Senate Bill sb1774

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1774

    By Senator Constantine





    22-1201-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to building codes; authorizing

  3         the Florida Building Commission to update and

  4         modify the standard for wind design; repealing

  5         s. 553.71(10), F.S., relating to a definition

  6         of the term "exposure category C"; amending s.

  7         553.73, F.S.; revising the requirements for

  8         selecting codes to form the updated Florida

  9         Building Code; authorizing the Florida Building

10         Commission to approve and publish amendments to

11         the Florida Building Code under certain

12         circumstances; authorizing certain authorities

13         to enforce the amendments to the Florida

14         Building Code; amending s. 553.775, F.S.;

15         prohibiting certain procedures from being

16         invoked to interpret the Florida Accessibility

17         Code for Building Construction and chapter 11

18         of the Florida Building Code; providing an

19         effective date.

20  

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

22  

23         Section 1.  Notwithstanding section 109 of chapter

24  2000-141, Laws of Florida, the Florida Building Commission may

25  update and modify the standard for wind design applicable to

26  construction in this state as adopted in the Florida Building

27  Code in accordance with the requirements of s. 553.73, Florida

28  Statutes. Subsection (3) of section 109 of chapter 2000-141,

29  Laws of Florida, is expressly superseded.

30         Section 2.  Subsection (10) of section 553.71, Florida

31  Statutes, is repealed.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1774
    22-1201-06




 1         Section 3.  Subsection (6) of section 553.73, Florida

 2  Statutes, is amended to read:

 3         553.73  Florida Building Code.--

 4         (6)(a)  The commission, by rule adopted pursuant to ss.

 5  120.536(1) and 120.54, shall update the Florida Building Code

 6  every 3 years. When updating the Florida Building Code, the

 7  commission shall select the most current version of the

 8  International Building Code, the International Fuel Gas Code,

 9  the International Mechanical Code, the International Plumbing

10  Code, and the International Residential Code, all of which are

11  adopted by the International Code Council, and the National

12  Electrical Code, which is adopted by the National Fire

13  Protection Association, to form the foundation codes of the

14  updated Florida Building Code, if the version has been adopted

15  by the applicable model code entity International Code Council

16  and made available to the public at least 6 months prior to

17  its selection by the commission.

18         (b)  Codes regarding noise contour lines shall be

19  reviewed annually, and the most current federal guidelines

20  shall be adopted.

21         (c)  The commission may modify any portion of the

22  foundation codes only as needed to accommodate the specific

23  needs of this state, maintaining Florida-specific amendments

24  previously adopted by the commission and not addressed by the

25  updated foundation code. Standards or criteria referenced by

26  the codes shall be incorporated by reference. If a referenced

27  standard or criterion requires amplification or modification

28  to be appropriate for use in this state, only the

29  amplification or modification shall be set forth in the

30  Florida Building Code. The commission may approve technical

31  amendments to the updated Florida Building Code after the

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1774
    22-1201-06




 1  amendments have been subject to the conditions set forth in

 2  paragraphs (3)(a)-(d). Amendments to the foundation codes

 3  which are adopted in accordance with this subsection shall be

 4  clearly marked in printed versions of the Florida Building

 5  Code so that the fact that the provisions are Florida-specific

 6  amendments to the foundation codes is readily apparent.

 7         (d)  The commission shall further consider the

 8  commission's own interpretations, declaratory statements,

 9  appellate decisions, and approved statewide and local

10  technical amendments and shall incorporate such

11  interpretations, statements, decisions, and amendments into

12  the updated Florida Building Code only to the extent that they

13  are needed to modify the foundation codes to accommodate the

14  specific needs of the state. A change made by an institute or

15  standards organization to any standard or criterion that is

16  adopted by reference in the Florida Building Code does not

17  become effective statewide until it has been adopted by the

18  commission. Furthermore, the edition of the Florida Building

19  Code which is in effect on the date of application for any

20  permit authorized by the code governs the permitted work for

21  the life of the permit and any extension granted to the

22  permit.

23         (e)  A rule updating the Florida Building Code in

24  accordance with this subsection shall take effect no sooner

25  than 6 months after publication of the updated code.  Any

26  amendment to the Florida Building Code which is adopted upon a

27  finding by the commission that the amendment is necessary to

28  protect the public from immediate threat of harm takes effect

29  immediately.

30         (f)  Upon the conclusion of a triennial update to the

31  Florida Building Code and notwithstanding other provisions of

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1774
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 1  this subsection or subsection (3), the commission may address

 2  the issues identified in this subsection by amending the

 3  Florida Building Code, subject only to the rule-adoption

 4  procedures of chapter 120. Following the approval of any

 5  amendments to the Florida Building Code by the commission and

 6  publication on the commission's website, authorities having

 7  jurisdiction to enforce the Florida Building Code are

 8  authorized to enforce the amendments. The commission may

 9  approve only amendments that are needed to:

10         1.  Address conflicts within the updated Florida

11  Building Code;

12         2.  Address conflicts between the updated Florida

13  Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code adopted

14  pursuant to chapter 633;

15         3.  Address the omission of Florida-specific amendments

16  that were previously adopted in the Florida Building Code if

17  the omission is not supported by a specific recommendation of

18  a technical advisory committee or a particular action by the

19  commission; or

20         4.  Address unintended results from the integration of

21  Florida-specific amendments that were previously adopted with

22  the model code.

23         Section 4.  Subsection (5) is added to section 553.775,

24  Florida Statutes, to read:

25         553.775  Interpretations.--

26         (5)  Notwithstanding other provisions of this section,

27  the Florida Accessibility Code for Building Construction and

28  chapter 11 of the Florida Building Code may not be interpreted

29  by, and is not subject to review under, any of the procedures

30  specified in this section. This subsection has no effect on

31  the authority of the commission to waive the Florida

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1774
    22-1201-06




 1  Accessibility Code for Building Construction as provided in s.

 2  553.512.

 3         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

 4  

 5            *****************************************

 6                          SENATE SUMMARY

 7    Authorizes the Florida Building Commission to update and
      modify the standard for wind design. Deletes a definition
 8    of the term "exposure category C." Revises the
      requirements for selecting codes to form the updated
 9    Florida Building Code. Authorizes the Florida Building
      Commission to approve and publish amendments to the
10    Florida Building Code under certain circumstances.
      Authorizes certain authorities to enforce amendments to
11    the Florida Building Code. Prohibits certain procedures
      from being invoked to interpret the Florida Accessibility
12    Code for Building Construction and chapter 11 of the
      Florida Building Code.
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