Building Code Council work group outlines plan for small‑business impact statements, cost‑benefit analysis

The Washington State Building Code Council work group on economic impact met virtually Aug. 18 to begin preparing small‑business economic impact statements and cost‑benefit analyses for code proposals moved to CR102 and to plan a questionnaire and outreach process to gather the data those reports require.

The meeting served as a preliminary screening session for the “Group 1” code proposals the council moved to CR102 and set a path for tag chairs and staff to flag proposals that need fuller economic review, said Dustin, staff member. "Today is this, designed as a preliminary look at what we have going here for the different codes, that were in group 1 and to try to get some input for our cost benefit analysis and then also for our small business economic impact statement," he said.

Why it matters: state rulemaking statutes and the council’s Administrative Procedures Act obligations require a completed small‑business economic impact statement and other analyses as the council moves rules through CR102 and CR103. The group said it must finish preliminary drafting and public outreach in time to meet an Oct. 1 filing expectation for the…