| |
|
| |
| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
| |
| SENATE BILL |
|
| |
| |
| INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, EARLL, FOLMER, KASUNIC, PICCOLA, SMUCKER, WARD, D. WHITE, M. WHITE AND YAW, JULY 6, 2009 |
| |
| |
| REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, JULY 6, 2009 |
| |
| |
| |
| AN ACT |
| |
1 | Amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), entitled |
2 | "An act establishing a uniform construction code; imposing |
3 | powers and duties on municipalities and the Department of |
4 | Labor and Industry; providing for enforcement; imposing |
5 | penalties; and making repeals," further providing for |
6 | adoption of regulations, for changes in the Uniform |
7 | Construction Code and for exemptions. |
8 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
9 | hereby enacts as follows: |
10 | Section 1. Section 301 of the act of November 10, 1999 |
11 | (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code |
12 | Act, is amended by adding a subsection to read: |
13 | Section 301. Adoption by regulations. |
14 | * * * |
15 | (e) Application of ICC codes.--All ICC codes adopted by |
16 | department regulations as part of the Uniform Construction Code |
17 | other than the International Building Code and International |
18 | Residential Code shall be part of the Uniform Construction Code |
19 | only to the extent referenced in the International Building Code |
20 | or International Residential Code. |
|
1 | Section 2. Section 503(c) and (j) of the act, amended |
2 | November 29, 2006 (P.L.1440, No.157), are amended to read: |
3 | Section 503. Changes in Uniform Construction Code. |
4 | * * * |
5 | (c) Modification of minimum requirement.--Subject to the |
6 | provisions of this act, the municipal governing body may propose |
7 | and enact an ordinance to equal or exceed the minimum |
8 | requirements of the Uniform Construction Code under the law |
9 | governing the adoption of ordinances in that jurisdiction. An |
10 | ordinance under this subsection shall not be effective nor |
11 | enforceable unless subsections (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) |
12 | have been satisfied. Municipalities may enact ordinances |
13 | pursuant to this section which adopt additional code |
14 | requirements for alterations or repairs to residential |
15 | buildings. Municipalities may enact ordinances pursuant to this |
16 | section which adopt stricter code requirements than required by |
17 | this act for the regulation of utility and miscellaneous use |
18 | structures. Any ordinance requiring fire sprinkler systems in |
19 | residential buildings adopted or enacted on or after July 1, |
20 | 1999, shall provide for the design and installation of such |
21 | systems consistent with the provisions of the International |
22 | Residential Code (2009) or its successor triennial revisions. |
23 | * * * |
24 | (j) Challenge of ordinance.-- |
25 | (1) Aggrieved parties shall have 30 days from date of |
26 | enactment of the ordinance to file a written challenge with |
27 | the department and shall serve a copy of the challenge upon |
28 | the municipality. The challenge shall state the reason or |
29 | reasons for the challenge. A municipal ordinance may not take |
30 | effect for a period of 35 days following its enactment. If a |
|
1 | challenge is filed in writing with the department within 30 |
2 | days, the department has five business days from the end of |
3 | the 30-day filing period to notify a municipality of the |
4 | challenge. There may be no enforcement of the ordinance until |
5 | a ruling is issued by the secretary or 45 days after the |
6 | filing date of the last challenge to the ordinance, whichever |
7 | occurs first. |
8 | (2) [The] Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), |
9 | the department shall review any ordinance which would equal |
10 | or exceed the minimum requirements of the Uniform |
11 | Construction Code based on the following standards: |
12 | (i) that certain clear and convincing local |
13 | climatic, geologic, topographic or public health and |
14 | safety circumstances or conditions justify the exception; |
15 | (ii) the exception shall be adequate for the purpose |
16 | intended and shall meet a standard of performance equal |
17 | to or greater than that prescribed by the Uniform |
18 | Construction Code; |
19 | (iii) the exception would not diminish or threaten |
20 | the health, safety and welfare of the public; and |
21 | (iv) the exception would not be inconsistent with |
22 | the legislative findings and purpose described in section |
23 | 102. |
24 | (3) In the case of municipal ordinance provisions |
25 | requiring automatic fire sprinkler systems in townhouses |
26 | consistent with the provisions of the International |
27 | Residential Code, in all or specified geographic areas of the |
28 | municipality, which do not exceed the provisions of R313.1 of |
29 | the International Residential Code (2009) or its successor |
30 | triennial provisions relating to townhouse automatic fire |
|
1 | sprinkler systems, the secretary shall approve such |
2 | provisions if evidence establishes that the following |
3 | standards have been met: |
4 | (i) That no fire station is located within a five- |
5 | mile radius of any townhouse subject to the ordinance. |
6 | (ii) That a reliable public water supply to any |
7 | townhouse unit is provided by a municipality, municipal |
8 | authority or public utility which satisfies the |
9 | requirements of section P2904.5 relating to water supply |
10 | of the International Residential Code (2009) or its |
11 | successor triennial revisions. |
12 | (4) In the case of municipal ordinance provisions |
13 | requiring automatic fire sprinkler systems in one-family and |
14 | two-family dwellings consistent with the provisions of the |
15 | International Residential Code, in all or specified |
16 | geographic areas of the municipality, which do not exceed the |
17 | provisions of R313.2 of the International Residential Code |
18 | (2009) or its successor triennial provisions relating to one- |
19 | family and two-family dwelling automatic fire sprinkler |
20 | systems, the secretary shall approve such provisions if |
21 | evidence establishes that the following standards have been |
22 | met: |
23 | (i) That no fire station is located within a five- |
24 | mile radius of any one-family or two-family dwelling |
25 | subject to the ordinance. |
26 | (ii) That a reliable public water supply to any one- |
27 | family or two-family dwelling is provided by a |
28 | municipality, municipal authority or public utility which |
29 | satisfies the requirements of section P2904.5 relating to |
30 | water supply of the International Residential Code (2009) |
|
1 | or its successor triennial revisions. |
2 | (iii) That certain local, climatic, geologic, |
3 | topographic or public health and safety circumstances or |
4 | conditions justify the ordinance. |
5 | (iv) That the ordinance shall be adequate for the |
6 | purpose intended and shall meet a standard of performance |
7 | equal to or greater than that prescribed by the Uniform |
8 | Construction Code. |
9 | (v) The ordinance would not diminish or threaten the |
10 | health, safety and welfare of the public. |
11 | (vi) The ordinance would not be inconsistent with |
12 | the legislative findings and purpose described in section |
13 | 102. The department shall take into consideration in |
14 | rendering the determination, the provision, code |
15 | development process history, purpose and intent of |
16 | relevant provisions of the International Residential Code |
17 | (2009) or its successor codes. |
18 | The department shall take into consideration, in rendering the |
19 | determination, the provision, code development process history, |
20 | purpose and intent of relevant provisions of the 1999 BOCA |
21 | National Building Code, Fourteenth Edition, ICC International |
22 | One and Two Family Dwelling Code, 1998 Edition, or their |
23 | successor codes. |
24 | * * * |
25 | Section 3. Section 901 of the act is amended by adding a |
26 | subsection to read: |
27 | Section 901. Exemptions. |
28 | * * * |
29 | (f) Automatic fire sprinkler systems in residential |
30 | buildings.-- |
|
1 | (1) Section R313 relating to automatic fire sprinkler |
2 | systems of the International Residential Code (2009) and any |
3 | successor triennial revisions are excluded from this act and |
4 | shall not be part of the Uniform Construction Code. |
5 | Municipalities may propose and enact standards providing for |
6 | automatic fire sprinkler systems in residential buildings or |
7 | units subject to the International Residential Code pursuant |
8 | to the provisions of section 503. |
9 | (2) A builder of a residential building or dwelling unit |
10 | subject to the International Residential Code shall offer to |
11 | a buyer of a new residential dwelling unit, at or before the |
12 | time of entering into a purchase contract, the option to |
13 | install or equip an automatic fire sprinkler system in the |
14 | building or dwelling unit at the buyer's expense. At the same |
15 | time the builder must provide a buyer with information that |
16 | explains the initial and ongoing costs of installing and |
17 | equipping an automatic fire sprinkler system in the building |
18 | or dwelling unit. |
19 | (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 302 of the |
20 | International Residential Code (2009) or its successor |
21 | triennial revisions, any townhouse which does not have |
22 | sprinklers installed shall be required to be separated by |
23 | common two-hour fire-resistance rated walls if such walls do |
24 | not contain plumbing or mechanical equipment, ducts or vents |
25 | in the cavity of the common wall. The wall shall be rated for |
26 | fire exposure from both sides and shall extend to and be |
27 | tight against exterior walls and the underside of the roof |
28 | sheathing. Electrical installations shall be installed in |
29 | accordance with the Uniform Construction Code. Penetrations |
30 | shall be in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code. |
|
1 | Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
|