Florida Senate - 2016 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 704
Ì303722zÎ303722
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/01/2016 .
.
.
.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The Committee on Community Affairs (Simpson) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Between lines 304 and 305
4 insert:
5 Section 3. Section 468.609, Florida Statutes, is amended to
6 read:
7 468.609 Administration of this part; standards for
8 certification; additional categories of certification.—
9 (1) Except as provided in this part, any person who desires
10 to be certified shall apply to the board, in writing upon forms
11 approved and furnished by the board, to take the certification
12 examination.
13 (2) A person may take the examination for certification as
14 a building code inspector or plans examiner pursuant to this
15 part if the person:
16 (a) Is at least 18 years of age.
17 (b) Is of good moral character.
18 (c) Meets eligibility requirements according to one of the
19 following criteria:
20 1. Demonstrates 5 years’ combined experience in the field
21 of construction or a related field, building code inspection, or
22 plans review corresponding to the certification category sought;
23 2. Demonstrates a combination of postsecondary education in
24 the field of construction or a related field and experience
25 which totals 4 years, with at least 1 year of such total being
26 experience in construction, building code inspection, or plans
27 review;
28 3. Demonstrates a combination of technical education in the
29 field of construction or a related field and experience which
30 totals 4 years, with at least 1 year of such total being
31 experience in construction, building code inspection, or plans
32 review;
33 4. Currently holds a standard certificate as issued by the
34 board, or a fire safety inspector license issued pursuant to
35 chapter 633, has a minimum of 5 years’ verifiable full-time
36 experience in inspection or plan review, and satisfactorily
37 completes a building code inspector or plans examiner training
38 program of not less than 200 hours in the certification category
39 sought. The board shall establish by rule criteria for the
40 development and implementation of the training programs; or
41 5. Demonstrates a combination of the completion of an
42 approved training program in the field of building code
43 inspection or plan review and a minimum of 2 years’ experience
44 in the field of building code inspection, plan review, fire code
45 inspections and fire plans review of new buildings as a
46 firesafety inspector certified under s. 633.216, or
47 construction. The approved training portion of this requirement
48 shall include proof of satisfactory completion of a training
49 program of not less than 300 hours which is approved by the
50 board in the chosen category of building code inspection or plan
51 review in the certification category sought with not less than
52 20 hours of instruction in state laws, rules, and ethics
53 relating to professional standards of practice, duties, and
54 responsibilities of a certificateholder. The board shall
55 coordinate with the Building Officials Association of Florida,
56 Inc., to establish by rule the development and implementation of
57 the training program.
58 (3) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a local
59 jurisdiction may allow an individual who possesses a residential
60 certification issued by the International Code Council to be a
61 residential building code inspector or plans examiner within
62 said jurisdiction.
63 (4)(3) A person may take the examination for certification
64 as a building code administrator pursuant to this part if the
65 person:
66 (a) Is at least 18 years of age.
67 (b) Is of good moral character.
68 (c) Meets eligibility requirements according to one of the
69 following criteria:
70 1. Demonstrates 10 years’ combined experience as an
71 architect, engineer, plans examiner, building code inspector,
72 registered or certified contractor, or construction
73 superintendent, with at least 5 years of such experience in
74 supervisory positions; or
75 2. Demonstrates a combination of postsecondary education in
76 the field of construction or related field, no more than 5 years
77 of which may be applied, and experience as an architect,
78 engineer, plans examiner, building code inspector, registered or
79 certified contractor, or construction superintendent which
80 totals 10 years, with at least 5 years of such total being
81 experience in supervisory positions.
82 (5)(4) No person may engage in the duties of a building
83 code administrator, plans examiner, or building code inspector
84 pursuant to this part after October 1, 1993, unless such person
85 possesses one of the following types of certificates, currently
86 valid, issued by the board attesting to the person’s
87 qualifications to hold such position:
88 (a) A standard certificate.
89 (b) A limited certificate.
90 (c) A provisional certificate.
91 (d) A residential certificate pursuant to subsection (3).
92 (6)(5)(a) To obtain a standard certificate, an individual
93 must pass an examination approved by the board which
94 demonstrates that the applicant has fundamental knowledge of the
95 state laws and codes relating to the construction of buildings
96 for which the applicant has building code administration, plans
97 examination, or building code inspection responsibilities. It is
98 the intent of the Legislature that the examination approved for
99 certification pursuant to this part be substantially equivalent
100 to the examinations administered by the International Code
101 Council.
102 (b) A standard certificate shall be issued to each
103 applicant who successfully completes the examination, which
104 certificate authorizes the individual named thereon to practice
105 throughout the state as a building code administrator, plans
106 examiner, or building code inspector within such class and level
107 as is specified by the board.
108 (c) The board may accept proof that the applicant has
109 passed an examination which is substantially equivalent to the
110 board-approved examination set forth in this section.
111 (7)(6)(a) A building code administrator, plans examiner, or
112 building code inspector holding office on July 1, 1993, shall
113 not be required to possess a standard certificate as a condition
114 of tenure or continued employment, but shall be required to
115 obtain a limited certificate as described in this subsection.
116 (b) By October 1, 1993, individuals who were employed on
117 July 1, 1993, as building code administrators, plans examiners,
118 or building code inspectors, who are not eligible for a standard
119 certificate, but who wish to continue in such employment, shall
120 submit to the board the appropriate application and
121 certification fees and shall receive a limited certificate
122 qualifying them to engage in building code administration, plans
123 examination, or building code inspection in the class, at the
124 performance level, and within the governmental jurisdiction in
125 which such person is employed.
126 (c) The limited certificate shall be valid only as an
127 authorization for the building code administrator, plans
128 examiner, or building code inspector to continue in the position
129 held, and to continue performing all functions assigned to that
130 position, on July 1, 1993.
131 (d) A building code administrator, plans examiner, or
132 building code inspector holding a limited certificate can be
133 promoted to a position requiring a higher level certificate only
134 upon issuance of a standard certificate or provisional
135 certificate appropriate for such new position.
136 (e) By March 1, 2003, or 1 year after the Florida Building
137 Code is implemented, whichever is later, individuals who were
138 employed by an educational board, the Department of Education,
139 or the State University System as building code administrators,
140 plans examiners, or inspectors, who do not wish to apply for a
141 standard certificate but who wish to continue in such
142 employment, shall submit to the board the appropriate
143 application and certification fees and shall receive a limited
144 certificate qualifying such individuals to engage in building
145 code administration, plans examination, or inspection in the
146 class, at the performance level, and within the governmental
147 jurisdiction in which such person is employed.
148 (8)(7)(a) The board may provide for the issuance of
149 provisional certificates valid for 1 year, as specified by board
150 rule, to any newly employed or promoted building code inspector
151 or plans examiner who meets the eligibility requirements
152 described in subsection (2) and any newly employed or promoted
153 building code administrator who meets the eligibility
154 requirements described in subsection (4) (3). The provisional
155 license may be renewed by the board for just cause; however, a
156 provisional license is not valid for a period longer than 3
157 years.
158 (b) No building code administrator, plans examiner, or
159 building code inspector may have a provisional certificate
160 extended beyond the specified period by renewal or otherwise.
161 (c) The board may provide for appropriate levels of
162 provisional certificates and may issue these certificates with
163 such special conditions or requirements relating to the place of
164 employment of the person holding the certificate, the
165 supervision of such person on a consulting or advisory basis, or
166 other matters as the board may deem necessary to protect the
167 public safety and health.
168 (d) A newly employed or hired person may perform the duties
169 of a plans examiner or building code inspector for 120 days if a
170 provisional certificate application has been submitted if such
171 person is under the direct supervision of a certified building
172 code administrator who holds a standard certification and who
173 has found such person qualified for a provisional certificate.
174 Direct supervision and the determination of qualifications may
175 also be provided by a building code administrator who holds a
176 limited or provisional certificate in a county having a
177 population of fewer than 75,000 and in a municipality located
178 within such county.
179 (9)(8) Any individual applying to the board may be issued a
180 certificate valid for multiple building code inspection classes,
181 as deemed appropriate by the board.
182 (10)(9) Certification and training classes may be developed
183 in coordination with degree career education centers, community
184 colleges, the State University System, or other entities
185 offering certification and training classes.
186 (11)(10) The board may by rule create categories of
187 certification in addition to those defined in s. 468.603(6) and
188 (7). Such certification categories shall not be mandatory and
189 shall not act to diminish the scope of any certificate created
190 by statute.
191
192 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
193 And the title is amended as follows:
194 Delete line 8
195 and insert:
196 provisional certificates; amending s. 468.609, F.S.;
197 authorizing a local jurisdiction to allow an
198 individual who possesses a specified certification to
199 be a residential building code inspector or plans
200 examiner within said jurisdiction; conforming a cross
201 reference; amending ss. 468.627,