HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1893

BYRepresentatives Todd, Winsley, Nutley, Beck, Padden, Leonard, May, Zellinsky, Cooper, Ferguson, Ballard, Haugen and Hargrove

Changing the authority of the building code council.

House Committe on Housing

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (9)

      Signed by Representatives Nutley, Chair; Leonard, Vice Chair; Winsley, Ranking Republican Member; Anderson, Ballard, Inslee, Padden, Rector and Todd.

House Staff:Kenny Pittman (786-7392)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING FEBRUARY 28, 1989

BACKGROUND:

The State Building Code as adopted by the 1985 Legislature includes the 1982 editions of the Uniform Building Code and Standards, the Uniform Mechanical Code, the Uniform Fire Code and Standards, and the Uniform Plumbing Code and Standards.  These uniform codes are comprehensive sets of technical standards published by the International Conference of Building Officials, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and the Western Fire Chiefs Association.  Amendments to these codes are published annually and new editions are published every three years.

Counties and cities are authorized to amend the uniform codes that comprise the State Building Code.  Local code amendments proposed by counties and cities cannot diminish the minimum performance standards of the uniform codes. Proposed local code amendments that affect single family and multifamily residential buildings must be submitted to the State Building Code Council for approval.

The State Building Code Council is responsible for approving or denying amendments to the State Building Code that apply to single family or multifamily residential buildings as proposed by counties and cities.

Multifamily residential buildings are defined as a common wall residential building that: (a) consists of four or fewer units; (b) does not exceed two stories in height; (c) is less than 5,000 square feet in area; and (d) has a one hour fire resistive occupancy separation between units.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The State Building Code Act is amended to provide for the automatic adoption, subject to revision by the State Building Code Council, of the current editions of the Uniform Building Code and Standards, the Uniform Mechanical Code, the Uniform Plumbing Code and Standards, and the Uniform Fire Code and Standards.

The State Building Code Council is required to develop and adopt clear criteria for the review of local amendments to the State Building Code and to ordinances, resolutions, or regulations that add construction requirements to single family or multifamily residential buildings beyond those contained in the State Building Code.  To assist in developing the criteria, the State Building Code Council shall consult with representatives from affected parties including, but not limited to home builders, architects, governmental bodies, cities, towns, counties, building officials, and fire officials.

Counties, cities, and towns are required to submit any stand-alone ordinance adopted after December 31, 1979, that effectively amends the uniform codes of the State Building Code as they relate to single family or multifamily residential buildings to the State Building Code Council for review and approval.

The State Building Code Council must approve or deny amendments, or stand- alone ordinances proposed by counties, cities, or towns that apply to single family or multifamily residential buildings.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  Revisions to the original definition of multifamily residential building is removed.

A stand-alone ordinance is defined as an ordinance or resolution adopted after December 31, 1979, by a county, city, or town that amends the uniform codes that comprise the State Building Code as they apply to single family or multifamily residential buildings.

The three year period given to counties, cities, and towns to submit stand- alone ordinances to the State Building Code Council for review and approval is removed.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 13, 1989.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Mark Triplett, Building Industry Association of Washington.

House Committee - Testified Against:      David Williams, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This bill is needed to address a problem of uniformity.  Some local governments have passed ordinances that effectively amend the codes without approval from the State Building Code Council.  We need to stop this practice.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      The issue of local stand-alone ordinances has been around for years and we still don't know what the issue is.  The bill as written has a major impact on what is defined as a multifamily residential building.  There are no guidelines to determine how far back the State Building Code Council must look at these stand-alone ordinances.