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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Petrie-Norris</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Sections 18930 and 18940.5 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to building standards. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>building standards</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Building standards: approval or adoption: cost of compliance estimate.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law requires every state agency subject to the Administrative Procedure Act to provide an initial statement of reasons for proposing the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation. Existing law requires an initial statement of reasons for a regulation that is a building standard to include the estimated cost of compliance, the estimated potential benefits, and the related assumptions used to determine the estimates, except as specified.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission within the Government Operations Agency. Existing law requires any building standard adopted or proposed by state agencies to be submitted to, and approved or adopted by, the commission before codification, in compliance with certain procedures, including, among others, the above-described
requirement that an initial statement of reasons for a regulation that is a building standard include the estimated cost of compliance, the estimated potential benefits, and the related assumptions used to determine the estimates.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill, if the commission finds that the initial statement of reasons is submitted without a completed statement of estimated cost of compliance, as specified, would prohibit the commission from approving or adopting the proposed or adopted building standard. The bill would also make nonsubstantive, conforming changes.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 18930 of the
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is amended to read:
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<html:p>
(a)
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Except as provided in subdivision (g), any building standard adopted or proposed by state agencies shall be submitted to, and approved or adopted by, the California Building Standards Commission before codification.
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(1)
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(A)
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Before
submission to the commission, building standards shall be adopted in compliance with the procedures specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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(B)
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If the commission finds that the initial statement of reasons is submitted without a completed statement of estimated cost of compliance, including the related assumptions used to determine the estimate, as required by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 11346.2 of the Government Code, the commission shall not approve or adopt the proposed or adopted building standard.
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(2)
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Building standards adopted by state agencies and submitted to the commission for approval shall be accompanied by an analysis written by the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards which shall, to the satisfaction of the commission, justify the approval thereof in terms of the following criteria:
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(A)
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The proposed building standards do not conflict with, overlap, or
duplicate other building standards.
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<html:p>
(B)
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The proposed building standard is within the parameters established by enabling legislation and is not expressly within the exclusive jurisdiction of another agency.
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(C)
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The public interest requires the adoption of the building standards. The public interest includes, but is not limited to,
health and safety, resource efficiency, fire safety, seismic safety, building and building system performance, and consistency with environmental, public health, and accessibility statutes and regulations.
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(D)
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The proposed building standard is not unreasonable, arbitrary, unfair, or capricious, in whole or in part.
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(E)
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The cost to
the public is reasonable, based on the overall benefit to be derived from the building standards.
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(F)
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The proposed building standard is not unnecessarily ambiguous or vague, in whole or in part.
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(G)
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The applicable national specifications, published standards, and model codes have been incorporated therein as provided in this part,
where appropriate.
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(i)
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If a national specification, published standard, or model code does not adequately address the goals of the state agency, a statement defining the inadequacy shall accompany the proposed building standard when submitted to the commission.
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(ii)
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If there is no national specification, published standard, or model
code that is relevant to the proposed building standard, the state agency shall prepare a statement informing the commission and submit that statement with the proposed building standard.
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(H)
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The format of the proposed building standards is consistent with that adopted by the commission.
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(I)
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The proposed building standard, if it
promotes fire and panic safety, as determined by the State Fire Marshal, has the written approval of the State Fire Marshal.
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<html:p>
(b)
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In reviewing building standards submitted for its approval, the commission shall consider only the record of the proceedings of the adopting agency, except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 11359 of the Government Code.
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(c)
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Where the commission is the adopting agency, it shall consider the record submitted to, and considered by, the state agency that proposes the building standards and the record of public comment that results from the commission’s adoption of proposed regulations.
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(d)
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(1)
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The commission shall give great weight to the determinations and analysis of the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards on each of the criteria
for approval set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). Any factual determinations of the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards shall be considered conclusive by the commission unless the commission specifically finds, and sets forth its reasoning in writing, that the factual determination is arbitrary and capricious or substantially unsupported by the evidence considered by the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards.
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(2)
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Whenever the commission makes a finding, as described in this subdivision, it shall return the standard to the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards for a reexamination of its original determination of the disputed fact.
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(e)
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Whenever a building standard is
principally intended to protect the public health and safety, its adoption shall not be a “factual determination” for purposes of subdivision (d). Whenever a building standard is principally intended to conserve energy or other natural resources, the commission shall consider or review the cost to the public or benefit to be derived as a “factual determination” pursuant to subdivision (d). Whenever a building standard promotes fire and panic safety, each agency shall, unless adopted by the State Fire Marshal, submit the building standard to the State Fire Marshal for prior approval.
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(f)
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Whenever the commission finds, pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), that a building standard is adopted by an adopting agency pursuant to statutes requiring adoption of the building standard, the commission shall not consider
or review whether the adoption is in the public interest pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
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<html:p>
(g)
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Commencing October 1, 2025, to June 1, 2031, inclusive, proposed building standards affecting residential units shall not be considered, approved, or adopted by the commission or any other adopting agency, unless any of the following conditions are met:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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The commission deems those changes necessary as emergency standards to protect health and safety.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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The building standards are amendments
by the State Fire Marshal to building standards within the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Part 7 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations).
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(3)
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The building standards are proposed for adoption in relation to standards researched pursuant to Section 13108.5.2.
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(4)
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The building standards are proposed for adoption pursuant to Section 17921.9, 17921.11, or 18940.7 of this code, or Section 13558 of the Water Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
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The building standards are necessary to ensure the latest editions of the model codes specified in Section 18916 are incorporated into the triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code, along with any necessary and related state amendments supporting or facilitating the incorporation of the model codes.
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<html:p>
(6)
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The
building standards are necessary to incorporate errata or emergency updates to the national model codes specified in Section 18916, along with any necessary and related state amendments supporting or facilitating the incorporation of errata or emergency updates to the model codes.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(7)
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The building standards are necessary to incorporate updates to accessibility requirements that align with minimum federal accessibility laws, standards, and regulations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(8)
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The building standards under consideration would take effect on or after January 1, 2032.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 18940.5 of the
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is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>18940.5.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>As part of the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) adopted after January 1, 2014, agencies that propose green building standards for inclusion in Part 11 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations shall, to the extent that it is feasible, reference or reprint the green building standards in other relevant portions of Part 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. For purposes of compliance with this section, the republication of the provisions of Part 11 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations in other parts of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations shall not be considered duplication in violation of subparagraph (A) of
paragraph
(2) of subdivision (a) of Section 18930.</html:p>
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