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House approves bill to create Building Inspector Licensing Board after members cite inspection failures
Summary
HB199 would create a Building Inspector Licensing Board within the Division of Professional Licensing to set training, testing and to receive complaints; supporters said it would improve inspector competence and give cities a formal complaints process; the House passed the bill.
The Utah House on Feb. 25 approved House Bill 199 to establish a Building Inspector Licensing Board inside the Division of Professional Licensing. Sponsor Representative Ellertson said the board — to include three inspectors, one licensing contractor and one public member — would set training, testing and other qualifications for building inspectors and would receive and address complaints.
Floor discussion described practical problems that motivated the bill. Representative Howard recounted a personal experience in which an inspector first approved a ramp for wheelchair access and later required it removed, creating a costly correction; he said governmental immunity can leave homeowners with no remedy when inspections fail. Supporters included the League of Cities and Towns and the building-inspection and contractor communities, according to the sponsor.
The bill passed the House and will be referred to the Senate. The transcript records the clerk announcing the bill had received '600 affirmative and 0 negative' votes; that tally appears inconsistent with other roll calls in the session and may be a transcription error in the floor record. The bill's text provides that building-permit fees will help fund training and the board’s activities.
Next steps: The bill will be transmitted to the Senate; training program details and complaint-handling procedures will be developed through the licensing board if enacted.
