COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON LICENSES AND INSPECTIONS Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, May 27, 2026 1:48 p.m. PRESENT: COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL, CHAIR COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON
250644, 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394, 260395 - - -
I now note that the hour has come. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the roll to take attendance. Members that are in attendance, will you please indicate that you are present when your name is called.
Present. Thank you. A quorum of the committee is present and this hearing is now called to order. This is the public hearing of the Committee on Licenses and Inspections regarding Bill Nos. 250644, 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394 and 260395. Ms. McDonald, will you please read the titles of the bills.
Bill No. 22 250644, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by adopting the 2021 edition of the “International Energy Conservation Code” and the “International Residential CodePart IV Energy Conservation” as published by the International Code Council, with previously adopted amendments thereto, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 250645, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by adopting the 2021 edition of the “International Plumbing Code” as published by the International Code Council, including introduction of new amendments and maintenance of previously adopted amendments to the 2018 International Plumbing Code, as adopted under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260391, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by amending Subcode “M” (The Philadelphia Mechanical Code) and adopting the 2021 edition of the “International Mechanical Code,” as published by the International Code Council, with amendments thereto, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260392, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by amending Subcode “G” (The Philadelphia Fuel Gas Code), Subcode “PC” (The Philadelphia Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities), and Subcode “EB” (The Philadelphia Existing Building Code), and adopting the 2021 editions of the “International Fuel Gas Code,” “Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities,” and “International Existing Building Code,” as published by the International Code Council, with amendments thereto, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260393, an ordinance amending Subcode “A” (The Philadelphia Administrative Code) of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code (The Building, Construction and Occupancy Code), by revising and clarifying certain provisions; making corrections for compliance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act; and making technical changes; all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260394, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by amending Subcode “B” (The Philadelphia Building Code) and adopting the 2021 edition of the “International Building Code,” as published by the International Code Council, with various amendments thereto, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260395, an ordinance amending Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code,” by amending Subcode “R” (The Philadelphia Residential Code) and adopting the 2021 edition of the “International Residential Code,” as published by the International Code Council, with amendments thereto, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Act, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Clerk. As you can see, there's a lot of material here, a lot of people in this very room have been working very hard for some time on updating these codes, which are important to the construction industry, our construction workers, our occupants. I want to thank the members of this committee for their support of this effort. And with that, we will begin the testimony. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill No. 250644.
Betsy Baldwin, Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspections, Safety and Compliance Division. (Witness approached witness table.)
Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony when you're ready.
Elizabeth Baldwin. Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll, members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin and I am the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection Safety and Compliance Division. I am here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 1 250644 which, if enacted, would amend Title of The Philadelphia 3 Code, entitled "The Philadelphia 4 Building Construction and Occupancy Code, by adopting the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code, as published by the International Code Council, with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into The Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing local amendments and proposing new amendments where appropriate. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, adopting the 2021 codes with specific amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with either the 2018 or the 2021 code provisions, as we are approaching the deadline to that grace period. The bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. The Pennsylvania regulations adopted throughout the Commonwealth omitted several energy-saving provisions contained in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, in support of the city's ongoing efforts to advance energy affordability and reduce emissions. The Administration convened a group of key stakeholders to identify provisions that may be appropriate for inclusion in the Philadelphia Energy Conservation Code. The Office of Legislative Affairs, the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Licenses and Inspections conducted a series of stakeholder meetings throughout the spring of 2025. The resulting recommendations were developed with careful consideration of the Mayor's H.O.M.E. initiative and City Council's housing priorities, balancing the goal of reducing long-term energy costs with the need to preserve access to affordable housing. The proposed amendments introduced a mandatory additional energy efficiency package designed to achieve a 5% improvement in residential building energy use. They also strengthen testing and lighting requirements by eliminating the air leakage testing exemption for ducts located within condition spaces, increasing high efficacy lighting requirements to 100% and introducing enhanced controls for interior and exterior lighting. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee in a fact sheet, and I would be happy to answer any specific questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Thank you, Betsy. And thank you for your efforts on energy conservation. Are there any questions from the committee? Chair recognizes Councilmember Gauthier.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And good afternoon and thanks so much for being here and for your work on the code. As Chair of both the Committee on Housing and the Committee on the Environment, I'm really glad that Philadelphia is poised to adopt many of the critical energy efficiency requirements in the 2021 IECC residential energy code that have been left out of the state code. However, this bill will lower energy bills, increase home comfort and indoor quality and help reduce Philadelphians' exposure to our rapidly changing climate. This is especially important as our region experiences record-high energy costs. In Philadelphia, the median energy burden is 5.4% compared to a national average of 2.9%. For low-income Philadelphians, the cost to keep the lights on is even higher, with households spending almost 16% of their monthly income on their energy cost. As we heard last week from experts and advocates during the Energy Affordability hearing held by CM Thomas and Driscoll, one of the best ways to tackle energy affordability is to ensure that homes are built to a strong, durable energy code that prioritizes energy efficiency and insulation requirements. This is all the more important with $2 billion in H.O.M.E. funding about to be deployed. We want to make sure that the long-term carrying costs of these homes are as low as possible and that they are comfortable, safe, and healthy spaces. We discovered that there are a few important pieces of the 2021 IECC energy code that were not included in this bill, specifically, the requirement for continuous insulation, which is critical to reducing moisture and air infiltration that can lead to long-term health and structural issues within a home as well as contribute to further energy cost reductions. Understanding that we are under a time crunch to get this package passed, we also know that there is an opportunity to pass separate legislation to put the continuous insulation requirements into the code. This will get us back in line with our peers across the country, but also in our region, such as New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, who are already building to this standard. And so, my questions to you in line with this are first, how quickly could the Administration update its guidance if City Council passed additional legislation to re-add requirements for continuous installation?
So once an ordinance is introduced, we need to submit it to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to confirm that it meets or exceeds the Uniform Construction Code, so that's a 30-day posting period and that's prior to the hearing. So once there's that 30-day notice, then we would actually just update in accordance with the effective date of the ordinance. As far as the steps that we need to take, if it's just talking about increased insulation, it's not that complicated from an administrative standpoint.
Thank you for that. So it sounds like although we have some time pressure to get this passed, it wouldn't be too difficult to get together additional legislation to add back in continuous insulation; am I understanding you right?
Sure. So then I'll ask what is your commitment to working to get this back into the code? And also fully understanding the cost- benefit analysis -- I did receive your letter at my request following our meeting with Green Building United, I appreciate the letter -- but what still is not answered in the letter is the specific cost- benefit analysis that we took to say we think that the continuous insulation is so costly and as we compare it to what it will save our vulnerable constituents that are struggling every day with utility costs, we think it's a good idea not to put it in. So I appreciate the response. I still think that if we're talking about deploying $2 billion to build thousands of housing units, that we want to be very clear on why we're not including these insulation requirements in our code. So, yes, what is your commitment to adding that back in, particularly because I never saw your analysis really land on that?
Hi, good afternoon. I'm Liz Lankenau. I'm the Director of the Office of Sustainability. So a couple things. First, we certainly understand energy poverty alleviation. Our study did that study, so we know the energy burden that is on the people of Philadelphia. Also, just for a little background, the Office of Sustainability did give recommendations to the Department of Planning and Development when developing the H.O.M.E. initiative about energy savings measures, so we've been involved on that side. We certainly don't dispute all of the co-benefits that you mentioned in your introduction, and appreciate that there is an opportunity to look at doing a separate amendment. In terms of the costs, what the Office of Sustainability did -- and I think we need to do a little more work with it -- is looked at net present value. Some of the studies that were done or the three studies looked at provisions that had long payback periods. But when doing the net present value initial work, it was looking at rising energy costs, different interest rates and variable energy prices. So it is something that I think had a little bit more nuance. The other thing that we were taking into consideration is the building typology. I think a lot of these studies are done for freestanding houses that are larger than the typical Philadelphia rowhouse. And so, with shared walls and some energy savings there, we really thought that the information, whether it's from the industry, is going to have this number, and our colleagues, looking at it from an energy efficiency standpoint, have these. We just did not feel very comfortable with the variation in number to be able right now to say this is not going to add cost and some of the analysis again, depending on the house size and other factors. If it could be up to $8,000 more on a house cost, that's something we wanted to be cognizant of, knowing that the city is also thinking of affordable housing. So we just need a little more time going into this second amendment or additional amendment process to work with our various partners to really understand the nuance a little bit more.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't have gone through that analysis. I think what I was looking for when we met, and in your letter, is to say, okay, we have this $8,000 figure, right, and how do we compare that to how much money we're going to save struggling people, right. One thing we know about Philadelphia is that we have homeowners all along the socioeconomic spectrum. So we have quite a number of low-income, working-class homeowners. And so, while we need to look at the 8000 that might be added to construction costs, we also have to look at how much money we're going to keep in our residents' pockets. And just to be frank, when I talk to you and your staff, you talked about three studies, one that came from GBU and one that came from BIA and one that came from, I guess, Home Builders of America. All of those groups are going to have a perspective, and we seem to have landed on one of those perspectives. And so, I'm not saying that that's the wrong thing, but I am saying that we need to be very clear about both the construction costs and what we might be denying to people in terms of savings if we do not go through with this step. So that's the type of analysis that I'm looking for. And I'm looking for your commitment to that. And if we do determine that this is something good for our residents, what's the timeline look like in terms of getting that back into the code?
You do have our commitment to look at that again, working with the partners like GBU. And, yeah, we need that in order to be able to feel comfortable, both for what renters are going to save as well. So like I said when we met, didn't take it lightly. We just didn't want to add a burden that wasn't going to be offset by what people are paying in utility costs and we just didn't have that information. And so, that's something that we need to look at going forward. And we can start as soon as GBU and my team is ready, so we're ready to go.
Okay. Great. I thank you for taking the time to talk to GBU and me and my team about this. I thank you for your formal response and I look forward to working with you. And I'm not suggesting even that we won't come out on the side that you've already come out on. I'm just saying that it's weighty enough of an issue that we need to be very clear.
Thank you both for your testimony. Hearing no further questions for this panel, Ms. McDonald, will you please call the second panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill No. 250644.
Mo Rushdy, Building Industry Association of Philadelphia; and Danielle Fleischman, American Institute of Architects, Philadelphia. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Danielle Fleischman, representing American Institute of Architects, Philadelphia Chapter.
So I'll start with my testimony. My name is Mo Rushdy. I'm testifying today on behalf of the BIA. The BIA position is that it supports Bill 9 No. 250644 as introduced, which incorporates amendments to the 2021 IECC that were discussed and agreed upon during a city-led stakeholder input process. The energy code requirements in Bill No. 250644 are stricter than those adopted by the state and balance the need to energy efficiency with maintaining housing affordability. Just to give a little bit background, Philadelphia currently builds to the 2018 IECC, which is already %25 to 30% more energy efficient than the 2008 IECC. Bill No. 250644 represents a carefully considered legislative effort to improve energy efficiency while preserving housing affordability since 2020 and I've done these stats myself. Construction material costs increased by an astonishing 40% and labor costs by 15% to 20%. That's an overall construction cost increase by about 30% just in the last five years. Add that the loss of the full 10-year tax abatement has further compressed project feasibility. The number of units permitted in Philadelphia has indeed declined. It's about 80% less from where it was five years ago. This is precisely the wrong moment to impose any additional code mandates that do not provide significantly more benefit. So I'm going to talk about the numbers when I skip some of the literature and the testimony and get to some of Councilwoman Jamie's questions here. The BIA actually analyzed the real-world impact of adopting the unamended 2021 IECC on a typical by 45 feet, three- 9 story, Type V Wood-Frame infill 10 rowhome in the city of 11 Philadelphia, which is the backbone 12 of the city's new housing supply. 13 For every one dollar in energy 14 savings, homebuyers would bear $10 15 in housing cost. 16 So let me translate that to mortgage and cost. The increase in mortgage would be $100 per month. The savings would be $9 per month. These are not our numbers. There was a study that was conducted by the Department of Energy and they have actually commissioned Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to conduct that specific savings analysis, and it really shows that we're talking about a ratio of 10-to-1 in terms of cost to savings. So it does not make any sense if we are to ask homebuyers if they are willing to pay an extra $100 to save $9 a month, we all know what that answer would be. We have conducted a study on what the additional cost would be. And the average cost would be $10,098 per home or about $3,500 in terms of net present value. The impact on affordable housing. Just to make this clear, when we talk about 30% cost burden on people who are living in the city of Philadelphia, that extra $100 means we need to have people buying the same home that are making $300 more per month. That means that extra insulation now would mean the same home that I'm selling for someone that's making $50,000 today, that same home would be affordable for someone making $55,000 a year. So in essence, if the cost-benefit is equal, $100 in mortgage extra and $100 in energy savings, let's do it. But with a ratio of 10-to-1, there is no 11 common sense in doing it. Conclusion: The BIA urges City Council to pass Bill No. 250644 as introduced, which will increase the energy efficiency without significantly increasing housing costs on hardworking Philadelphians. The data is clear. A 10-to-1 cost-to-benefit ratio against affordability is not a reasonable trade-off. Please do not amend the bill. Homes built to the standard established in Bill 1 No. 250644 will be safer, more efficient and critically still buildable in a city that desperately needs more housing. We strongly recommend the City of Philadelphia pass Bill No. 250644 as introduced without further amendment. Thank you very much.
10 Danielle Fleischmann, testifying on 11 behalf of the AIA Philadelphia. We 12 support Bill 250644 adopting the 13 2021 International Energy 14 Conservation Code and International 15 Residential Code, Part IV Energy 16 Conservation into the Philadelphia 17 Building Code. We support this 18 legislation because it meaningfully 19 advances resilient housing, 20 sustainable design and long-term 21 building performance for our city. 22 One of the bill's most 23 important improvements is the 24 requirement for two-stage compliance reporting, both proposed and as-built verification. For too long, buildings have been designed to meet energy standards without confirmation that they're ultimately being constructed to perform that way. Verifying actual performance helps ensure buildings are better insulated, more energy- efficient, more resilient to rising utility costs and energy and security. The bill also strengthens sustainability goals by encouraging the use of heat pumps through performance compliance path. This is a practical and forward-looking step that aligns residential construction with grid decarbonization efforts. As Philadelphia's energy grid becomes cleaner over time, buildings designed around efficient electric systems will continue to reduce emissions and operating costs for residents. Additionally, the updated energy rating index and renewable energy credit documentation requirements improve the accountability by ensuring that the renewable energy systems claimed for compliance generally benefit the building occupants. The inclusion of envelope air-testing requirements for commercial buildings will also improve construction quality, occupant comfort and long-term energy performance. At the same time, AIA Philadelphia recognizes that the adoption of the 2021 energy code envelope requirements will impact construction costs, especially within the small-scale residential sector. At a time when Philadelphia is already facing serious affordability pressures and declining housing production, these impacts risk adding costs without proportional increase in energy efficiency benefits. We also recognize that the additional documentation and verification requirements may create added coordination and administrative challenges, particularly for smaller firms and smaller projects. For that reason, we encourage Licenses and Inspections to provide clear compliance pathways, practical implementation guidance and sufficient administrative capacity to review these additional submissions efficiently. The goal should be meaningful performance improvements that advance resilience and sustainability without unintentionally discouraging housing production or creating unnecessary administrative burdens. As architects were directly involved in the planning, design, documentation and coordination of code-compliant buildings across Philadelphia, our members work daily with developers, contractors, owners and public agencies to translate these code requirements into safe, durable and high- performing buildings. We see firsthand how stronger and cleaner energy codes improve the building quality and support healthier communities. For these reasons, AIA Philadelphia respectfully urges the committee to support Bill 250644 and continue advancing policies that strengthen resilience, sustainability and the long-term performance of Philadelphia's built environment. Thank you for your consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you both for your testimony. Just a few questions I think mostly related to Mo's testimony. One, I appreciate you noting that we have been more progressive than Pennsylvania in the installation measures that we are including in the -- or energy efficiency measures we are including in the code. I expect us to be more progressive than PA, but I think that I am more bought into the vision of being the cleanest and greenest in the country, and certainly in the region. But thank you. I wanted to ask you a few questions about the DOE study that you cited. What's the date on the study?
I don't have a specific date. It does cite the 2021 so I can intelligently say that it was done post-2022.
Okay. I'll be interested in the date, just to understand if this is the Trump administration's DOE or different version of the DOE. I just think it might be instructive, but I'll wait for you to get back to us on that. Can you also tell us what interest rate does your assumption about the cost that might be added to mortgages as a result of putting in continuous insulation, what interest rate are you assuming in those calculations?
6.5 percent. Thank you so much. I think that's it. The only other thing I would ask is, does your assessment of the cost added to the mortgage as compared to the energy savings, does that also include other health benefits and impacts that might come out on the positive side if we were to include these measures?
Well, we were told that these requirements also help with reducing moisture in the home, which can positively impact people from a health perspective.
I can tell you as an engineer and someone that's been doing this for 30 years, it's the exact opposite. The extra attic insulation is going to cause a lot of extra moisture that is trapped in these areas.
Okay. I thank both of you for your testimony and I appreciate it. I think we should be looking at the data. I just want us to look at a full set of data. I'm not even suggesting that we hold up the legislation today, but I do think that outside of the BIA and other folks that might have a perspective, we have to be very clear of an objective view of what we can save people from an energy perspective, but also what benefit we can bring to them before we decide to remove these types of requirements out of out of the code. And that's what I'll be looking forward to partnering with the Office of Sustainability on. Thank you so much.
And Chair wants to recognize that we've been joined by Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson. Hearing no further questions from members of this panel and there being no other panels to testify on Bill No. 16 250644, we will move on to Bill No. 17 250645. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill 21 No. 250645.
Betsy Baldwin, Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licensing and Inspections. (Witness approached witness table.)
Just to be clear, it's 250645. Good afternoon. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Elizabeth Baldwin. Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin and I am the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection Safety and Compliance Division. I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 21 250645 which, if enacted, would amend Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by adopting the 2021 edition of the International Plumbing Code, as published by the International Code Council with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Plumbing Code, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into the Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing and local amendments and proposing new amendments where appropriate. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry adopting the 2021 codes, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with the 2018 or the 2021 code provisions. As we are approaching the deadline to that grace period, the bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. The Philadelphia Plumbing Code combines the best practices, latest techniques and modern materials of the International Plumbing Code with longstanding practices and materials upon which the city's infrastructure was built, and that remain necessary to protect health and safety in our historic city. The Plumbing Advisory Board, comprised of industry experts and representatives from L&I, PWD and the Streets Department, continued this process by reviewing the International Plumbing Code and identifying several proposed amendments. These amendments build upon the Philadelphia Plumbing Code by preserving established definitions and standards while improving clarity and consistency across key provisions, including accessibility, labeling and (inaudible) protection requirements. In addition, they expand existing rehabilitation practices by incorporating modern trenchless pipelining methods as an additional option, where appropriate, for use in Philadelphia. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee in a fact sheet. L&I would also like to thank Plumbing Advisory Board Chairman Walt Krzyzanowski and the members of the Board for their time, expertise and valuable contributions to this effort as well as for their continued commitment to protecting the health, safety and welfare of our city. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I would be happy to answer any questions the committee may have at this time. And I am joined today by Plumbing Advisory Board Chairman Walt Krzyzanowski, who is available to assist with any technical questions.
Thank you, Chairman. Good afternoon to you. Thank you for your testimony. I'm just curious, what is a trenchless pipelining method? How do you line a pipe without digging a trench?
So that's a new and emerging technology that was added to the International Plumbing Code that we thought that the city could come into modern times and adopt. Basically what that is, is you'll see if there's a pipe that has failed, a drain pipe that has failed underground. You'll traditionally see what we call an open-cut dig, that you will have to dig that from Point A to Point B and open up all of that earth. The trenchless technology allows for inspection of the existing line and aligner to be pulled through that as opposed to bearing the cost of the open-cut digging and removing all that earth and concrete.
There being no further questions from this panel and there being no 2 other panels to testify on Bill No. 3 250645, we will move on to Bill No. 4 260391. 5 Ms. McDonald, will you 6 please call the first panel we have 7 to testify this afternoon on Bill 8 No. 260391. 9
Elizabeth 15 Baldwin. Good afternoon, 16 Chairperson Driscoll and members of 17 the License and Inspections 18 Committee. My name is Elizabeth 19 Baldwin and I am the Chief Code of 20 Engineer for the Department of 21 Licenses and Inspections, 22 Inspection Safety and Compliance 23 Division. 24 I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 2 260391 which, if enacted, would amend Title of The Philadelphia 4 Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by adopting the 2021 edition of the International Mechanical Code, as published by the International Code Council with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Mechanical Code, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, into the Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing local amendments and proposing new amendments where appropriate. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, adopting the 2021 codes with specific amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with the 2018 or 2021 code provisions. As we are approaching the deadline to that grace period, the bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. In addition to adopting updated mechanical code provisions, the proposed amendments include significant updates to refrigerant requirements to support the federal transition away from certain refrigerants, while maintaining or enhancing existing safety standards. These changes update the code to reflect current industry practices by strengthening safety measures for refrigerant systems, including requirements for refrigerant leak detection, alarms, ventilation and system protections. The amendments also clarify existing code provisions, address technical issues identified in prior language and remove code requirements that were determined by experts to be redundant safety standards or difficult to enforce. Overall, these updates modernize the city's refrigerant requirements and align the code with current safety standards and technologies. Throughout the spring and fall of 2025, the Administration engaged with industry stakeholders and held several meetings to discuss the proposed changes and gathered feedback to help inform the recommendations reflected in the bills before the committee today. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee in a fact sheet, and I would be happy to answer any specific questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Thank you, Betsy. Hearing no questions from members for this panel and there being no other panels to testify on Bill No. 260391, we'll move on to Bill No. 260392. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill 20 No. 260392.
Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin. I'm the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection Safety and Compliance Division. I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 12 260392 which, if enacted, would amend Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by adopting the 2021 editions of the International Fuel Gas Code, International Performance Code, and the International Existing Building Code, as published by the International Code Council with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Fuel Gas Performance and Existing Building Codes, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into the Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing local amendments. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, adopting the 2021 code with specific amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with the 2018 or 2021 code provisions. As we are approaching the deadline to that grace period, the bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. Throughout the spring and fall of 2025, the administration conducted a series of stakeholder meetings to review the 2021 international codes as adopted by the Commonwealth, solicit input from industry representatives and discuss their implementation within Philadelphia. Through this collaborative process, no concerns were identified that warranted local modifications to the Fuel Gas Performance or Existing Building Codes and, therefore, no additional amendments are being proposed. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and I am happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you for your testimony. Hearing no questions from members for this panel and there being no other panels to testify on Bill No. 260392, we will move on to 260393. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill 8 No. 260393.
We only have four more. Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin and I'm the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection Safety and Compliance Division. I'm here today to provide testimony on Bill No. 3 260393 which, if enacted, would amend Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," for revisions to the Philadelphia Administrative Code. The Administrative Code establishes the framework for how the technical provisions of Title 4 are applied and enforced, including permit requirements, inspections, enforcement actions, and appeals. The Philadelphia Administrative Code incorporates the mandatory provisions of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, along with local modifications intended to support effective implementation and enforcement within our city. The bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The proposed changes to the Administrative Code are intended to support implementation of the 2021 technical code provisions, which became effective on January 1, 2026 with a six-month grace period ending on July 1, 2026. The proposed amendments include several administrative changes designed to update current practices, correct cross-code references, improve coordination with other city departments and enhance the overall permitting process. These changes expand permit exemptions for minor work, align approval requirements with regulations administered by the Philadelphia Water Department and the Department of Public Health, establish clearer procedures for inspections and abandoned work, and increase the permit reinstatement fee to better reflect current administrative costs. Collectively, these amendments improve consistency and support more efficient permit administration. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee on a fact sheet. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I would be happy to answer any questions the committee may have at this time.
Thank you, Betsy. I don't think we have any questions from members for this panel. And there being no other panels to testify on Bill No. 23 260393, we will move on to Bill No. 24 260394. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill 4 No. 260394.
Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin and I am the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection, Safety and Compliance Division. I am here today to provide testimony on Bill 19 No. 260394 which, if enacted, would amend Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by adopting the 2021 edition of the International Building Code as published by the International Council with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Building Code, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, into the Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing local amendments and proposing new amendments where appropriate. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, adopting the 2021 codes with specific amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with the 2018 or 2021 code provisions. As we are approaching the deadline to that grace period, the bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. In addition to adopting updated building code provisions, the bill includes amendments that modernize several existing requirements and strengthen energy-related enforcement measures. These changes update the city's cool roof requirements to align with current industry standards, establish a special inspection category for air barrier and duct leakage testing to support compliance with maximum air leakage requirements, and include revisions related to refrigerants to support implementation of federal requirements while maintaining existing safety standards. Throughout the spring and fall 2025, the Administration engaged with industry stakeholders and held several meetings to discuss these proposed changes and gather feedback that helped inform the recommendations reflected in the bills before the committee today. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee in a fact sheet and I would be happy to answer any specific questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Thank you for your testimony. Hearing no questions from members for this panel and there being no other panels to testify on Bill No. 260394, we'll move on to Bill No. 260395. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first panel we have to testify this afternoon on Bill 4 No. 260395.
Good afternoon, Chairperson Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Elizabeth Baldwin, and I am the Chief Code Engineer for the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Inspection Safety and Compliance Division. I am here today to provide testimony on Bill 19 No. 260395 which, if enacted, would amend Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by adopting the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code, as published by the International Code Council with certain modifications. This bill is part of the city's regular code update process, which occurs approximately every three years in accordance with the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act. The purpose of the bill is to incorporate the 2021 International Residential Code, as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, into the Philadelphia Code, while also retaining existing local amendments and proposing new amendments where appropriate. Regulations were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, adopting the 2021 codes with specific amendments, which became effective on January 1, 2026. A six-month grace period was also established, during which permit applicants are permitted to submit designs in accordance with the 2018 or 2021 code provisions. As we are approaching the deadline to the grace period, the bills before you today will codify the industry standards specific to our city until the next round of code updates. In addition to adopting the updated residential code provisions, the bill includes amendments to update the city's cool roof requirements to align with current industry standards as well as revisions related to refrigerants to support implementation of federal requirements aimed at reducing the use of refrigerants that are harmful to the environment. Throughout spring and fall 2025, the Administration engaged with industry stakeholders and held several meetings to discuss the proposed changes to gain a consensus on the bills before the committee today. A complete summary of the proposed local amendments has been provided to the committee in a fact sheet, and I would be happy to answer any specific questions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Thank you, Besty, for your testimony and for all your efforts on behalf of all these bills. Hearing no questions for this panel and there being no other panels to testify on bills before the committee today, we will now transition to our public comment section. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the first person making public comment we have to testify this afternoon on the bills before this committee today.
Please state your name and proceed with your testimony.
Thank you. Hi. My name is Emily Pugliese. Good afternoon, Councilmember Driscoll and members of the Licenses and Inspections Committee. My name is Emily Pugliese. I serve as the Policy Director for Green Building United. We are a regional nonprofit in Philadelphia with a mission to advance equitable transition to a climate-friendly and healthy-built environment. We do this through education, advocacy and strategic initiatives and partnership with the membership of 400 individuals, businesses and partners working to design, build and operate high- performance buildings. We're grateful to the Mayor's Office and Philadelphia City Council for introducing Bill No. 250644 that incorporates most of the 2021 IECC Residential Building Energy Code that was not adopted by the state. Green Building United strongly supports this bill, which will help lower energy costs, increase home comfort and indoor air quality and help reduce Philadelphians' exposure to a rapidly changing climate. Although we support this legislation overall, as we heard from Councilmember Gauthier, the requirement for continuous insulation in the 2021 IECC Residential Building Energy Code was left out. And I just wanted to give a little bit of a description of what continuous insulation is. So it's basically just thin, relatively thin, foam board that's placed on the outside of the building in between the plywood and the siding basically, right. So it's just going on the outside of the building. And it helps to decrease cold air coming in and all your warm air or cold air in the summer coming out, right. That is called thermal bridging, so it stops some of the air flow going in and out. And what that helps do is reduce moisture and air infiltration that can lead to some health impacts as well and improved impacts. What I want to say is that this is really the baseline, so the IECC codes are the baseline code. So although Pennsylvania didn't adopt the full residential code for 2021, this is the baseline code that's been adopted by all of the states around us. So New Jersey has adopted the 2021 code, including this continuous insulation. They've been implementing it for a long time without complaint from their building industry, without complaint from residential builders. It's been in effect for a while. Maryland is the same. Delaware actually just recently passed the 2024 code, which is even more stringent, has more energy efficiency requirements, and that passed in that state. So we're already doing this in the surrounding areas very easily. So I did want to point that out, that this is not something above and beyond. This is baseline code that's recommended just for baseline energy efficiency and comfort in your home. And we do realize that there is an upfront cost to continuous insulation, right. I think we heard from the BIA that that exists. I did want to quickly challenge the estimates, the monthly estimates that were provided, because I did some quick calculations just using a mortgage calculator. 5 percent interest rate, we're looking at $63 a month, which is not insignificant. I totally understand that. But if you're at a 4% interest rate, it's only $8 a month. If you're at a 6% interest rate, it's $60 a month. So it actually is really more dependent on your interest rate than the cost of the insulation. So as interest rates fluctuate, as housing costs fluctuate, as energy costs fluctuate, that number and that payback number is going to change as well. So just looking at kind of those first costs to build isn't always the best way to calculate what the long-term costs are going to be. I also didn't want to focus just on costs, because I think there's more to this than cost. So continuous insulation helps to eliminate cold spots. Again like I said and thermal bridging, which helps prevent condensation and mold growth and airborne allergens.
So it leads to indoor air quality, improved indoor air quality and thermal comfort, creating a more stable, healthy living environment. As we see more fluctuating temperatures, we've all been in Philadelphia the past week where we had 90-degree weather, and then rainy and cold all weekend. It's going to help keep your indoor air quality much more stable and your indoor air temperature is much more stable, prevent that moisture. If you've been outside today, it is really humid. It's going to prevent some of that humidity from entering your home and create kind of a stable environment. So as we're experiencing these temperature fluctuations, which we're seeing more and more, the continuous insulation is going to help with that. And again, we're really thinking about this as long-term impacts. So not just the upfront building costs, but what is this going to mean for homeowners long term. I'm sure a lot of us in this room live in a home that's old. I know I live in one that's 100 years old in Philadelphia. You can feel the draft in a lot of the rooms. You can feel the air coming in and out. We have a really old housing stock in this city that has a lot of upgrades that are needed to make them more efficient and make them more comfortable. E. Initiative that we want to last for another 100 years, we want to make sure that we're doing that to the highest standards now, so that in the long term we're prioritizing the comfort and affordability for Philadelphians, really long-term. So we recommend that Council pass legislation, ensuring continuous insulation is required in our building code. And again as Councilmember Gauthier said, this can be passed as separate legislation. So we support the passage of this bill today, but hope that additional legislation to make continuous installation part of the building code is passed in the near future. Thank you.
Thanks for your testimony. If it helps with my back discomfort, I'm in.
If it helps with my back discomfort, add that in. Thank you.
Ms. McDonald, will you please call the next person making public comment.
Well, I'd like to thank all the witnesses for joining us today. There being no further questions from members of the committee and no other witnesses to testify on Bill Nos. 250644, 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394 and 260395, I'll ask if there's anyone else present in this hearing whose name we failed to call and that wishes to offer testimony on these bills being considered today? (No response.)
Hearing none, I want to thank the panels and the witnesses for their participation today. We do value your opinions. This concludes the public meeting hearing of the committee. We will now go into a public meeting to consider the action to be taken on the bills before the committee today. Ms. McDonald, will you please call the roll to take attendance. Members that are in attendance, please indicate that you are present when your name is called.
Present. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on the amendment to Bill No. 12 250644.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I offer an amendment to Bill No. 250644. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 20 250644 be approved. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. It has been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 250644 be approved. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. An amendment to Bill No. 15 250644 has been approved. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 250644 as amended.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill No. 22 250644 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 12 250644 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Chair recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill Nos. 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394 and 260395.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill Nos. 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394 and 260395 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit the first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
The Chair notes for the record that Councilmember Gilmore Richardson seconds the motion. It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill Nos. 250645, 260391, 260392, 260393, 260394 and 260395 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of these bills at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. This concludes the business before the Committee on Licenses and Inspections today. Thank you all very much for your attendance. - - - (Committee on Licenses and Inspections concluded at 2:53 p.m.) - - - C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. _______________________________ TANEHA CARROLL