CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

September 19, 1966

Page 23017

BUILDING CODE REFORM

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I am pleased to announce that two of the major organizations in the Nation representing local government officials have adopted resolutions calling for remedial action by all three levels of government in modernizing and updating building codes, encouraging uniformity, and improving the quality of administration.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors urged governmental action for building code reform at its annual meeting in Dallas, Tex., on June 15, 1966. The National Association of Counties, at its annual meeting in New Orleans, July 20, 1966, adopted a policy statement concerning building code reform which is now a part of the American county platform. These resolutions call for action by the Federal, State, and local governments to carry out the recommendations made in the just-issued report of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations entitled "Building Codes: A Program for Intergovernmental Reform." Copies of this Commission report and of model State bills designed to carry out many of these recommendations are available, upon request, from the Commission here in Washington.

I commend the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties for their interest in working toward solutions of the many problems in this difficult field. I also wish to commend the staff of the Advisory Commission which prepared the report and background materials for the Commission's recommendations. As always, it has done a thorough and competent job and deserves special recognition for its efforts. I ask unanimous consent that the text of these resolutions be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the resolutions was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

BUILDING CODE REFORM

(Resolution adopted at the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Dallas, Tex., June 15, 1966)

Whereas, obsolete building code requirements and a wide diversity of provisions among local jurisdictions unnecessarily add to the cost of housing in the nation's cities; and

Whereas, approval procedures for new building materials and systems by a myriad of public and private groups have made the introduction of new products difficult; and

Whereas, intergovernmental problems of code uniformity are greatest in metropolitan areas where builders must contend with a great many different building codes; and

Whereas, although the federal government is involved in direct construction, research, and housing guarantees, it has followed no consistent path toward modernization and uniformity of codes; and

Whereas, remedial action is needed by federal, state and local governments to accelerate the modernization and updating of building codes, encourage uniformity, and improve the quality of administration at the local level: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, That the federal government is urged to authorize and finance the development of national performance criteria and standards, a continuing program of building construction research and development of an advisory national model building code considering local application; be it further

Resolved, That state governments are called on to formulate model state building codes with products approval procedures for permissive adoption by local governments and to improve the efficiency and technical competence of local building code administration by establishing professional qualifications, licensing, and training programs for building inspectors.

BUILDING CODE REFORM

(American county platform, official policy statement of the National Association of Counties, approved July 20, 1966)

Obsolete code requirements and excessive diversity of building codes among local jurisdictions unnecessarily add to the cost of housing, particularly in metropolitan areas where builders must contend with a great many different building codes. In addition, the requirement for approval of new building materials and systems by a myriad of public and private groups has made the introduction of new products difficult. Remedial action clearly is needed by Federal, State, and local governments to accelerate modernization and updating of building codes, encourage uniformity, and improve the quality of administration at the local level.

NACO urges the Federal Government to authorize the financing of (a) the development of national performance criteria and standards for building materials, (b) an expanded program of building construction research, and (c) the preparation of an advisory national model building code. We further urge State governments to (a) prepare and issue model State building codes, including a products approval procedure, for permissive adoption by local governments, and (b) improve the efficiency and technical competence of local building code administration by establishing professional qualifications, licensing, and training programs for building inspectors.