BILL REQ. #:  H-2955.2 

Read first time 01/14/14.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to electrical code adoption, rule-making, and inspection services; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Currently, two different state agencies provide construction code adoption and rule-making services. The department of labor and industries, electrical division, provides code adoption and rule-making services for the electrical code, while the department of enterprise services, through the state building code council, provides code adoption and rule-making services for the building, plumbing, mechanical, fire, and energy codes. Both agencies perform similar tasks, except the department of labor and industries also provides electrical inspection services, while the state building code act requires all cities and counties to provide building, plumbing, mechanical, fire, and energy code inspection services. It is the intent of the legislature to determine the most appropriate and effective delivery of electrical code adoption, rule-making, and inspection services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1)(a) A joint legislative task force to determine the most appropriate and effective delivery of electrical code adoption, rule-making, and inspection services is established. The task force consists of the following members:
     (i) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
     (ii) One member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
     (iii) The director of the department of labor and industries or his or her designee;
     (iv) The chief electrical inspector from the department of labor and industries or his or her designee;
     (v) One representative each from two cities that have an electrical inspection program;
     (vi) The director of the department of enterprise services or his or her designee;
     (vii) The managing director of the state building code council;
     (viii) The state building code council chair;
     (ix) The president of the Washington association of building officials or his or her designee;
     (x) One member of the association of Washington cities;
     (xi) One member of the association of Washington counties;
     (xii) One member of the building industry association of Washington;
     (xiii) One member of the Washington chapter of the independent electrical contractors;
     (xiv) One member of the Washington chapter of the national electrical contractors association;
     (xv) One representative from organized labor; and
     (xvi) One member from the general public not volunteering or holding an elected position with a city, town, or county, appointed by the lieutenant governor.
     (b) The task force shall be cochaired by the legislative members appointed by the majority caucus in the senate and the majority caucus in the house of representatives.
     (2)(a) The task force shall review the following issues and recommend specific changes to chapters 19.27 and 19.28 RCW based upon its findings:
     (i) The efficiencies of having one electrical code for the state's cities and counties, with the code adoption and rule-making services provided by the state building code council; and
     (ii) The efficiencies of having all cities and counties assume responsibility for electrical code inspections in addition to their inspection responsibilities for the building, plumbing, mechanical, fire, and energy codes.
     (b) If the task force finds that the code adoption and rule-making services for the electrical code are to remain within the authority of the department of labor and industries, the task force shall:
     (i) Investigate the efficiencies of authorizing counties to establish their own electrical inspection program;
     (ii) Investigate a new code adoption and rule-making process, within chapter 19.28 RCW, which provides cities, counties, and other stakeholders equal participation in the process; and
     (iii) Investigate the efficiencies of the department of labor and industries electrical inspectors to also enforce the electrical provisions of the energy code within areas of its jurisdiction.
     (3) Legislative members of the task force must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. All expenses of the task force, including travel, shall be paid jointly by the senate and house of representatives.
     (4) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2014.
     (5) This section expires December 31, 2014.