HB 835

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to wind-protection provisions of the
3	Florida Building Code; amending ch. 2000-141, Laws of
4	Florida; providing for removal of outdated wind-protection
5	standards from the Florida Building Code; providing for an
6	update of the code's wind-protection standards; providing
7	an appropriation; providing for incorporation in the
8	Florida Building Code of the repeal of a design option
9	relating to internal pressure for buildings within the
10	windborne debris region; requiring the Florida Building
11	Commission to make recommendations to the Legislature;
12	providing an effective date.
13
14	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16	Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 109 of chapter 2000-
17	141, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
18	Section 109.  The Legislature has reviewed the Florida
19	Building Code that was adopted by action of the Florida Building
20	Commission on February 15, 2000, and that was noticed for rule
21	adoption by reference in Rule 9B-3.047, F.A.C., on February 18,
22	2000, in the Florida Administrative Weekly on page 731. The
23	Florida Building Commission is directed to continue the process
24	to adopt the code, pursuant to section 120.54(3), Florida
25	Statutes, and to incorporate the following provisions or
26	standards for the State of Florida:
27	(3)  For areas of the state not within the high velocity
28	hurricane zone, the commission shall adopt, pursuant to s.
29	553.73, Florida Statutes, the most current edition of the wind
30	protection requirements of the American Society of Civil
31	Engineers, Standard 7, 1998 edition as implemented by the
32	International Building Code, 2000 edition, and as modified by
33	the commission in its February 15, 2000, adoption of the Florida
34	Building Code for rule adoption by reference in Rule 9B-3.047,
35	Florida Administrative Code. However, from the eastern border of
36	Franklin County to the Florida-Alabama line, only land within 1
37	mile of the coast shall be subject to the windborne-debris
38	requirements adopted by the commission. The exact location of
39	wind speed lines shall be established by local ordinance, using
40	recognized physical landmarks such as major roads, canals,
41	rivers, and lake shores, wherever possible. Buildings
42	constructed in the windborne debris region must be either
43	designed for internal pressures that may result inside a
44	building when a window or door is broken or a hole is created in
45	its walls or roof by large debris, or be designed with protected
46	openings. Except in the high velocity hurricane zone, local
47	governments may not prohibit the option of designing buildings
48	to resist internal pressures.
49	Section 2.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this
50	act, the option for designing for internal pressure for
51	buildings within the windborne debris region shall be repealed
52	immediately upon adoption of standards and conditions within the
53	International Building Code or International Residential Code
54	prohibiting such design option.  The Florida Building Commission
55	shall initiate rulemaking to incorporate such standards and
56	conditions prohibiting designing for internal pressure for
57	buildings into the Florida Building Code when the base code is
58	updated.
59	Section 3.  The Legislature appropriates, for fiscal year
60	2005-2006 only, $200,000 from the Insurance Regulatory Trust
61	Fund to the Department of Financial Services to be used to
62	develop a joint program between the Florida Insurance Council
63	and the Florida Home Builders Association to educate contractors
64	on the benefits and options available for designing buildings
65	for windborne debris protection and to develop a standardized
66	affidavit to be used for verifying the insurance discounts for
67	residential construction techniques demonstrated to reduce the
68	amount of loss during a windstorm.
69	Section 4.  The Florida Building Commission, in conjunction
70	with local building officials, shall conduct a review of damage
71	resulting from Hurricane Ivan and any other data to evaluate,
72	and to make recommendations to the Legislature for any changes
73	to, Florida's Building Code, specifically as it applies to the
74	region from the eastern border of Franklin County to the
75	Florida-Alabama line. The commission shall issue a report
76	summarizing its findings and recommendations prior to the 2006
77	Regular Session.
78	Section 5.  The Florida Building Commission shall evaluate
79	the definition of "exposure category C" as currently defined in
80	section 553.71(10), Florida Statutes, and make recommendations
81	for a new definition that more accurately depicts Florida-
82	specific conditions prior to the 2006 Regular Session.
83	Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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