USGBC advocacy and policy highlights: October 2025
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) reports that the ongoing federal government shutdown—now one of the longest in history—is delaying the FY26 appropriations process and affecting federal operations. Thousands of federal workers have been furloughed, and although a judge blocked mass layoffs, the administration continues efforts to downsize the federal workforce. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has canceled or proposed canceling hundreds of grants worth up to $20 billion, including those supporting energy-efficient building codes and heat pump manufacturing. These actions could face legal challenges, as many funds have already been awarded or partially spent. Meanwhile, Congress is advancing the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, which aims to expand housing supply, support disaster recovery and promote transit-oriented and adaptive reuse housing development.
At the state level, USGBC’s advocacy team is tracking over 2,000 bills related to green building and prioritizing key opportunities for engagement as state legislative sessions wind down. In Maryland, the state’s Green Building Council is updating its High Performance Green Building Program to align with LEED v5, adding new required credits such as Enhanced Resilient Site Design, Electrification and Accessibility and Inclusion. The updated program is expected to go to a vote on November 20. USGBC encourages professionals to share input on the Maryland proposal and to join its Advocacy Working Group to help advance sustainable building policies across all levels of government.
