Issues & AdvocacyState

Hearing to Weigh Costs and Benefits of Safe Building Codes
By Cooper Martin, Manager, Community Resilience

On July 24, the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee will hear testimony regarding the Safe Building Codes Incentive Act (HR 2069). The bill would amend the Stafford Act on Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance to offer a 4 percent bonus in federal disaster recovery aid to states that adopt and enforce model building codes for residential and commercial structures. The AIA’s adopted position statements support comprehensive, coordinated, and contemporary building codes. If successful, the bill has the potential to raise minimum building standards in 34 states that do not currently meet its conditions for model code enforcement.

The bill is being championed by the BuildStrong Coalition, of which the AIA is a member, and it is estimated that it would immediately reward 16 states for having adopted codes that meet the requirements. But the goal is to set standards that continually improve. As codes change over time, the bill requires that a qualifying state be “consistent with the most recent version of a nationally recognized model building code.”

Although the bill may result in higher disaster assistance costs early on, savings will mount as more buildings are designed and constructed to the higher standards. Since 1988, FEMA has paid out approximately $67 billion in hurricane grants (or 54 percent of all disaster grants). Independent analysis has estimated that model code enforcement could have reduced those losses by as much as $13 billion.

Introduced in June of 2011 by Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL), the bill currently enjoys the bi-partisan support of 30 co-sponsors. Testimony in the hearing will feature an array of witnesses from public emergency management agencies, private insurers, and non-profit organizations building safety and fire chiefs. More information, including a live webcast of the hearing and written statements from each witness, will be available on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee website.

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