Senate bill · S5940 (2025-26)

Permits unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies to be sealed with air-impermeable insulation in order to help attain building decarbonization…

Official titleShow

Permits unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies to be sealed with air-impermeable insulation in order to help attain building decarbonization goals

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action Jun 3, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A7282, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

James Skoufis

State Senator, District 42 · Democratic

Summary

Permits unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies to be sealed with air-impermeable insulation in order to help attain building decarbonization goals.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Executive Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 19, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

This bill will provide additional options for home builders to meet code requirements by updating the code to allow for a more appropriate R-va- lue for air-impermeable insulation applied to the roof deck in unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies. This code change will decrease the cost of utilizing air-impermeable insulation for home builders and homeowners, making a better product more affordable for New Yorkers. This bill would not dictate a specific method for meeting code requirements, rather, it would provide an additional option to meet building code requirements.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

Committee

Governmental Operations · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Housing, Construction And Community Development · New York State Senate.

The sponsor's argument

Why James Skoufis says this is needed

Currently, New York's building code has a one-size fits all approach to attic insulation. However, recent modeling has shown that the energy performance of an unvented attic, insulated and sealed with air-imperme- able insulation will outperform traditional attics by a factor of about 50W. The Code does not properly consider the efficiencies and advantages of utilizing air-impermeable insulation in unvented attics. As a result, home builders and homeowners are required to use the same R-value for unvented attics utilizing air-impermeable insulation on the roof deck as they would for standard fiberglass attic insulation in attic floors. The current Code requires builders and homeowners to install additional insulation in unvented attics, that is providing little to no payback to builders. This bill corrects this oversight and promotes the building of more efficient attics in New York. In this respect, the building code does not take into consideration the efficiencies that are achieved by insulating and sealing the attic space where HVAC equipment and ducting exists. By right-sizing the R-value for unvented attics and unvented rafter assemblies sealed with air-imper- mea-ble insulation - New York can incentivize home builders and homeown- ers to utilize a superior product without pricing consumers out of the market. This change would not require air-impermeable insulation as the only method by which to insulate an attic, rather it would provide an additional option for home builders and homeowners to consider. As New York State transitions into all-electric building construction, a well-insulated and sealed home is integral for the maximum efficiency of a heat pump and onsite renewables. Buildings with HVAC equipment and ducts located in a vented attic have excessive energy consumption because of the inhospitable environment in which they are located. Unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies sealed with air-impermeable insulation provide additional benefits as heat pumps and onsite renewables work best in spaces that don't waste energy due to low insulation levels or airflow leaks. The use of air impermeable insu- lation in this manner aids the state's efforts and targets on building decarbonization and energy efficiency.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 3, 2026Result: passed
(55) (6) (0) (2)
Vote: Committee vote · Housing, Construction And Community Development
Senate Housing, Construction And Community DevelopmentMar 18, 2026Result: passed
(9) (2) (0) (0)
Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 12, 2025Result: passed
(58) (1) (0) (4)
Vote: Committee vote · Housing, Construction And Community Development
Senate Housing, Construction And Community DevelopmentApr 28, 2025Result: passed
(11) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

Jun 3, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Jun 3, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jun 3, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly
Mar 23, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Mar 19, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate

Show full history (12 earlier events)

Mar 18, 2026
1ST Report CAL.578
1ST REPORT CAL.578
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Died in Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
NY Senate
Jun 12, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Jun 12, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jun 12, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly
Apr 30, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Apr 29, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Apr 28, 2025
1ST Report CAL.696
1ST REPORT CAL.696
NY Senate
Mar 24, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly
Mar 4, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
NY Senate