ICC Blue Ribbon Committee Updates

Valeria Macias

Posted by Valeria Macias

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The International Code Council (ICC) board of directors created the Board Committee on Long-Term Code Development Processes (Blue Ribbon Committee) in 2017 as a formal process that allows stakeholders to provide feedback on the code development process. Director of Code, Christopher Chwedyk, represents Burnham as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee and has shared some insight on current trending topics being discussed. 

Federal Preemption Conceptual Approval

After receiving unanimous recommendations of denial in September 2020, the team regrouped to clearly express how the code change in question is consistent with the spirit, intent and the mission of the Code Council, its codes and standards. After re-submitting, The Blue Ribbon Committee approved in concept a mechanism to address matters of federal preemption and the mechanism should include:

  • A proposed revision to Council Policy 1 Appeals to specifically exclude matters of federal preemption as an appealable action or inaction.
  • The development of a process in which code changes which potentially address preempted issues will be brought to the attention of the International Code Council Board of Directors in a timely matter for consideration and direction.

International Energy Conservation Code Development Process Recommendation

The team approved a recommendation for the Code Council Board to consider updating the commercial and residential energy provisions in the IECC and Chapter 11 of the International Residential Code (IRC) via the Code Council’s Consensus Procedures. These procedures would allow for a prompt consideration and an in-depth investigation of energy improvements without the time limitations imposed in the code hearings. If approved, the 2024 IECC and Chapter 11 of the IRC will be updated using the Code Council’s standards consensus procedures. The Code Council Board will consider this recommendation at an upcoming meeting.


If you would like more information regarding the decisions of this committee or related issues, please feel free to contact our Director of Code Christopher Chwedyk at cchwedyk@burnhamnationwide.com 

Did ICC's federal preemption mechanism for code appeals actually get implemented?
It evolved into a formal Council Policy (CP#49-21, on conforming codes and standards to federal law), giving the Board a defined process to flag and resolve potential federal preemption issues, exactly the kind of mechanism this committee was conceptually approving here.
How did the federal preemption issue actually play out for the IECC?
Significantly. In March 2024, responding to appeals from gas and HVAC industry groups arguing the draft 2024 IECC was preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the ICC Board moved several major decarbonization provisions, all-electric building requirements, EV charging infrastructure, energy storage systems, and the "glide path to net zero", out of the base code and into appendices rather than risk an unenforceable code.
Did moving those provisions to appendices mean cities can't adopt them at all?
No, jurisdictions can still adopt those appendices if they choose to, but it now requires a separate, explicit adoption decision rather than being automatically part of the base code, which meaningfully reduces how many places will end up requiring them by default.
Was this decision controversial within the energy efficiency community?
Very much so, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy criticized the move as undermining years of consensus committee work to placate gas and manufacturing interests, while groups like the American Public Gas Association and AHRI praised it as preserving consumer choice and legal defensibility.
Did the IECC's shift to the Consensus Procedures development process (discussed here for the first time) actually happen?
Yes, the Code Council Board approved it in March 2021, and the 2024 IECC was the first edition developed entirely under that new process, which is now in its second cycle with the 2027 IECC currently in development.
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