00HOUSE BILL NO. 180                                                                                                      
01 "An Act relating to the residential housing inspection requirements of the Alaska                                       
02 Housing Finance Corporation."                                                                                           
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  AS 18.56.300(b) is amended to read:                                                                    
05  (b)  As a condition of a commitment to purchase or approve a loan under this                                          
06 section for residential housing the construction of which begins after June 30, 1992,                                   
07 the corporation shall require inspection of the unit of residential housing that is the                                 
08 subject of the loan.  The inspection must be performed by a municipal building                                          
09 inspector, [OR] by a person who is approved or certified to perform residential                                       
10 inspections by the International Conference of Building Officials or the International                                  
11 Association of Electrical Inspectors, or, when the unit of residential housing is                                      
12 located in a rural area, by an architect licensed under AS 08.48, by an engineer                                        
13 licensed under AS 08.48, or by another person approved by the corporation.                                              
14 When the unit of residential housing is located in a rural area, the person who                                         

01 makes the inspection may use methods, including reviewing the unit by videotape,                                        
02 other than a personal physical inspection to make the inspection if the method is                                       
03 approved by the corporation, and variations from the applicable code may be                                             
04 accepted at the corporation's discretion, if the person authorized to inspect the                                       
05 unit under this subsection satisfies the corporation that the variation does not                                        
06 adversely affect the structural integrity of the unit or the health and safety of the                                   
07 residents.  The person who makes the inspection shall determine whether the                                            
08 construction conforms to relevant provisions of the construction codes of the                                           
09 municipality or of the state building code, as applicable, at each of the following stages                              
10 of construction:                                                                                                        
11   (1)  plan approval;                                                                                                  
12   (2)  completion of footings and foundations;                                                                         
13   (3)  completion of electrical installation, plumbing, and framing;                                                   
14   (4)  completion of installation of insulation;                                                                       
15   (5)  final approval.                                                                                                 
16    * Sec. 2.  AS 18.56.300(e) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                             
17   (3)  "rural area" means an area that is not on the land-connected state                                              
18 highway system.