Bill Text: CA AB2433 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: California Private Permitting Review and Inspection Act: fees: building permits.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [AB2433 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2433-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 15, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2433


Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva

February 13, 2024


An act to amend Section 17951 of, and add Section 17960.3 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to building standards.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2433, as amended, Quirk-Silva. California Private Permitting Review and Inspection Act: fees: building permits.
Existing law, the State Housing Law, establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. Existing law authorizes the governing body of a county or city to prescribe fees for permits, certificates, or other forms or documents required or authorized under the State Housing Law, and fees to defray the cost of enforcement required by the law to be carried out by local enforcement agencies.
This bill, the California Private Permitting Review and Inspection Act, would require a building department of the county or city to prepare a schedule of the above-described fees and post the schedule on the county or city’s internet website if the city or county prescribes the fees.
Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code. Existing law requires the building department of every city or county to enforce the provisions of the State Housing Law, the California Building Standards Code, and the other specified rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Housing Law. Existing law requires the local agency, upon the applicant’s request, to contract with or employ temporarily a private entity or person to check the plans and specifications submitted as part of an application for a residential building permit, when there is excessive delay in checking the plans and specifications. Existing law defines “excessive delay” as a local agency taking more than 30 days after submittal of a complete application to complete the structural building safety plan check of the applicant’s set of plans and specifications, as specified. Existing law authorizes the local agency to inspect any building or premises whenever necessary to secure compliance with, or prevent a violation of, any provision of the law.
This bill would authorize an applicant to contract or employ at the applicant’s own expense a private professional provider, as defined, to check plans and specifications submitted as part of an application for a building permit if the local agency has not completed checking plans and specifications within 30 business days of receiving the application. The bill would also authorize an applicant to contract with or employ at the applicant’s own expense a private professional provider to complete an inspection as part of an application for a building permit if the local agency has not completed the inspection within 5 business days of receiving a request for an inspection. The bill would require a local agency to create a list of suggested private professional providers and post the list on its internet website. The bill would require a private professional provider to prepare an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, that the private professional provider performed the plan-checking services or inspection and that the plans and specification or building complies with the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code, as specified, if the plans and specifications or building complies with the State Housing Law and the California Building Standards Code. The bill would require the applicant to submit to the local agency a specified report of the plans and specifications check or inspection, which includes the affidavit, within 5 business days of the completion of the check or inspection. The bill would require the local agency, within 30 business days of receiving the report, to consider the report and issue or deny a building permit if the plans and specifications, building, and the private professional provider complies or fails to comply with the State Housing Law or the California Building Standards Code, as specified. The bill would authorize an applicant to appeal a denial of a building permit to a local appeals board. The bill would provide that the bill’s provisions do not apply to health facilities, public buildings, or highrise structures.
By expanding the crime of perjury and imposing new duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Private Permitting Review and Inspection Act.

SEC. 2.

 Section 17951 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

17951.
 (a) (1) The governing body of any county or city, including a charter city, may prescribe fees for permits, certificates, or other forms or documents required or authorized by this part or rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part.
(2) If a county or city, including a charter city, prescribes fees pursuant to paragraph (1), the building department of the city or county shall prepare a schedule of the fees and post the schedule on its internet website.
(b) The governing body of any county or city, including a charter city, or fire protection district, may prescribe fees to defray the costs of enforcement required by this part to be carried out by local enforcement agencies.
(c) The amount of the fees prescribed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not exceed the amount reasonably required to administer or process these permits, certificates, or other forms or documents, or to defray the costs of enforcement required by this part to be carried out by local enforcement agencies, and shall not be levied for general revenue purposes. The fees shall be imposed pursuant to Section 66016 of the Government Code.
(d) If the local enforcement agency fails to conduct an inspection of permitted work for which permit fees have been charged pursuant to this section within 60 days of receiving notice of the completion of the permitted work, the permittee shall be entitled to reimbursement of the permit fees. The local enforcement agency shall disclose in clear language on each permit or on a document that accompanies the permit that the permittee may be entitled to reimbursement of permit fees pursuant to this subdivision.
(e) (1) The provisions of this part are not intended to prevent the use of any manufactured home, mobilehome, multiunit manufactured home, material, appliance, installation, device, arrangement, or method of construction not specifically prescribed by the California Building Standards Code or this part, provided that this alternate has been approved by the building department.
(2) The building department of any city or county may approve an alternate material, appliance, installation, device, arrangement, method, or work on a case-by-case basis if it finds that the proposed design is satisfactory and that each such material, appliance, installation, device, arrangement, method, or work offered is, for the purpose intended, at least the equivalent of that prescribed in the California Building Standards Code or this part in performance, safety, and for the protection of life and health.
(3) The building department of any city or county shall require evidence that any material, appliance, installation, device, arrangement, or method of construction conforms to, or that the proposed alternate is at least equivalent to, the requirements of this part, building standards published in the California Building Standards Code, or the other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this part and in order to substantiate claims for alternates, the building department of any city or county may require tests as proof of compliance to be made at the expense of the owner or the owner’s agent by an approved testing agency selected by the owner or the owner’s agent.

SEC. 3.

 Section 17960.3 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

17960.3.
 (a) (1) If within 30 business days of receiving an application for a building permit the local agency has not completed the plan-checking services related to the plans and specifications submitted as part of the application, the applicant may contract with or employ at the applicant’s own expense a private professional provider to perform plan-checking services and assess the plans and specifications to ensure that the plans and specifications comply with this part and the State Building Code.
(2) If within five business days of receiving from the applicant a request for an inspection as part of the application for a building permit the local agency has not completed the inspection, the applicant may contract with or employ at the applicant’s own expense a private professional provider to complete the inspection to comply with this part and the State Building Code.

(b)A local agency shall create a list of recommended private professional providers and post the list on the local agency’s website.

(c)

(b) A private professional provider shall perform plan-checking services or inspection pursuant to subdivision (a) to determine compliance with this part and the State Building Code. If the plans and specifications or the building complies with this part and the State Building Code, the private professional provider shall prepare an affidavit under penalty of perjury on a form prescribed by the local agency stating all of the following:
(1) The private professional provider performed the plan-checking services or inspection pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) The plans and specification or building complies with this part and the State Building Code.

(d)

(c) (1) The applicant shall submit to the local agency a report of the plan-checking services or inspection pursuant to subdivision (a) within five business days of the completion of the plan-checking services or inspection. The report shall include both of the following:
(A) The affidavit described in subdivision (c). (b).
(B) Information required by the local agency.
(2) Within 30 business days of receiving the report pursuant to paragraph (1), the local agency shall consider the report and based on the report shall do either of the following:
(A) Issue the building permit if the plans and specifications or building and private professional provider complies with this part or the State Building Code.
(B) (i) Deny the building permit and notify the applicant in writing that the plans and specifications, building, or private professional provider does not comply with this part or the State Building Code if the plans and specifications, building, or private professional provider does not comply with this part or the State Building Code. The notice shall specify the requirements for the plans and specifications, building, or private professional provider to comply with this part and the State Building Code.
(ii) The applicant may appeal a denial of a building permit pursuant to clause (i) to the local appeals board.

(e)

(d) This section shall not apply to any of the following buildings:
(1) Health facilities.
(2) Public buildings.
(3) Highrise structures.

(f)

(e) For the purposes of this section, the following terms apply:
(1) “Health facility” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1250.
(2) “Highrise structure” means a building of any type of construction or occupancy having floors used for human occupancy located more than 75 feet above the lowest floor level having building access.
(3) “Private professional provider” means a professional engineer licensed pursuant to the Professional Engineers Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code) or an architect licensed pursuant to the Architects Practice Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code).

SEC. 4.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act or because costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
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