HB 0835CS

CHAMBER ACTION




1The Growth Management Committee recommends the following:
2
3     Council/Committee Substitute
4     Remove the entire bill and insert:
5
A bill to be entitled
6An act relating to wind-protection provisions of the
7Florida Building Code; amending ch. 2000-141, Laws of
8Florida; providing for an update of the code's wind-
9protection standards; requiring removal of code provisions
10authorizing certain design options under certain
11circumstances; requiring the Florida Building Commission
12to incorporate certain standards and conditions into the
13Florida Building Code under certain circumstances;
14directing the commission to evaluate the definition of the
15term "exposure category C" and recommend a revision to
16accurately reflect certain conditions specific to the
17state; providing an appropriation for purposes of funding
18a joint program for certain purposes; providing an
19effective date.
20
21Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23     Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 109 of chapter 2000-
24141, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
25     Section 109.  The Legislature has reviewed the Florida
26Building Code that was adopted by action of the Florida Building
27Commission on February 15, 2000, and that was noticed for rule
28adoption by reference in Rule 9B-3.047, F.A.C., on February 18,
292000, in the Florida Administrative Weekly on page 731. The
30Florida Building Commission is directed to continue the process
31to adopt the code, pursuant to section 120.54(3), Florida
32Statutes, and to incorporate the following provisions or
33standards for the State of Florida:
34     (3)  For areas of the state not within the high velocity
35hurricane zone, the commission shall adopt, pursuant to s.
36553.73, Florida Statutes, the most current edition of the wind
37protection requirements of the American Society of Civil
38Engineers, Standard 7, 1998 edition as implemented by the
39International Building Code, 2000 edition, and as modified by
40the commission in its February 15, 2000, adoption of the Florida
41Building Code for rule adoption by reference in Rule 9B-3.047,
42Florida Administrative Code. However, from the eastern border of
43Franklin County to the Florida-Alabama line, only land within 1
44mile of the coast shall be subject to the windborne-debris
45requirements adopted by the commission. The exact location of
46wind speed lines shall be established by local ordinance, using
47recognized physical landmarks such as major roads, canals,
48rivers, and lake shores, wherever possible. Buildings
49constructed in the windborne debris region must be either
50designed for internal pressures that may result inside a
51building when a window or door is broken or a hole is created in
52its walls or roof by large debris, or be designed with protected
53openings. Except in the high velocity hurricane zone, local
54governments may not prohibit the option of designing buildings
55to resist internal pressures.
56     Section 2.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this
57act, the option of designing for internal pressure for buildings
58within the windborne debris region shall be removed from the
59Florida Building Code immediately upon adoption of standards and
60conditions within the International Building Code or
61International Residential Code prohibiting such design option.
62The Florida Building Commission shall initiate rulemaking to
63incorporate into the Florida Building Code when the code is
64updated such standards and conditions prohibiting designing for
65internal pressure for buildings.
66     Section 3.  Prior to the 2006 Regular Session of the
67Legislature, the Florida Building Commission shall evaluate the
68definition of the term "exposure category C" as currently
69defined in s. 553.71, Florida Statutes, and make recommendations
70to the Legislature for a new definition that more accurately
71reflects conditions specific to this state.
72     Section 4.  The sum of $200,000 is appropriated from the
73Insurance Regulatory Trust Fund to the Department of Financial
74Services to be used to develop a joint program between the
75Florida Insurance Council and the Florida Home Builders
76Association to educate contractors on the benefits and options
77available for designing buildings for windborne debris
78protection and to develop a standardized affidavit to be used
79for verifying the insurance discounts for residential
80construction techniques demonstrated to reduce the amount of
81loss during a windstorm.
82     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.