H-3817.1
HOUSE BILL 2847
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State of Washington | 65th Legislature | 2018 Regular Session |
By Representatives Buys and Blake
Read first time 01/18/18. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
AN ACT Relating to the state building code act and recognizing nationally recognized standards for modern technical methods, devices, and improvements; amending RCW
19.27.020; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that providing flexibility in building construction methods and their approval can result in efficient, resilient, and sustainable buildings, help local communities achieve their goals of increasing affordable housing, and ease code administration and enforcement, all of which benefits the safety and welfare of building owners, occupants, and the general public. Providing the option for citizens to benefit from the material and labor efficiencies provided by the approval of modern technical methods, devices, improvements, and innovations approved in accordance with the international organization for standardization are in line with the governor's results Washington goal of improving nonelectrical energy efficiency of building and industrial processes to reduce greenhouse gas.
Sec. 2. RCW 19.27.020 and 1985 c 360 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
The purpose of this chapter is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the occupants or users of buildings and structures and the general public by the provision of building codes throughout the state. Accordingly, this chapter is designed to effectuate the following purposes, objectives, and standards:
(1) To require minimum performance standards and requirements for construction and construction materials, consistent with accepted standards of engineering, fire and life safety.
(2) To require standards and requirements in terms of performance and nationally accepted standards.
(3) To permit the use of modern technical methods, devices and improvements.
(4) To eliminate restrictive, obsolete, conflicting, duplicating and unnecessary regulations and requirements which could unnecessarily increase construction costs or retard the use of new materials and methods of installation or provide unwarranted preferential treatment to types or classes of materials or products or methods of construction.
(5) To provide for standards and specifications for making buildings and facilities accessible to and usable by ((physically disabled)) persons with physical disabilities.
(6) To consolidate within each authorized enforcement jurisdiction, the administration and enforcement of building codes.
(7) To foster innovation, consistent with this section, a material, product, method of construction, design, or system that has been evaluated and approved through the issuance of an evaluation report or product listing by an ISO/IEC 17065-accredited conformity assessment body is considered a valid evaluation report or product listing compliant with nationally recognized consensus standards subject to the scope of the report or listing as issued by the accredited conformity assessment body, and is subject to final acceptance and approval by the code official. Where not approved by the code official, the code official shall respond in writing, stating the reasons why the evaluation report or listing report was not approved based on objective findings of fact.
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