05/05/2006 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

9:52:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 377(L&C)                                                                               
     "An Act  relating to an exemption  from certain registration                                                               
     and practice requirements for  persons preparing drawings or                                                               
     specifications  related  to   the  construction  of  certain                                                               
     buildings and the grounds of the buildings."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MIKE POWLOWSKI,  Staff to  Representative Kevin  Meyer, testified                                                               
that this  bill would eliminate  a discrepancy between  State law                                                               
and municipal building codes. Statute  requires that an architect                                                               
or engineer consult  on the design of  multi-family dwellings for                                                               
more  than four  families  or  is more  than  four stories.  Most                                                               
municipal  codes define  multi-family  dwellings  as relating  to                                                               
three or more families or three  or more stories. As land becomes                                                               
less  available,   taller  houses  are  being   constructed.  The                                                               
building codes  provide a  "check and balance"  on the  safety of                                                               
the design.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Powloski  stated  this  bill  would  align  State  law  with                                                               
municipal  building codes  and would  only  apply for  properties                                                               
governed  by  a building  code.  This  is intended  to  eliminate                                                               
additional   costs   incurred    in   complying   with   multiple                                                               
regulations.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:54:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bunde  clarified  that  an area  in  which  a  municipal                                                               
building code  is in effect,  the provisions of  this legislation                                                               
would apply.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:54:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilken  offered  a  motion  to  report  the  bill  from                                                               
Committee  with   individual  recommendations   and  accompanying                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was  no objection and  SCS CS HB  377 (L&C) was  MOVED from                                                               
Committee  with  zero  fiscal  note #1  from  the  Department  of                                                               
Commerce, Community and Economic Development.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
RECESS 9:56:01 AM / 4:45:52 PM