ATLANTA - New federal legislation has been introduced that will provide training for federal building personnel in the areas of building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety and design functions.

The Federal Building Personnel Training Act of 2010 was introduced by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine.). It is supported by 33 organizations involved in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings and by the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC), a private sector building coalition established and chaired by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The HPBCCC supports the High-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress, which is co-chaired by Carnahan.

ASHRAE said the legislation would help provide federal workers with the necessary training to construct and maintain environmentally sound buildings. Federal workers would be able to be trained in a series of core competencies relating to building operations, maintenance, energy management and safety and future performance. Workers would take courses and be able to obtain licenses and certification for their efforts.

“This is an important piece of legislation for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our nation’s federal buildings,” said Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president. “The federal government sets an example for the rest of the nation and its efforts are a visible example of what can be accomplished in building and maintaining energy efficient buildings with high indoor environmental quality.”

Doug Read, ASHRAE program director of government affairs, noted that ASHRAE played a critical role in drafting this bipartisan legislation. ASHRAE will work with various organizations such as the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), the U.S. Green Building Council, and the American Institute of Architects on behalf of this measure.

“The bill is a bipartisan example of the way the federal government can set an example for the rest of our country in developing and maintaining environmentally efficient buildings in accord with Standard 90.1, which sets minimum energy requirements for buildings,” said Read.

For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.

Publication date: 05/10/2010