2017 -- S 0479

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LC001631

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - STATE BUILDING CODE

     Introduced By: Senators Lombardi, Lynch Prata, McCaffrey, Archambault, and Jabour

     Date Introduced: March 02, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-100.1.4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled

"State Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-27.3-100.1.4. Appointment and qualifications of the committee.

     (a) The building code standards committee shall be composed of twenty-three (23)

twenty-five (25) members, residents of the state who shall be appointed by the governor with the

advice and consent of the senate. Eight (8) members are to be appointed for terms of one year

each, seven (7) for a term of two (2) years each, and eight (8) ten (10) for terms of three (3) years

each. Annually, thereafter, the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint

members to the committee to succeed those whose terms expired; the members to serve for terms

of three (3) years each and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Two (2) members

shall be architects registered in the state; three (3) shall be professional engineers registered in the

state, one specializing in mechanical, one specializing in structural, and one specializing in

electrical engineering; one landscape architect, registered in the state, one full-time certified

electrical inspector; two (2) shall be builders or superintendents of building construction; one

shall be a public health official; one shall be a qualified fire code official; two (2) shall be from

the Rhode Island building trades council; two (2) shall be from the Rhode Island builders

association, one shall be a holder of Class "A" electrician's license; one shall be a master

plumber; two (2) shall be from the general public; three (3) shall be building officials in office,

one from a municipality with a population of sixty thousand (60,000) persons or more, one from a

municipality with a population of over twenty thousand (20,000) persons but less than sixty

thousand (60,000), and one from a municipality with a population of less than twenty thousand

(20,000) persons; one shall be a minimum housing official in office from one of the local

municipalities; and two (2) residents of the state who shall be persons with disabilities as defined

in § 42-87-1.

     (b) All members shall have no less than five (5) years practical experience in his or her

profession or business. The committee shall elect its own chairperson and may elect from among

its members such other officers as it deems necessary. Twelve (12) Thirteen (13) members of the

board shall constitute a quorum and the vote of a majority vote of those present shall be required

for action. The committee shall adopt rules and regulations for procedure. The state building

commissioner shall serve as the executive secretary to the committee. The committee shall have

the power, within the limits of appropriations provided therefor, to employ such assistance as may

be necessary to conduct business.

     (c) Members of the commission shall be removable by the governor pursuant to § 36-1-7

of the general laws and for cause only, and removal solely for partisan or personal reasons

unrelated to capacity or fitness for the office shall be unlawful.

     (d) The state housing and property maintenance code subcommittee shall be composed of

nine (9) members, residents of the state. Five (5) of these members are to be current members of

the state building code standards committee and are to be appointed by that committee. The four

(4) remaining members are to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the

senate. The four (4) appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall

initially be appointed on a staggered term basis, one for one year, one for two (2) years, and two

(2) for three (3) years. Annually thereafter, the building code standards committee, and the

governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint the subcommittee members, for

which they are respectively responsible, to succeed those whose terms have expired; the members

to serve for terms of three (3) years each and until their successors are appointed and qualified. Of

the members appointed by the committee one shall be a full-time certified electrical inspector;

one shall be a master plumber and mechanical equipment expert, one shall be a builder or

superintendent of building construction, one member shall be a qualified state fire code official,

one shall be a property manager, and one shall be a current minimum housing official from a

local municipality. The four (4) members to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and

consent of the senate, shall all be current minimum housing officials from local municipalities.

One shall be from a municipality with a population of sixty thousand (60,000) persons or more,

two (2) from municipalities with a population of over twenty thousand (20,000) persons but less

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than sixty thousand (60,000), and one from a municipality with a population of less than twenty

thousand (20,000) persons.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC001631

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - STATE BUILDING CODE

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     This act would expand the state building code standards committee by two members, to

be appointed by the Rhode Island builders association.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001631

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