SENATE BILL No. 1138

 

 

March 14, 2006, Introduced by Senators JELINEK, GARCIA, STAMAS, TOY, VAN WOERKOM, HARDIMAN, BIRKHOLZ, BISHOP, KUIPERS, GOSCHKA, CROPSEY and SCHAUER and referred to the Committee on Economic Development, Small Business and Regulatory Reform.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1937 PA 306, entitled

 

"An act to promote the safety, welfare, and educational interests

of the people of the state of Michigan by regulating the

construction, reconstruction, and remodeling of certain public or

private school buildings or additions to such buildings, by

regulating the construction, reconstruction, and remodeling of

buildings leased or acquired for school purposes, and to define the

class of buildings affected by this act; to prescribe the powers

and duties of certain state agencies and officials; to prescribe

penalties for the violation of this act; and to repeal acts and

parts of acts,"

 

by amending sections 1b, 3, 4, and 5a (MCL 388.851b, 388.853,

 

388.854, and 388.855a), section 1b as added by 2002 PA 628.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1b. (1) Except as otherwise provided in  subsection (5)  

 

this act, the department is responsible for the administration and

 

enforcement of this act and the Stille-DeRossett-Hale single state

 


construction code act,  of 1972,  1972 PA 230, MCL 125.1501 to

 

125.1531, in each school building in this state.

 

     (2) Except as provided in subsection (5), a school building

 

covered by bond issues that were approved by the department of

 

treasury after July 1, 2003 shall not be constructed, remodeled, or

 

reconstructed in this state until written approval of the plans and

 

specifications is obtained from the department indicating that the

 

school building will be designed and constructed in conformance

 

with the code. This subsection does not apply to any school

 

building for which construction is covered by bond issues that were

 

approved by the department of treasury before July 1, 2003.

 

     (3) Responsibility for inspections of school buildings shall

 

be determined by 1 of the following methods:

 

     (a) By an independent third party designated in the contract

 

governing the construction, remodeling, or reconstruction of a

 

school building. The independent third party shall be responsible

 

for all inspections required to insure compliance with the code.

 

The school authority shall verify that the independent third party

 

named is knowledgeable about construction practices and codes and

 

is otherwise qualified to conduct the inspections. The name of the

 

independent third party to be responsible for conducting

 

inspections shall be submitted to the department with the plans and

 

specifications required by subsection (2). If the department

 

determines that the independent third party is not qualified to

 

conduct the inspections or is not an independent third party, it

 

shall disapprove of the designation and notify the school

 

authority. All inspection reports prepared by the person designated

 


by the school authority under this subdivision shall be sent to the

 

department upon completion of the inspection. The department may

 

return the report for further work if there are questions relating

 

to the scope of the inspection or whether the construction,

 

remodeling, or reconstruction meets the requirements of the code.

 

     (b) If a designation of an independent third party is not made

 

as required under subdivision (a), the inspections required to

 

insure compliance with the code will be performed by the department

 

or as provided under subsection (5).

 

     (4) Except as provided in subsection (5), the department shall

 

perform for school buildings all plan reviews within 60 days from

 

the date the plans are filed or considered approved and inspections

 

within 5 business days as required by the code and shall be the

 

enforcing agency for this act.

 

     (5) The department shall delegate the responsibility for the

 

administration and enforcement of this act to the applicable agency

 

if both the school board and the governing body of the governmental

 

subdivision have annually certified to the department, in a manner

 

prescribed by the department, that full-time code officials,

 

inspectors, and plan reviewers registered under the building

 

officials and inspectors registration act, 1986 PA 54, MCL 338.2301

 

to 338.2313, will conduct plan reviews and inspections of school

 

buildings.

 

     (6) This section does not affect the responsibilities of the  

 

department  bureau of fire services under the fire prevention code,

 

1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1 to 29.34. The bureau of construction codes

 

and safety and the  office of fire safety  bureau of fire services

 


in the department shall jointly develop procedures to use the plans

 

and specifications submitted in carrying out the requirements of

 

this act and the fire prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1 to

 

29.34. A certificate of occupancy shall not be issued by the

 

appropriate code enforcement agency until a certificate of approval

 

has been issued under the fire prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL

 

29.1 to 29.34.

 

     (7) This section applies to construction, remodeling, or

 

reconstruction of school buildings that are covered by bond issues

 

that were approved by the department of treasury after July 1,

 

2003. Construction, remodeling, or reconstruction of school

 

buildings that are covered by bond issues approved before July 1,

 

2003 shall submit the plans and specifications to the department

 

for approval under section 1. The department shall not grant

 

approval until it has received the certification described in

 

section 3 relative to fire safety and from the appropriate health

 

department relative to water supply, sanitation, and food handling.

 

     (8) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Code" means the state construction code provided for in

 

the Stille-DeRossett-Hale single state construction code act, 1972

 

PA 230, MCL 125.1501 to 125.1531.

 

     (b) "Construction"  shall have the same meaning as  means that

 

term  is  as defined  under  in section 2a of the Stille-DeRossett-

 

Hale single state construction code act, 1972 PA 230, MCL

 

125.1502a.

 

     (c) "Department" means the department of  consumer and

 

industry services  labor and economic growth.

 


     Sec. 3. (1) Except as  hereinafter  provided in subsection

 

(2), the  state fire marshal  bureau of fire services created in

 

section 1b of the fire prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1b,

 

shall inspect  any  a school building to determine whether  or not

 

the  its construction  thereof  complies with  the provisions of  

 

this act.  Each building shall be inspected by the state fire

 

marshal  The bureau of fire services shall inspect each building at

 

least twice during construction,  1 inspection to be made of  once

 

to inspect the  frame work  framework of the building  prior to  

 

before plastering and  1 inspection shall be made  once on the

 

completion of the building. The  architect  person supervising

 

construction of the school building shall notify the  state fire

 

marshal  bureau of fire services when the building is ready for

 

inspection.  With respect to such inspections,  In making an

 

inspection under this subsection, the  state fire marshal shall

 

have  bureau of fire services has the  same  powers  as  set forth

 

in  Act No. 207 of the Public Acts of 1941, as amended, being

 

sections 29.1 to 29.25 of the Compiled Laws of 1948  the fire

 

prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1 to 29.34.

 

     (2) The  state fire marshal shall  bureau of fire services is

 

not  be  required to inspect or make  any  a determination of fire

 

safety in  any  an existing school building  insofar as  in

 

relation to operation, maintenance, remodeling, or repairs,  for

 

fire safety is concerned, nor shall he be required  or to inspect  

 

any  a school building to determine whether  or not  its

 

construction complies with this act, if  such  the school building

 

is located in a municipality where both the school board and the

 


governing body of the municipality  in which such a school is

 

located  have certified to the  state  superintendent of public

 

instruction, in a manner prescribed by  him  the superintendent,

 

that the fire safety inspections and fire safety measures for the

 

schools located in the municipality are provided for by a municipal

 

code or ordinance  that is  administered and enforced by a full-

 

time fire prevention and safety department, division, or bureau

 

maintained by the municipality and are satisfactory to both  such  

 

the school board and the governing body. Either  such  the school

 

board or the governing body may rescind the certification.  Before

 

such  A certification  can  under this subsection shall not be

 

submitted to or accepted by the superintendent of public

 

instruction  , or such certification accepted by him,  unless the

 

municipality  shall first receive  has received from the  state

 

fire safety board,  bureau of fire services written attestation  to

 

the effect  that  (a)  the municipality has an ordinance or code

 

for fire protection in schools equal to the minimum state

 

requirements  ,  and  (b) the municipality  has a full-time fire

 

prevention inspection service  having  with a qualified program of

 

school plan review and inspection. The state fire safety board

 

shall  act as a hearing body in accordance with Act No. 197 of the

 

Public Acts of 1952, as amended, to review and render decisions on

 

any contested case when properly appealed to  hear and decide an

 

appeal from a decision made under this section as a contested case

 

under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL

 

24.201 to 24.328. After a hearing, the board, acting in accordance

 

with its statutory authority and provisions, may vary the

 


application of any school fire safety rule or may modify the ruling

 

or interpretation of the  municipality  municipal enforcing

 

authority  when in its opinion  if the board decides that the

 

enforcement would do manifest injustice and would be contrary to

 

the public interest. A decision of the board to vary the

 

application of any fire safety rule, or to modify or change a

 

ruling of the municipal enforcing authority, shall specify in what

 

manner the variation, modification, or change is made, the

 

conditions upon which it is made, and the reasons  therefore  for

 

the variation, modification, or change.

 

     Sec. 4. The license or registration of  any  an architect or

 

engineer convicted of violating  any of the provisions of  this act

 

shall be revoked.  Any  A school officer,  or  member of  any  a

 

school board, or other person  neglecting or refusing  who neglects

 

or refuses to do or perform any act required  of him  by this act,

 

or  violating  who violates or knowingly  permitting or consenting  

 

permits or consents to any violation of  the provisions of  this

 

act,  shall be deemed  is guilty of a misdemeanor  and on

 

conviction shall be punished  punishable by a fine  not exceeding  

 

of not more than $500.00 or  by  imprisonment  in the county jail

 

not exceeding  for not more than 3 months, or  by  both.  such fine

 

and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.  Any violation of

 

this act may be enjoined in  a proceeding instituted  an action

 

brought by the  state fire marshal, such proceedings to be brought  

 

bureau of fire services created in section 1b of the fire

 

prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1b, in the circuit court  in

 

chancery in  for the county in which  said  the school buildings

 


are or will be situated.

 

     Sec. 5a. (1) Except as  hereinafter  provided  the provisions

 

of  in this section, this act  shall  does not apply to 1-story

 

school buildings,  or  to 1-story additions  thereto nor shall it

 

apply, except as hereinafter provided  to school buildings, or to

 

the construction, reconstruction, or remodeling of  any  a school

 

building  where  if the total cost of  such  construction,

 

reconstruction, or remodeling is less than $15,000.00.

 

     (2)  Subdivision (a) of section 1 of this act shall apply  

 

Section 1(a) applies to the construction of all school buildings

 

and additions to school buildings regardless of the number of

 

stories of  such  the buildings or additions  where  if the total

 

cost of  such  construction  shall exceed  exceeds $15,000.00.

 

     (3)  Subdivision (d) of section 1 shall apply  Section 1(d)

 

applies to the construction of all school buildings and additions

 

thereto  to school buildings of 1 or more stories regardless of the

 

cost of  their  construction.

 

     (4)  The provisions of this act shall also apply  This act

 

applies to the reconstruction of a school building destroyed or

 

partially destroyed by fire, windstorm, or other catastrophe if

 

more than 50%  per cent  of the entire building is  so  destroyed.

 

The  state fire marshal  bureau of fire services created in section

 

1b of the fire prevention code, 1941 PA 207, MCL 29.1b, acting

 

jointly with the superintendent of public instruction, may require

 

that the damaged portion  and/or  or the remaining portion of the

 

building, or both, be remodeled or reconstructed in accordance with  

 

the provisions of  this act.

 


     (5) This act  shall also apply  applies to the remodeling of

 

existing school buildings and other buildings to be used for school

 

purposes.

 

     (6)  No  An existing building or part of an existing building,

 

regardless of the number of  its  stories or  its  the cost to the

 

school district  which  of the building, that has not  had prior

 

use  been used as a school building shall  be so used until such

 

use shall have been  not be used as a school building unless it is

 

approved by the superintendent of public instruction and the  state

 

fire marshal  bureau of fire services.

 

     (7)  For all  If the construction, reconstruction, or

 

remodeling of a school  buildings where the total cost is  building

 

costs less than $15,000.00, it  shall  is not  be  necessary  that  

 

to employ a registered architect or engineer,  be employed  but the

 

plans for  such buildings  the building shall be submitted to the  

 

state fire marshal  bureau of fire services and to the

 

superintendent of public instruction or  his  the superintendent's

 

authorized agent for criticism, suggestions, and approval.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 1133                                  

 

              of the 93rd Legislature is enacted into law.