SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5832

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

            State & Local Government, March 1, 1999

                  Ways & Means, March 8, 1999

Title:  An act relating to increasing the building code council fee.

Brief Description:  Increasing the building code council fee.

Sponsors:  Senators Horn, Haugen and Prentice; by request of State Building Code Council.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/22/99, 3/1/99 [DP-WM].

Ways & Means:  3/5/99, 3/8/99 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Loveland, Chair; Bauer, Vice Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Fairley, Fraser, Kline, Kohl‑Welles, Rasmussen, B. Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Wojahn.

Staff:  Michael Groesch (786-7434)

Background:  The State Building Code Council adopts and maintains the various codes that constitute the State Building Code.  Among other responsibilities, the council must approve or deny all county or city amendments to the State Building Code to the extent the amendments apply to single or multifamily (as defined) residential buildings.  The council may issue advisory opinions relating to the codes at the request of a local official charged with the duty to enforce the codes.

The State Building Code Council is funded by the imposition of a fee of $4.50 on each building permit issued by a county or a city, plus an additional surcharge of $2 for each residential unit, but not including the first unit, on each building containing more than one residential unit.  These moneys are deposited into the State Building Code Council account.  This fee has been in effect since 1989.

Summary of Bill:  The fee on each building permit issued by a city or county to fund the State Building Code Council is increased to $6.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For (State & Local Government):  The amount of the permit has not changed since 1989 and we no longer have sufficient funds in our reserve to support the responsibilities of the council.  We have done a number of special projects over the years and we never received increased funding to pay for these studies (e.g., snow load report, farm worker housing, fire sprinklers).

Testimony Against (State & Local Government):  None.

Testified (State & Local Government):  PRO:  Mark Triplett, WA Assn. of Building Officials; Judy Wilson, State Building Code Council; Karen Braitmayer, State Building Code Council.

Testimony For (Ways & Means):  The building officials are supportive of the rate increase to support staffing of the Building Code Council.  Without the fee increase, the council will not be able to keep up with changes in national building code requirements.

Testimony Against (Ways & Means):  None.

Testified (Ways & Means):  Mark Triplett, WA Assn. of Building Officials (pro); Tim Nogler, Building Code Council (pro).