00 HOUSE BILL NO. 359 01 "An Act relating to a state residential code, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, 02 and municipal building codes." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04  * Section 1. AS 18.56.300(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) The corporation may not make or purchase a housing loan for residential 06 housing the construction of which begins after June 30, 1992, unless the seller of the 07 mortgage loan complies with the provisions of this section and unless 08 (1) the unit is in compliance with the construction codes of the 09 municipality, if the unit is located within a municipality that has adopted and enforces 10 construction codes and each of those codes meets or exceeds the comparable standards 11 for similar housing established by the state residential [BUILDING] code; or 12 (2) the unit is in compliance with the comparable standards for similar 13 housing established by the state residential [BUILDING] code 14 (A) if the unit is located 01 (i) within a municipality whose construction codes do 02 not meet the standards for similar housing established by the state 03 residential [BUILDING] code; 04 (ii) within a municipality that does not enforce 05 construction codes; or 06 (iii) outside a municipality; or 07 (B) as to each specific code within the construction codes of 08 the municipality that has adopted and enforces construction codes if the 09 specific code does not meet or exceed the comparable standard for similar 10 housing established by the state residential [BUILDING] code. 11  * Sec. 2. AS 18.56.300(b) is amended to read: 12 (b) As a condition of a commitment to purchase or approve a loan under this 13 section for residential housing the construction of which begins after June 30, 1992, 14 the corporation shall require inspection of the unit of residential housing that is the 15 subject of the loan. The inspection must be performed by a municipal building 16 inspector, by an individual who is registered under AS 08.18 to perform home 17 inspections for new construction, by an architect registered under AS 08.48, by an 18 engineer registered under AS 08.48, or by another person approved by the corporation. 19 When the unit of residential housing is located in a rural area, the person who makes 20 the inspection may use methods other than a personal physical inspection to make the 21 inspection if the method is approved by the corporation, and variations from the 22 applicable code may be accepted at the corporation's discretion, if the person 23 authorized to inspect the unit under this subsection satisfies the corporation that the 24 variation does not adversely affect the structural integrity of the unit or the health and 25 safety of the residents. The person who makes the inspection shall determine whether 26 the construction conforms to relevant provisions of the construction codes of the 27 municipality or of the state residential [BUILDING] code, as applicable, at each of 28 the following stages of construction: 29 (1) plan approval; 30 (2) completion of footings and foundations; 31 (3) completion of electrical installation, plumbing, and framing; 01 (4) completion of installation of insulation; 02 (5) final approval. 03  * Sec. 3. AS 18.56 is amended by adding a new section to read: 04 Sec. 18.56.310. State residential code. (a) Notwithstanding AS 18.60.705 and 05 except as provided in (b) of this section, the 2012 International Residential Code is 06 adopted as the state residential code. The state residential code is the minimum 07 standard for residential construction in the state. 08 (b) The board may adopt by regulation under AS 18.56.088 a later edition of 09 the International Residential Code or another nationally recognized code as the state 10 residential code. 11 (c) If a municipality adopts a construction code, the construction code must 12 meet or exceed the comparable standards for similar housing established by the state 13 residential code established under (a) or (b) of this section. 14  * Sec. 4. AS 18.56.900 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 15 (3) "state residential code" means the state residential code adopted 16 under AS 18.56.310. 17  * Sec. 5. AS 18.56.300(e)(3) is repealed. 18  * Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 TRANSITION: BUILDING CODES OF MUNICIPALITIES. If, on the effective date 21 of this Act, the building code of a municipality does not meet or exceed the comparable 22 standards for similar housing established by the state residential code, the municipality shall 23 modify its building code within two years after the effective date of this Act to meet or exceed 24 the comparable standards for similar housing established by the state residential code. In this 25 section, "state residential code" means the state residential code established under 26 AS 18.56.310, enacted by sec. 3 of this Act.