2022 -- H 7426

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LC004527

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE

     

     Introduced By: Representative Jacquelyn M. Baginski

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2022

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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

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

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     (a) The building code standards committee shall be composed of twenty-five (25) sixteen

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(16) members, residents of the state who shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and

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consent of the senate. Eight (8) Five (5) members are to be appointed for terms of one year each,

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seven (7) six (6) for a term of two (2) years each, and ten (10) five (5) for terms of three (3) years

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

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

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

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One member shall be architects an architect registered in the state; three (3) shall be professional

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engineers registered in the state, one specializing in mechanical, one specializing in structural, and

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

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time certified electrical inspector; two (2) shall be builders or superintendents one shall be a builder

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or superintendent of building construction; one shall be a public health official; one shall be a

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qualified fire code official; two (2) one shall be from the Rhode Island building trades council; two

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(2) one shall be from the Rhode Island Builders Association; one shall be a holder of Class "A"

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electrician's license; one shall be a master plumber; two (2) one shall be from the general public;

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three (3) one shall be a building officials official in office, one from a municipality with a

 

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

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of over twenty thousand (20,000) persons but less than sixty thousand (60,000), and one from a

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municipality with a population of less than twenty thousand (20,000) persons; one shall be a

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minimum housing official in office from one of the local municipalities; and two (2) residents one

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resident of the state who shall be persons a person with disabilities as defined in § 42-87-1.

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

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

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its members such other officers as it deems necessary. Thirteen (13) Eight (8) members of the board

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

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

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

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

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be necessary to conduct business.

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

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and for cause only, and removal solely for partisan or personal reasons unrelated to capacity or

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fitness for the office shall be unlawful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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be from a municipality with a population of sixty thousand (60,000) persons or more, two (2) from

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

 

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

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(20,000) persons.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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 amend the composition of the state building code standards committee.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004527

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