Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 448
       
       
        
       By Senator Flores
       
       
       
       
       
       37-00568-15                                            2015448__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to educational facilities; creating s.
    3         1013.385, F.S.; providing for school district
    4         construction flexibility; authorizing exceptions to
    5         educational facilities construction requirements under
    6         certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Section 1013.385, Florida Statutes, is created
   11  to read:
   12         1013.385 School district construction flexibility.—
   13         (1) A district school board may, with a supermajority vote
   14  at a public meeting that begins no earlier than 5 p.m., adopt a
   15  resolution to implement one or more of the exceptions to the
   16  educational facilities construction requirements provided in
   17  this section. Before voting on the resolution, a district school
   18  board must conduct a cost-benefit analysis prepared according to
   19  a professionally accepted methodology that describes how each
   20  exception selected by the district school board achieves cost
   21  savings, improves the efficient use of school district
   22  resources, and impacts the life-cycle costs and life span for
   23  each educational facility to be constructed, as applicable, and
   24  demonstrates that implementation of the exception will not
   25  compromise student safety or the quality of student instruction.
   26  The district school board must conduct at least one public
   27  workshop to discuss and receive public comment on the proposed
   28  resolution and cost-benefit analysis, which must begin no
   29  earlier than 5 p.m. and may occur at the same meeting at which
   30  the resolution will be voted upon.
   31         (2) A resolution adopted under this section may propose
   32  implementation of exceptions to requirements relating to:
   33         (a) Interior nonload-bearing walls, as specified in s.
   34  423.8.3.1.1 of the Florida Building Code, by approving the use
   35  of fire-rated wood stud walls in new construction or remodeling
   36  for interior nonload-bearing wall assemblies that will not be
   37  exposed to water or located in wet areas.
   38         (b) Walkways, roadways, driveways, and parking areas, as
   39  specified in s. 423.10.2 of the Florida Building Code, by
   40  approving the use of designated, stabilized, and well-drained
   41  gravel or grassed student parking areas.
   42         (c) Standards for relocatables used as classroom space, as
   43  specified in s. 1013.20, by approving construction
   44  specifications for installation of relocatable buildings that do
   45  not have covered walkways leading to the permanent buildings
   46  onsite.
   47         (d) Site lighting, as specified in s. 423.10.3 of the
   48  Florida Building Code, by approving construction specifications
   49  regarding site lighting which:
   50         1. Do not provide for lighting of gravel or grassed
   51  auxiliary or student parking areas.
   52         2. Provide lighting for walkways, roadways, driveways,
   53  paved parking lots, exterior stairs, ramps, and walkways from
   54  the exterior of the building to a public walkway through
   55  installation of a timer that is set to provide lighting only
   56  during periods when the site is occupied.
   57         3. Allow lighting for building entrances and exits to be
   58  installed with a timer that is set to provide lighting only
   59  during periods in which the building is occupied. The minimum
   60  illumination level at single-door exits may be reduced to no
   61  less than 1 footcandle.
   62         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.