AB 547

department of safety and professional services

This bill makes various changes to the authority and responsibilities of the

Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

Buildings and safety

Under current law, with certain exceptions, DSPS has authority to regulate

places of employment and public buildings in this state in order to protect the life,

health, safety, and welfare of the employees and the public who use those places and

buildings. Under this authority, DSPS promulgates building codes that establish

standards for the construction, repair, and maintenance of places of employment and

public buildings.

This bill specifies that, when used with relation to building codes, the terms

"place of employment" and "public building" do not include home-based businesses.

Current law provides that DSPS authority to regulate places of employment

does not include the regulation of places where persons are employed in farming.

This bill specifies, similarly, that DSPS authority to regulate public buildings does

not include the authority to regulate buildings used for farming.

Under current law, the Dwelling Code Council (council) reviews the standards

and rules for the construction of one-family and two-family dwellings (dwellings)

and for modular homes and recommends a uniform dwelling code and a statewide

modular home code for adoption by DSPS.

Current law requires that the council have 18 members and that each member

serve a three-year term. Of those members, current law requires a specified number

of members to represent certain interest groups, including building trade labor

organizations, certified building inspectors, building contractors, and members of

the public. This bill reduces the membership of the council from 18 to seven

members. The bill provides that each member must represent at least one of the

interest groups for which representation on the council is required under current

law, but does not require that each interest group be represented on the council. The

bill also reduces the terms of the members from three-year terms to two-year terms.

Under current law, DSPS regulates elevators, escalators, and similar

conveyances that move people or things. Under current law, contractors and

mechanics constructing, altering, replacing, repairing, or otherwise working with

these conveyances, and inspectors of these conveyances, must be licensed by DSPS.

With certain exceptions, to be licensed as an elevator mechanic, an individual must

apply to DSPS and either must complete an apprenticeship program approved by the

U.S. Department of Labor or by the Department of Workforce Development or must

have sufficient work history during the three years preceding the application in

working with these conveyances and have passed an elevator mechanic's

examination that is administered by DSPS or that is administered by a nationally

recognized training program that is approved by DSPS.