HF 1568

3rd Engrossment - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the state building code; transferring 
  1.3             authority to adopt energy portions of the building 
  1.4             code from the commissioner of public service to the 
  1.5             commissioner of administration; setting an effective 
  1.6             date for the energy code; requiring implementation of 
  1.7             locally adopted optional code provisions; requiring a 
  1.8             report; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 
  1.9             16B.61, subdivisions 1 and 1a; 16B.62, subdivision 2; 
  1.10            16B.64, subdivision 4; 216C.19, subdivision 8; and 
  1.11            216C.195, subdivision 1; repealing Minnesota Statutes 
  1.12            1998, section 16B.165. 
  1.13  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.14     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 16B.61, 
  1.15  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.16     Subdivision 1.  [ADOPTION OF CODE.] Subject to sections 
  1.17  16B.59 to 16B.75, the commissioner shall by rule establish a 
  1.18  code of standards for the construction, reconstruction, 
  1.19  alteration, and repair of buildings, governing matters of 
  1.20  structural materials, design and construction, fire protection, 
  1.21  health, sanitation, and safety, including design and 
  1.22  construction standards regarding heat loss control, 
  1.23  illumination, and climate control.  The code must conform 
  1.24  insofar as practicable to model building codes generally 
  1.25  accepted and in use throughout the United States, including a 
  1.26  code for building conservation.  In the preparation of the code, 
  1.27  consideration must be given to the existing statewide specialty 
  1.28  codes presently in use in the state.  Model codes with necessary 
  1.29  modifications and statewide specialty codes may be adopted by 
  2.1   reference.  The code must be based on the application of 
  2.2   scientific principles, approved tests, and professional 
  2.3   judgment.  To the extent possible, the code must be adopted in 
  2.4   terms of desired results instead of the means of achieving those 
  2.5   results, avoiding wherever possible the incorporation of 
  2.6   specifications of particular methods or materials.  To that end 
  2.7   the code must encourage the use of new methods and new 
  2.8   materials.  Except as otherwise provided in sections 16B.59 to 
  2.9   16B.75, the commissioner shall administer and enforce the 
  2.10  provisions of those sections.  
  2.11     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 16B.61, 
  2.12  subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  2.13     Subd. 1a.  [ADMINISTRATION BY COMMISSIONER.] The 
  2.14  commissioner shall administer and enforce the state building 
  2.15  code as a municipality with respect to public buildings and 
  2.16  state licensed facilities in the state.  The commissioner shall 
  2.17  establish appropriate permit, plan review, and inspection fees 
  2.18  for public buildings and state licensed facilities.  Fees and 
  2.19  surcharges for public buildings and state licensed facilities 
  2.20  must be remitted to the commissioner, who shall deposit them in 
  2.21  the state treasury for credit to the special revenue fund. 
  2.22     Municipalities other than the state having a contractual 
  2.23  agreement with the commissioner for code administration and 
  2.24  enforcement service for public buildings and state licensed 
  2.25  facilities shall charge their customary fees, including 
  2.26  surcharge, to be paid directly to the contractual jurisdiction 
  2.27  by the applicant seeking authorization to construct a public 
  2.28  building or a state licensed facility.  The commissioner shall 
  2.29  contract with a municipality other than the state for plan 
  2.30  review, code administration, and code enforcement service for 
  2.31  public buildings and state licensed facilities in the 
  2.32  contractual jurisdiction if the building officials of the 
  2.33  municipality meet the requirements of section 16B.65 and wish to 
  2.34  provide those services and if the commissioner determines that 
  2.35  the municipality has enough adequately trained and qualified 
  2.36  building inspectors to provide those services for the 
  3.1   construction project. 
  3.2      Administration and enforcement in a municipality under this 
  3.3   section must apply any optional provisions of the state building 
  3.4   code adopted by the municipality.  A municipality adopting any 
  3.5   optional code provision shall notify the state building official 
  3.6   within 30 days of its adoption. 
  3.7      The commissioner shall administer and enforce the 
  3.8   provisions of the code relating to elevators statewide, except 
  3.9   as provided for under section 16B.747, subdivision 3. 
  3.10     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 16B.62, 
  3.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.12     Subd. 2.  [ENFORCEMENT BY STATE BUILDING OFFICIAL.] If the 
  3.13  commissioner determines that a municipality is not properly 
  3.14  administering and enforcing the State Building Code as provided 
  3.15  in section 16B.71, the commissioner may have the administration 
  3.16  and enforcement in the involved municipality undertaken by the 
  3.17  state building official.  The commissioner shall notify the 
  3.18  affected municipality in writing immediately upon making the 
  3.19  determination, and the municipality may challenge the 
  3.20  determination as a contested case before the commissioner 
  3.21  pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.  In municipalities 
  3.22  not properly administering and enforcing the State Building 
  3.23  Code, and in municipalities who determine not to administer and 
  3.24  enforce the State Building Code, the commissioner shall have 
  3.25  administration and enforcement undertaken by the state building 
  3.26  official or by another inspector certified by the state.  In 
  3.27  carrying out administration and enforcement under this 
  3.28  subdivision, the commissioner shall apply any optional provision 
  3.29  of the state building code adopted by the municipality.  A 
  3.30  municipality adopting any optional code provision shall notify 
  3.31  the state building official within 30 days of its adoption.  The 
  3.32  commissioner shall determine appropriate fees to be charged for 
  3.33  the administration and enforcement service rendered.  Any cost 
  3.34  to the state arising from the state administration and 
  3.35  enforcement of the State Building Code shall be borne by the 
  3.36  subject municipality.  
  4.1      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 16B.64, 
  4.2   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  4.3      Subd. 4.  [HEARINGS.] The commissioner, except in the case 
  4.4   of energy conservation standards promulgated or amended pursuant 
  4.5   to section 216C.19, subdivision 8, shall hold all state hearings 
  4.6   and make all determinations regarding any subject matter dealt 
  4.7   with in the code including those in which another state agency 
  4.8   proposes to adopt or amend rules which are incorporated by 
  4.9   reference into the code or whenever the commissioner proposes to 
  4.10  incorporate those rules into the State Building Code.  In no 
  4.11  event shall may a state agency subsequently authorized to adopt 
  4.12  rules involving State Building Code subject matter proceed to 
  4.13  adopt the rules without prior consultation with the commissioner.
  4.14     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216C.19, 
  4.15  subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  4.16     Subd. 8.  [APPLICABILITY TO BUILDING CODE; RULES.] In 
  4.17  recognition of the compelling need for energy conservation in 
  4.18  order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, it is 
  4.19  necessary to provide building design and construction standards 
  4.20  consistent with the most efficient use of energy.  Therefore, 
  4.21  the commissioner of administration, in consultation with the 
  4.22  commissioner of public service, shall, pursuant to chapter 14, 
  4.23  adopt rules governing building design and construction standards 
  4.24  regarding heat loss control, illumination and climate control.  
  4.25  To the maximum extent practicable, the rules providing for the 
  4.26  energy portions of the building code shall be based on and 
  4.27  conform to model codes generally accepted throughout the United 
  4.28  States.  The rules shall apply to all new buildings and 
  4.29  remodeling affecting heat loss control, illumination and climate 
  4.30  control.  The rules shall be economically feasible in that the 
  4.31  resultant savings in energy procurement shall exceed the cost of 
  4.32  the energy conserving requirements amortized over the life of 
  4.33  the building.  The rules adopted pursuant to this subdivision, 
  4.34  shall be part of the State Building Code.  Notwithstanding the 
  4.35  provisions of this subdivision, all applications for approval of 
  4.36  building specifications and plans may be submitted to the state 
  5.1   building inspector as provided in section 16B.66. 
  5.2      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 216C.195, 
  5.3   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  5.4      Subdivision 1.  [COMMISSIONER TO ADOPT.] Not later than 
  5.5   September 1, 1992, The commissioner of administration, in 
  5.6   consultation with the commissioner of public service, shall 
  5.7   adopt amendments to the Energy Code portion of the Minnesota 
  5.8   Building Code to implement energy-efficient standards for new 
  5.9   commercial buildings.  
  5.10     Sec. 7.  [TRANSFER.] 
  5.11     While the energy portion of the state building code is 
  5.12  developed by the commissioner of public service, adoption of the 
  5.13  energy portion of the building code is transferred from the 
  5.14  commissioner of public service to the commissioner of 
  5.15  administration in consultation with the commissioner of public 
  5.16  service in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 15.039, 
  5.17  excluding subdivisions 6 and 7. 
  5.18     Sec. 8.  [REVIEW.] 
  5.19     The construction codes advisory council established by 
  5.20  Minnesota Statutes, section 16B.76, shall review the program 
  5.21  evaluation report on the state building code issued by the 
  5.22  office of the legislative auditor in January 1999 and shall 
  5.23  report to the legislature by January 15, 2000, with 
  5.24  recommendations on which proposals in the report, if any, should 
  5.25  be implemented. 
  5.26     Sec. 9.  [ENERGY CODE.] 
  5.27     The effective date of the residential building energy code 
  5.28  set out in Minnesota Rules, chapters 7672 and 7674, is April 15, 
  5.29  2000.  Until that date, the energy code set out in Minnesota 
  5.30  Rules, chapter 7670, remains in effect for residential buildings.
  5.31     Sec. 10.  [REPEALER.] 
  5.32     Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 16B.165, is repealed. 
  5.33     Sec. 11.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.34     Sections 1 to 10 are effective July 1, 1999.