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Committee advances first substitute to update building and electrical code, restore earlier elevator rule for up to three‑story housing
Summary
The committee advanced the first substitute to House Bill 313, which adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code, restores the prior approach that exempts certain three‑story residential buildings from elevator requirements, and adds technical clarifications for deck framing and cable penetrations.
Representative Peterson presented House Bill 313 (first substitute) as the Uniform Building Codes Commission's recommendation with a few targeted modifications. "HB313 first sub is essentially the recommendation from the Uniform Building Codes Commission, with a few modifications," the sponsor said.
The sponsor told the committee the substitute adopts the February 2023 National Electrical Code and restores the prior approach on elevators for small residential buildings: the bill "amended the elevator requirement out for residential occupancy buildings less than 4 stories like we've been doing for the last 4 decades" and places accessible units on the main level to meet accessibility obligations. The sponsor said the change corrects an omission in the 2021 International Building Code that would have required elevators for those buildings and, he said, would have raised housing costs.
Other technical changes described in committee include an alternative method for protecting deck framing members and an exception that changes how nonmetallic (Romex) cables are handled when more than two such cables pass through a single top‑plate penetration (addressing derating requirements).
Ross Ford of the Home Builders Association testified in support, thanking Representative Peterson and calling the bill the product of many hours of stakeholder work. No public opposition was recorded in the transcript.
Senator Johnson moved that the committee pass out the first substitute of HB 313 with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed by voice vote; the committee recorded the action as unanimous. The transcript contains no floor amendments or dissent recorded at the committee level.
The transcript does not include the bill's full text, cost estimates, or a detailed explanation of how accessibility obligations will be met in each building type; the sponsor said accessible units would be placed on the main floor for three‑story or shorter residential buildings but specific implementation procedures were not provided in committee.
