Region VI Online Govermental Consensus Voting Guide is now Available

The ICC Region VI Code Development Committee has completed the review of the Code Change Proposals for the ICC Group B Hearings. The following are the positions on each of the Proposals that will be voted
on during the Online Governmental Consensus Voting period. The position identifiers indicate the desired Final outcome of the code change.

BUILDING SAFETY MONTH 2022: This is your chance to raise the profile and educate communities

The special 2022 Building Safety Month website is alive and full of ideas and resources to make your

community’s Building Safety Month activities successful and memorable. To support this year’s theme “Safety for All: Building Codes in Action,” nations, municipalities, cities, and territories around the world are encouraged to submit a proclamation on Building Safety Month (BSM). Weekly themes are:

  • Week 1: Planning for a Safe & Sustainable Tomorrow
  • Week 2: Exploring Careers in Building Safety
  • Week 3: Understanding Disaster Mitigation
  • Week 4: Creating a Safe & Abundant Water Supply

“Building Safety Month gives us the chance to celebrate the building safety community and educate people around the world about the importance of building codes,” said Cindy Davis, CBO, President of the ICC Board of Directors. “This campaign creates an opportunity for individuals to engage with their local communities to reinforce the need for adopting modern, regularly-updated building codes and help others understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures.” Use the 2022 BSM

website to download promotional materials, access resources and check back frequently for updates. To promote Building Safety Month on social media, please use the hashtag #BuildingSafety365.

2022 Chapter Leadership Academy and training slated for June 13-15 at Broomfield, Colorado

The Chapter Leader Academy will be an in-person event this year, and is scheduled for June 13-15 at the Renaissance Boulder Flatiron Hotel in Broomfield, Colorado. Registration deadline is May 15. Training will be available during the Academy. Complimentary registrations are available for those chapters with completed annual reports. The Academy was established in 2016 as an exclusive annual event that provides an opportunity for chapter leaders to strengthen leadership skills, network and discuss best practices. The 2021 Academy was held online due to COVID-19 concerns. Click here to register.

Group B’s 2022 Committee Action Hearings are now winding down in Rochester, New York

The 2022 Group B Committee Action Hearings in Rochester, New York, are expected to end April 6. The hearings can be accessed live by clicking here. The 2022 Group B current code development cycle can be seen here. More information about the Group B process, including the Cost Impact Guide for the 2022 Group B Code Changes can be reviewed here. Note that Public Comments are due June 20th and will be heard at the Public Comment Hearings in Louisville, Kentucky. And while we’re on the subject, it’s not too soon to be thinking of arrangements to attend the 2022 Annual Conference, Expo and Group B Public Comment Hearings at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. The annual conference will be September 11-12 and the Public Comment Hearings will be September 14-21.

April 15 deadline is coming up quickly to submit nominations for the Code Council’s annual

Time is running out to nominate someone for the 2022 ICC awards who deserves to be recognized for their achievements in building safety. If you know a great leader, trailblazer, educator, community helper or other outstanding individual or group — tell us about them! But don’t wait too long because the deadline for submissions is Friday, April 15. Apply now.

International Code Council issues call for new members of the Professional Development Council

The International Code Council is issuing a call for new members of the Professional Development Council (PDC). If you are interested in having a say in the governance of the Code Council Certification exams and/or Education programs, the application closing date is April 29. If you have additional questions about the duties and responsibilities of a PDC member, please feel free to contact Casey Thomas at 888-422-7233, ext. 3389, or email cthomas@iccsafe.org.

Code Council joins offsite construction industry at the 2022 World of Modular Annual Convention

The Code Council will join modular construction professionals from around the world at this year’s 39th annual World of Modular Convention and Tradeshow hosted by the Modular Building Institute (MBI) on April 25-28. The World of Modular Convention will be at San Antonio, Texas, to provide opportunities to network and attend educational presentations on the latest trends in off-site construction. It also extends the opportunity to discuss ongoing industry issues, including housing affordability and building quality and sustainability. The Code Council and MBI developed multiple resources in 2021 to help support the safe and efficient use of off-site construction. The organizations released two new American National Standards to support consistency within the off-site construction process and how off-site construction projects demonstrate compliance with building codes. To view the Code Council’s off-site construction resources and modular standards, visit our webpage. For speaker and agenda information for the World of Modular Convention, read more here.

FY2022 Omnibus Appropriations Act provisions advance building safety, resilience and sustainability

The Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, bipartisan legislation to fund the U.S. federal government through September 30, 2022, includes several measures that the Code Council championed to support building safety professionals, including:

  • The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2022. The Act provides grants to state, tribal and territorial governments that adopt building safety codes—including the International Fire Code and the International Residential Code—that require CO poisoning prevention measures. Funding provided may be used for education, training and the purchase and installation of CO alarms. The Code Council joined construction industry associations and national fire and life safety organizations in support of it.
  • Prioritization of Building Resilience and Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) program funding for the adoption and implementation of hazard resistant codes. The bill includes language – advocated for by the Code Council – requiring that FEMA develop a plan addressing how the Agency and BRIC can better assist state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments in adopting and implementing building codes that advance community resilience. The legislation also increases BRIC funding for code activities and other capability and capacity building measures by 50 percent.
  • A 20 percent increase in funding for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), which funds the development, adoption and implementation of energy conservation codes, including the International Energy Conservation Code. The Code Council spearheaded a coalition of state and industry organizations and sustainability advocates in support of an increase in funding to meet growing demand from state and local governments for updated, locally tailored energy codes.

Read more about it here.

FEMA is helping state and local jurisdictions understand the savings achieved by using current codes

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working with state and local governments to capture significant benefits provided by up-to-date codes. In a recent study of the losses avoided by the adoption of codes, FEMA found that currently 65 percent of counties, cities and towns across the U.S. have not adopted modern hazard-resistant building codes; only 50 percent of cumulative post-2000 construction adhered to the International Codes; and 30 percent of new construction is occurring in communities with no codes at all or codes that are outdated more than 20 years. Read more of this insightful article by Ryan Colker, Vice President of Innovation at ICC, about how FEMA has recognized the valuable role of building codes in reducing the impacts of disasters by clicking here.