H-0818.1
HOUSE BILL 1387
State of Washington
64th Legislature
2015 Regular Session
By Representatives Takko, Sells, and Moscoso
Read first time 01/19/15. Referred to Committee on Labor.
AN ACT Relating to apprenticeship training for building officials; and adding new sections to chapter 49.04 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  (1) Education and training for building officials is essential to public safety and beneficial to the state's construction industry. With the attrition of senior building officials in jurisdictions throughout the state, there will be a substantial need for training of new building officials as well as continuing training for existing officials. In the interest of public safety and the vitality of the construction industry in our state, it is imperative to have well-trained building inspectors throughout our communities in order to assure safe, timely, and consistent inspections.
(2) The state of Washington has approved the creation of a code officials apprenticeship program. The legislature finds that support for technical training and the code officials apprenticeship and training program will provide:
(a) Consistent training for code officials for all jurisdictions;
(b) Greater uniformity of enforcement of building codes;
(c) Education on the implementation of the new energy and green construction codes;
(d) Equal access for all jurisdictions to training essential to the efficient and effective discharge of the regulatory function;
(e) A reduction of the employment cost burden of local jurisdictions; and
(f) Leverage, when possible, of training dollars by taking advantage of the economy of scale presented by a central, organized training curriculum using economies of scale and potential grant funds to supplement code official training.
(3) It is the intent of this act to assure that the public, the construction industry, and local communities have assurance that code officials have access to current training on the most recent code updates.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  There is imposed a fee of two dollars on each building permit issued by a county or a city. The building permit must be the same type of permit on which a fee may be imposed under RCW 19.27.085(3). Quarterly, each county and city must remit moneys collected under this section to the state treasury. However, no remittance is required until a minimum of fifty dollars has accumulated pursuant to this section.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  Revenue collected in accordance with section 2 of this act and deposited in the code officials apprenticeship and training account in the state treasury must be appropriated to the department of enterprise services for distribution to the sponsor of an apprenticeship program for building officials for the following purposes:
(1) Expenses related to the establishment and operation of a code official apprenticeship program;
(2) Administrative expenses of the joint apprenticeship training committee for the code official apprenticeship program; and
(3) Expenses related to training programs for code officials provided by public or private entities.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  The code officials apprenticeship and training account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from section 2 of this act must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only as provided in section 3 of this act.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 49.04 RCW.
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