04/01/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

                HB 150-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:56:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  150, "An  Act relating  to residential  building                                                               
codes;  relating  to  construction  contractors  and  residential                                                               
contractor endorsements; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:56:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on HB 150.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:56:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ERIC VISSER,  Past President,  Alaska Home  Builders Association,                                                               
testified  in support  of HB  150.  He said  that establishing  a                                                               
statewide code  has been  a goal for  a while and  HB 150  is the                                                               
best way to  do that. He said the bill  strikes a balance between                                                               
personal freedom and regulation  in the construction industry. He                                                               
pointed out that HB 150  would establish an Alaska state building                                                               
code council,  which would be  comprised of 11 public  members, 6                                                               
of them being required to  have residential endorsements. He said                                                               
the  council established  by  HB 150  would be  the  best way  to                                                               
review  updates to  national code,  create local  amendments, and                                                               
prioritize  safety and  locality in  the development  of building                                                               
codes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:58:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS  asked if it  is possible to  quantify what                                                               
adoption of HB 150 would mean  in terms of expenses to homes that                                                               
meet building codes and homes that don't meet building codes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. VISSER  answered that cost  modeling is done at  the national                                                               
level and  cited certain differences  between 2020  building code                                                               
and  2021  building  code  is  a 5  percent  increase  in  energy                                                               
efficiency.  He  said  that Alaska  Housing  Finance  Corporation                                                               
(AHFC) would be  the organization that would adopt  any new codes                                                               
established by HB 150.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:00:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  asked  Mr.  Visser  to  give  a  general                                                               
overview of building codes in Alaska.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  VISSER  responded that  there  are  no residential  building                                                               
codes. In response to follow-up  questions, he advised that there                                                               
is no  state-adopted building  code, which is  what HB  150 would                                                               
establish. He  said a municipality  can adopt their  own building                                                               
codes, but there is not yet  currently a statewide code. He noted                                                               
that the  Municipality of Anchorage is  currently operating under                                                               
the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC).                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:02:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  BUNTS,   President,  Alaska  Home   Builders  Association,                                                               
testified in support  of HB 150. He urged members  to pass HB 150                                                               
and explained  the history of  residential code  and contractor's                                                               
requirements to operate  in Alaska. He said HB  150 would protect                                                               
the consumer and the contractor.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:03:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SUMNER,  after ascertaining  there  was  no one  else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 150.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[HB 150 was held over.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:03:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at                                                                  
4:04 p.m.