirements for new housing construction.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide financial assistance to states that do not enact energy codes for residential buildings that exceed the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by more than 10%.
• Authorizes $500 million in funding for the grant program over a 5-year period, with grants capped at $10 million per state per year.
• Requires states receiving grants to report annually on their energy code policies and the impact on housing affordability and availability.
• Directs HUD to develop model building energy codes and provide technical assistance to states on cost-effective energy efficiency measures.

Impact

• Aims to address concerns that overly stringent state-level energy codes are driving up the costs of new home construction and reducing housing affordability and availability.
• Provides financial incentives for states to limit increases in energy code requirements beyond the 2021 IECC, which is intended to balance energy efficiency goals with housing affordability.
• Could help maintain housing supply and moderate price increases in states that would otherwise adopt more costly energy codes for new residential buildings.
• Requires transparency and reporting on the impacts of state energy code policies, which could inform future policymaking.

Procedural Aspects

• H.R. 7282 was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 30, 2026 and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
• The bill will need to pass the House, be approved by the Senate, and be signed by the President to become law.
• If enacted, the grant program would be authorized for 5 fiscal years, from FY2026 through FY2030.