text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Voluntary Certification Program Act 
  of 2014''.
  
  SEC. 2. VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR AIR CONDITIONING, FURNACE, 
                BOILER, HEAT PUMP, AND WATER HEATER PRODUCTS.
  
      Section 326(b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
  6296(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
              ``(6) Voluntary certification programs for air 
          conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater 
          products.--
                      ``(A) Definition of basic model group.--In this 
                  paragraph, the term `basic model group' means a set of 
                  models--
                              ``(i) that share characteristics that allow 
                          the performance of 1 model to be generally 
                          representative of the performance of other 
                          models within the group; and
                              ``(ii) in which the group of products does 
                          not necessarily have to share discrete 
                          performance.
                      ``(B) Reliance on voluntary certification 
                  programs.--For the purpose of testing to verify the 
                  performance rating of, or receiving test reports from 
                  manufacturers certifying compliance with energy 
                  conservation standards and Energy Star specifications 
                  established under sections 324A, 325, and 342, the 
                  covered products described in paragraphs (3), (4), (5), 
                  (9), and (11) of section 322(a) and covered equipment 
                  described in subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (F), (I), 
                  (J), and (K) of section 340(1), the Secretary and 
                  Administrator shall rely on voluntary certification 
                  programs that--
                              ``(i) are nationally recognized;
                              ``(ii) maintain a publicly available list 
                          of all certified products and equipment;
                              ``(iii) as determined by the Secretary, 
                          annually test not less than 10 percent and not 
                          more than 30 percent of the basic model group 
                          of a program participant;
                              ``(iv) require the changing of the 
                          performance rating or removal of the product or 
                          equipment from the program, if verification 
                          testing determines that the performance rating 
                          does not meet the levels the manufacturer has 
                          certified to the Secretary;
                              ``(v) require the qualification of new 
                          participants in the program through testing and 
                          production of test reports;
                              ``(vi) allow for challenge testing of 
                          products and equipment within the scope of the 
                          program;
                              ``(vii) require program participants to 
                          certify the performance rating of all covered 
                          products and equipment within the scope of the 
                          program;
                              ``(viii) are conducted by a certification 
                          body that is accredited under International 
                          Organization for Standardization/International 
                          Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) Standard 
                          17065;
                              ``(ix) provide to the Secretary--
                                      ``(I) an annual report of all test 
                                  results;
                                      ``(II) prompt notification when 
                                  program testing results in--
                                              ``(aa) the rerating of the 
                                          performance rating of a product 
                                          or equipment; or
                                              ``(bb) the delisting of a 
                                          product or equipment; and
                                      ``(III) test reports, on the 
                                  request of the Secretary or the 
                                  Administrator, for Energy Star 
                                  compliant products, which shall be 
                                  treated as confidential business 
                                  information as provided for under 
                                  section 552(b)(4) of title 5, United 
                                  States Code (commonly known as the 
                                  `Freedom of Information Act');
                              ``(x) use verification testing that--
                                      ``(I) is conducted by an 
                                  independent test laboratory that is 
                                  accredited under International 
                                  Organization for Standardization/
                                  International Electrotechnical 
                                  Commission (ISO/IEC) Standard 17025 
                                  with a scope covering the tested 
                                  products or equipment;
                                      ``(II) follows the test procedures 
                                  established under this title; and
                                      ``(III) notes in each test report 
                                  any instructions specified by the 
                                  manufacturer or the representative of 
                                  the manufacturer for the purpose of 
                                  conducting the verification testing; 
                                  and
                              ``(xi) satisfy such other requirements as 
                          the Secretary has determined--
                                      ``(I) are essential to ensure 
                                  standards compliance; or
                                      ``(II) have consensus support 
                                  achieved through a negotiated 
                                  rulemaking process.
                      ``(C) Administration.--
                              ``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall not 
                          require--
                                      ``(I) manufacturers to participate 
                                  in a voluntary certification program 
                                  described in subparagraph (B); or
                                      ``(II) participating manufacturers 
                                  to provide information that can be 
                                  obtained through a voluntary 
                                  certification program described in 
                                  subparagraph (B).
                              ``(ii) List of covered products.--The 
                          Secretary or the Administrator may maintain a 
                          publicly available list of covered products and 
                          equipment certified under a program described 
                          in subparagraph (B) that distinguishes 
                          between--
                                      ``(I) covered products and 
                                  equipment verified by the program; and
                                      ``(II) products not verified by the 
                                  program.
                              ``(iii) Reduction of requirements.--Any 
                          rules promulgated by the Secretary that require 
                          testing of products or equipment for 
                          certification of performance ratings shall on 
                          average reduce requirements and burdens for 
                          manufacturers participating in a voluntary 
                          certification program described in subparagraph 
                          (B) for the products or equipment relative to 
                          other manufacturers.
                              ``(iv) Periodic testing by program 
                          nonparticipants.--In addition to certification 
                          requirements, the Secretary shall require a 
                          manufacturer that does not participate in a 
                          voluntary certification program described in 
                          subparagraph (B)--
                                      ``(I) to verify the accuracy of the 
                                  performance rating of the product or 
                                  equipment through periodic testing 
                                  using the testing methods described in 
                                  clause (iii) or (x) of subparagraph 
                                  (B); and
                                      ``(II) to provide to the Secretary 
                                  test results and, on request, test 
                                  reports verifying the certified 
                                  performance for each basic model group 
                                  of the manufacturer.
                              ``(v) Restrictions on test laboratories.--
                                      ``(I) In general.--Subject to 
                                  subclause (II), with respect to covered 
                                  products and equipment, a voluntary 
                                  certification program described in 
                                  subparagraph (B) shall not be a test 
                                  laboratory that conducts the testing on 
                                  products or equipment within the scope 
                                  of the program.
                                      ``(II) Limitation.--Subclause (I) 
                                  shall not apply to Energy Star 
                                  specifications established under 
                                  section 324A.
                              ``(vi) Effect on other authority.--Nothing 
                          in this paragraph limits the authority of the 
                          Secretary or the Administrator to test products 
                          or equipment or to enforce compliance with any 
                          law (including regulations).''.
target: Voluntary Certification Program Act of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rely on voluntary programs for certifying manufacturer compliance with energy conservation performance standards for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products. Sets forth required characteristics of such certification programs.
feat_title: Voluntary Certification Program Act of 2014