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.