02/21/2024 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

                SB 197-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:41:43 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN announced  the consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.                                                               
197 "An Act  relating to residential building  codes; relating to                                                               
construction     contractors    and     residential    contractor                                                               
endorsements;  establishing   the  Alaska  State   Building  Code                                                               
Council; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
This is  the second hearing  of the  bill. He expressed  that the                                                               
intention  of the  committee is  to recap  the bill,  take public                                                               
testimony, and look to the will of the committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:42:14 PM                                                                                                                    
LAURA  ACHEE,   staff,  Senator  Jesse  Bjorkman,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,  gave a recap of SB  197. She stated                                                               
that  SB 197  would  establish a  statewide residential  building                                                               
code that would apply to residences  that are built in areas that                                                               
do not already have municipal  building code. The code would fall                                                               
under  the statutes  of the  Alaska  Housing Finance  Corporation                                                               
(AHFC),   the  organization   that  would   be  responsible   for                                                               
maintaining  the  code   and  making  updates  to   the  code  as                                                               
necessary. The bill also creates  an advisory committee of people                                                               
from the  industry to  help advise AHFC  on necessary  updates to                                                               
the code.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She added that SB 197 allows  for modifications to the code to be                                                               
made to encompass Alaska's unique  building environment and would                                                               
allow for  lumber created under  the Alaska local  lumber grading                                                               
program to be used in residential construction.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:43:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN asked if committee members had any questions.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:43:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN asked  if the code would apply  to people building                                                               
their own home.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:43:25 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. ACHEE  replied that if  the person building the  home intends                                                               
to occupy  the home and they  are outside of a  jurisdiction that                                                               
has a municipal building code then it would not.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:43:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on SB 197.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:44:01 PM                                                                                                                    
KALEB WESTFALL, representing  self, Dillingham, Alaska, testified                                                               
in support of SB 197. He stated  that he is a city council member                                                               
in Dillingham  and was a  subcontractor to the  largest developer                                                               
in  the  valley. SB  197  would  help  clarify  a lot  of  issues                                                               
statewide for rural  Alaska. He expressed his hope  that the bill                                                               
would help build the future of the state.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:45:05 PM                                                                                                                    
DEAN BARTHSCH,  representing self, Nikiski, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
opposition to SB 197. He stated  that the bill is an extension of                                                               
government where  it is not  needed. Uniform Building  Code (UBC)                                                               
already exists  and if  one wants  a builder to  build to  a code                                                               
they can use UBC. The  redress being addressed already exists; if                                                               
a builder  does a substandard  job, the  client can sue  them. He                                                               
suggested  that a  positive  change would  be  to make  builder's                                                               
licenses  difficult   to  obtain   as  a  form   of  frontloading                                                               
protection.  He warned  against starting  another bureaucracy  in                                                               
the government,  as it would only  expand; the goal is  to shrink                                                               
government. He opined that building  on one's own property should                                                               
involve as  few people  as possible.  He reiterated  his vehement                                                               
opposition to SB 197.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:47:41 PM                                                                                                                    
ED  MARTIN,  representing  self,   Kenai,  Alaska,  testified  in                                                               
opposition  to SB  197.  He  stated that  there  is enough  code,                                                               
particularly  for  financed  homes.  He stated  his  belief  that                                                               
eventually SB 197  would impact people building  their own homes.                                                               
He  expressed  his  disbelief  that   this  bill  is  needed.  He                                                               
suggested using milled lumber that  meets specifications and that                                                               
building code is not necessary.  If the lumber is graded properly                                                               
and dried  sufficiently, it  would meet  the market  standard for                                                               
construction on any home.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:49:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN closed public testimony on SB 197.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:50:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:50:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON moved  to  report SB  197,  work order  33-                                                               
LS0877\S,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:50:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN  found no objection  and SB 197 was  reported from                                                               
the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.