S 0596 General Bill, By McConnell

Similar(H 3715)
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 6-8-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING
 TO ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION FOR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT
 OFFICERS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS THAT A PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATE IS
 ONLY VALID FOR ONE YEAR AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE RENEWED AND TO ESTABLISH
 MAXIMUM PERIODS OF EMPLOYMENT ALLOWED BEFORE QUALIFYING TO BE REGISTERED AS AN
 ENFORCEMENT OFFICER; TO AMEND SECTIONS 6-9-50 AND 6-9-60, BOTH AS AMENDED,
 BOTH RELATING TO MANDATORY ADOPTION OF CERTAIN NATIONALLY KNOWN CODES AND
 STANDARDS, SO AS TO REVISE WHICH CODES AND STANDARDS MUST BE ADOPTED AND TO
 DELETE A PROVISION RELATING TO CERTAIN CODES TAKING PRECEDENCE OVER OTHER
 CODES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 38-7-35, RELATING TO FUNDING OF TRAINING AND
 EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO AS TO REQUIRE
 THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION TO REPORT ON THE USE OF SUCH
 FUNDS EVERY JULY FIFTEENTH RATHER THAN JANUARY FIFTEENTH.

   03/11/99  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-6
   03/11/99  Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry SJ-6

TO AMEND SECTION 6-8-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION FOR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS THAT A PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATE IS ONLY VALID FOR ONE YEAR AND THAT IT MAY NOT BE RENEWED AND TO ESTABLISH MAXIMUM PERIODS OF EMPLOYMENT ALLOWED BEFORE QUALIFYING TO BE REGISTERED AS AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER; TO AMEND SECTIONS 6-9-50 AND 6-9-60, BOTH AS AMENDED, BOTH RELATING TO MANDATORY ADOPTION OF CERTAIN NATIONALLY KNOWN CODES AND STANDARDS, SO AS TO REVISE WHICH CODES AND STANDARDS MUST BE ADOPTED AND TO DELETE A PROVISION RELATING TO CERTAIN CODES TAKING PRECEDENCE OVER OTHER CODES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 38-7-35, RELATING TO FUNDING OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION TO REPORT ON THE USE OF SUCH FUNDS EVERY JULY FIFTEENTH RATHER THAN JANUARY FIFTEENTH.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 6-8-30(B) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 123 of 1997, is amended to read:

"(B) Upon initial employment by a political subdivision, an individual must be granted a provisional certificate of registration without examination which is valid for one year from the date of issuance. The provisional certificate of registration may not be renewed."

SECTION 2. Section 6-8-30 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 123 of 1997, is amended by adding at the end:

"(C) A person must qualify as a registered code enforcement officer for each classification within these time periods following initial employment:

(1) General Classifications:

(a) Building Official - 24 months.

(b) General Combination Inspector - 12 months for each certification.

(c) Residential Combination Inspector - 18 months.

(2) Specialty Classifications: 12 months for the discipline for which employed."

SECTION 3. Section 6-9-50(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 381 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(A) Municipalities and counties shall adopt by reference only those provisions of the latest editions of the following nationally known recognized codes and the standards referenced in the those codes for regulation of construction which directly relate to building and safety standards within their respective jurisdictions: Standard Building Code, Standard Gas Code, Standard Plumbing Code, Standard Mechanical Code, the Standard Fire Prevention Code, as published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc., the Model Energy Code, as published by the Council of American Building Officials, building, residential, gas, plumbing, mechanical, fire, and energy codes as promulgated, published, or made available by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc., and the National Electrical Code, as published by the National Fire Protection Association. The appendixes of the codes provided in this section may be adopted as needed by a municipality or county, but this fact the specific appendix or appendices must be referenced by name or letter designation in the adoption ordinance. However, the provisions of the codes referenced in this section which concern the qualification, removal, dismissal, duties, responsibilities of, and administrative procedures for all building officials, deputy building officials, chief inspectors, other inspectors, and assistants do not apply unless they have been adopted by the municipal or county governing body."

SECTION 4. Section 6-9-60(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 381 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(A) Municipalities and counties may adopt by reference only those provisions of the latest editions of the following nationally known recognized codes and the standards referenced in the those codes for regulation of construction which directly relate to building and safety standards within their respective jurisdictions: Standard Housing Code, Standard Existing Building Code, Standard Swimming Pool Code, the Standard Excavation and Grading Code, as published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc., the One and Two Family Dwelling Code, as published by the Council of American Building Officials; and the International Residential Code and the International Building Code, both as published by the International Code Congress property maintenance, existing building and swimming pool codes as promulgated, published, or made available by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. The appendixes appendices of the codes provided in this section may be adopted as needed by a municipality or county, but this fact the specific appendix or appendices must be referenced by name or letter designation in the adopting ordinance. However, the provisions of the codes referenced in this section which concern the qualification, removal, dismissal, duties, responsibilities of, and the administrative procedures for all building officials, deputy building officials, chief inspectors, other inspectors, and assistants do not apply unless they have been adopted by the municipal or county governing body. If a county or municipality adopts the One and Two Family Dwelling Code, the One and Two Family Dwelling Code shall take precedence over the Standard Building Code for dwellings as defined in the Standard Building Code. If a municipality or county contends that the codes authorized by this chapter do not meet its needs due to local physical or climatological conditions, the variations and modifications must be submitted for approval to the South Carolina Building Codes Council of fifteen members which is established in this section."

SECTION 5. Section 38-7-35(B) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 123 of 1997, is amended to read:

"(B) The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation shall report annually to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee detailing actual program expenditures including, but not limited to, the number of instructors employed, the number of training sessions conducted, and the number of certifications issued. This report must be submitted to the respective chairmen no later than January July fifteenth of each year."

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.