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Committee approves amendment clarifying statewide commercial building-code sign-off; bill passes
Summary
A committee approved an amendment and then passed a bill clarifying commercial construction sign-off requirements, affirming that health-care facilities must meet additional state and federal mandates and that commercial projects follow the International Building Code.
A legislative committee approved an amendment and then passed a bill clarifying statewide commercial-construction review requirements and confirming that health-care facilities must continue to meet additional state and federal mandates.
The amendment adds language to ensure health-care facilities “have additional state and federal mandates that must be addressed” in addition to the International Building Code, a staff presenter told the committee. The presenter said the bill “puts some language in there to ensure that they could adhere to all of those requirements.”
The sponsor and staff told members the measure applies to commercial construction — defined in current code as assembly occupancies or buildings greater than 2,500 square feet — and does not change the existing requirement that plans for those projects be signed off by an architect. A committee member asked whether the change would raise prices for small companies; the presenter replied, “That is not correct,” and added the fiscal note projects savings for local governments by centralizing code administration.
Committee members also asked whether counties or cities that have not adopted the latest code would face new costs. A staff presenter said the amendment does not force jurisdictions that lack a building official to hire one and said it would not impose an unfunded mandate. The presenter also told the committee the state’s Department of Construction Management regulates fees and that architect fees are set through a qualifications-based schedule.
The committee approved an amendment by voice vote and, after additional brief discussion, voted to pass the bill by voice vote. The record provided to the committee did not include a roll-call tally; the clerk recorded the bill as passed. The committee did not adopt further substantive changes during the meeting.
The committee identified the International Building Code and the state Department of Construction Management procedures as governing references; the measure preserves the requirement that qualifying commercial projects be signed off by an architect while adding explicit language about health-care facilities’ additional mandates.
