Senate Bill 2452

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2452

    By Senator Clary





    7-1537-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to educational facilities;

  3         amending s. 235.056, F.S., relating to leased,

  4         rented, and lease-purchased educational

  5         facilities and sites; specifying the design

  6         professionals that are responsible for building

  7         plans and code compliance; providing an

  8         effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

13  235.056, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to

14  read:

15         235.056  Lease, rental, and lease-purchase of

16  educational facilities and sites.--

17         (3)

18         (b)  Prior to occupying a rented or a leased existing

19  building, or space within an existing building, pursuant to

20  this subsection, a school board shall, in a public meeting,

21  adopt a resolution certifying that the following circumstances

22  apply to the building proposed for occupancy:

23         1.  Growth among the school-age population in the

24  school district has created a need for new educational

25  facilities in a neighborhood where there is little or no

26  vacant land.

27         2.  There exists a supply of vacant space in existing

28  buildings that meet state minimum building and life safety

29  codes.

30         3.  Acquisition and conversion to use as educational

31  facilities of an existing building or buildings is a

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2452
    7-1537-99




  1  cost-saving means of providing the needed classroom space as

  2  determined by the difference between the cost of new

  3  construction, including land acquisition and preparation and,

  4  if applicable, demolition of existing structures, and the cost

  5  of acquisition through rental or lease and conversion of an

  6  existing building or buildings.

  7         4.  The building has been examined for suitability,

  8  safety, and conformance with state minimum building and life

  9  safety codes. The building examination shall consist, at a

10  minimum, of a review of existing documents, building site

11  reconnaissance, and analysis of the building conducted by, or

12  under the responsible charge of, a registered architect or

13  registered professional licensed structural engineer licensed

14  in this state.

15         5.  A certificate of evaluation has been issued by the

16  registered architect or registered professional structural

17  engineer which states that, based on available documents,

18  building site reconnaissance, current knowledge, and

19  professional engineering judgment in the engineer's

20  professional opinion, the building meets the requirements of

21  state minimum building and life safety codes, provides safe

22  egress of occupants from the building, provides adequate

23  firesafety, and does not pose a substantial threat to life to

24  persons who would occupy the building for classroom use.

25         6.  The plans for conversion of the building were

26  prepared by a registered an architect or registered

27  professional structural engineer licensed in this state, and

28  the work of conversion was performed by contractors licensed

29  in this state.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2452
    7-1537-99




  1         7.  The conversion of the building was observed by a

  2  registered an architect or registered professional structural

  3  engineer licensed in this state.

  4         8.  The building has been reviewed, inspected, and

  5  granted a certificate of occupancy by the local building

  6  department.

  7         9.  All ceilings, light fixtures, ducts, and registers

  8  within the area to be occupied for classroom purposes were

  9  constructed or have been reconstructed to meet state minimum

10  requirements.

11         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

12  law.

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15                          SENATE SUMMARY

16    Requires certain leased, rented, or lease-purchased
      educational facilities and sites, and building plans
17    therefor, to be inspected by a professional engineer.

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