House File 705 - Reprinted



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON REBUILD IOWA
                                           AND DISASTER RECOVERY

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 180)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act concerning safe rooms and storm shelters in
  2    newly constructed buildings.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 HF 705
  5 ec/cm/25

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 103A.7, subsection 2, Code 2009, is
  1  2 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  1  3    NEW PARAGRAPH.  h.  Standards for safe rooms and storm
  1  4 shelters.
  1  5    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  103A.8C  STANDARDS FOR SAFE ROOMS
  1  6 AND STORM SHELTERS.
  1  7    The commissioner, after consulting with and receiving
  1  8 recommendations from the department of public defense, the
  1  9 department of natural resources, and the rebuild Iowa office,
  1 10 shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A specifying standards
  1 11 and requirements for design and construction of safe rooms and
  1 12 storm shelters.  In developing these standards, the
  1 13 commissioner shall consider nationally recognized standards.
  1 14 The standards and requirements shall be incorporated into the
  1 15 state building code established in section 103A.7, but shall
  1 16 not be interpreted to require the inclusion of a safe room or
  1 17 storm shelter in a building construction project unless such
  1 18 inclusion is expressly required by another statute or by a
  1 19 federal statute or regulation.  However, if a safe room or
  1 20 storm shelter is included in any building construction project
  1 21 which reaches the design development phase on or after January
  1 22 1, 2011, compliance with the standards developed pursuant to
  1 23 this section shall be required.
  1 24    The commissioner may provide education and training to
  1 25 promote the use of best practices in the design, construction,
  1 26 and maintenance of buildings, safe rooms, and shelters to
  1 27 reduce the risk of personal injury from tornadoes or other
  1 28 severe weather.
  1 29    Sec. 3.   STATE BUILDING CODE == SAFE ROOMS AND STORM
  1 30 SHELTERS == RULEMAKING.  The initial administrative rules
  1 31 required to be adopted pursuant to section 103A.8C, as enacted
  1 32 by this Act, shall be adopted by the state building code
  1 33 commissioner on or after February 1, 2010, but no later than
  1 34 April 1, 2010, and shall not become effective prior to July 1,
  1 35 2010.
  2  1    Sec. 4.  SAFE ROOMS AND STORM SHELTERS == BEST PRACTICES
  2  2 REVIEW == REPORT.  The state building code commissioner, in
  2  3 cooperation with the department of public defense, the
  2  4 department of natural resources, and the rebuild Iowa office,
  2  5 shall review and assess best practices in the design,
  2  6 construction, and maintenance of buildings, safe rooms, and
  2  7 storm shelters to reduce the risk of personal injury from
  2  8 tornadoes and other severe weather.  The commissioner shall
  2  9 report the findings of the review and assessment to the
  2 10 governor and the general assembly by December 15, 2009.  The
  2 11 review and assessment shall be conducted as part of the
  2 12 rulemaking process for the initial rulemaking required
  2 13 pursuant to this Act and section 103A.8C, as enacted by this
  2 14 Act, and shall include public comment received during that
  2 15 process.
  2 16 HF 705
  2 17 ec/cm/25