SBCC legislative committee hears bill status; kit-homes rule due by March 2027
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Summary
At its March 5 legislative committee meeting the State Building Code Council received a bill-status update: Kent Holmes’ Bill 5552 has passed and will require the Council to adopt rules for kit homes by March 2027; several other bills and tags likely to affect code cycles were also reviewed.
At a March 5 meeting of the State Building Code Council legislative committee, a staff member summarized the status of several bills that could affect the council’s work on code development and rulemaking.
The staff member said the committee’s week-9 bill-status report shows that the opposite-house fiscal cut-off passed March 2 and that the house cut-off is imminent. “This one requires rules for kit homes to be done by March 2027,” the staff member said of Bill 5552, which the committee identified as passed and awaiting delivery to the governor. The staff member urged the council to prepare to begin rulemaking after session.
Committee members noted other bills moving through the process. The scissor-stairs bill passed and will require a tag for the 2027 code-development cycle, the staff member said. House Bill 1345, which revises detached ADU limits, has passed and awaits the governor’s signature; committee members noted the bill as drafted does not affect SBCC operations but said they would monitor any last-minute changes. House Bill 5156 also passed both chambers and is awaiting delivery to the governor; that bill includes two SBCC-related requirements, the staff member said: rules allowing minimally sized elevators for certain apartments (maximum six stories, 24 units) and creation of a specialized tag process to evaluate hoist-way opening protection and temporary visual/emergency communication devices.
Members asked about fiscal notes and funding for implementation. The staff member said the kit-homes bill carries a fiscal note and that funding appeared in the senate budget but not the house budget; members discussed emailing or contacting House budget leadership to request the Senate budget item be included in the House budget to ensure implementation funds remain available.
A caller, identifying himself as Brian with the International Code Council, told the committee ICC has discussed adoption of standards in the 1200-series that may satisfy technical needs for kit homes. The committee thanked him and said it would consider standards-based approaches as it prepares rule language.
The committee approved its meeting agenda and minutes by voice vote and took no formal motions on the bills during this session; staff said no immediate action was required beyond monitoring and early drafting to meet the March 2027 deadline for kit homes.