With hurricane season in full swing, the importance of insuring the safety of residential and commercial buildings is underscored. Proper code enforcement has been proven to increase the safety of those involved in natural disasters and decrease future disaster relief expenditures.

Current high energy costs and concern about the environment are also contributing to heightened awareness of the importance of building codes. The Environmental Protection Agency has noted that building energy codes are key to insuring that buildings meet established levels of energy efficiency. Code enforcement during the building design and construction process helps to lock in future energy savings.

In July, the Community Building Code Administration Grant (CBCAG) Act (HR 4461/ SB 2428) was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and has been referred to the Senate for consideration.

The legislation would require Housing and Urban Development to provide grant funding to local building code enforcement departments to increase staffing, provide training and accreditation or support capital expenditures for department administration. The bill would provide for $20 million a year for five years to support local building and fire code administration.

According to the International Code Council (ICC), this bill is evidence that government is recognizing the central role code adoption and compliance plays in public safety. While many U.S. cities have adopted the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the ICC, implementation and enforcement of the codes can be challenging for some municipalities. “This legislation provides desperately needed resources to many vulnerable communities that do not have the trained personnel or tools to translate safety codes in to proper compliance, “said ICC CEO Rick Weiland. With passage of the bill, Weiland believes “we are inching closer to the vital goal of supporting our ‘First Preventers’.”

Unfortunately, the competition for limited resources on the local level often results in insufficient funding for building and safety code development and enforcement. Because of the structure of the bill, each local municipality will be able to apply for funding to suit its unique situation, whether it needs additional staff, training and certification of existing employees or equipment for their use.

As ICC noted in their support of the CBACG Act, code compliance improves the quality, durability to hazards, and energy performance of homes and buildings. “The safety value of building and fire codes, as well as the essential job done by code officials, America’s’ First Preventers, to prevent harm to people and property come into sharper focus when lawmakers consider how best to protect the public at home, at school, at work and at play,” said ICC President Steve Shapiro.