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Established in 1953 by the California Building Standards Law, the California Building Standards Commission (BSC) is an independent commission within the State and Consumer Services Agency. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate.
DutiesAs provided in established laws and rules, the BSC is charged with:
- Reviewing and approving building standards proposed and adopted by state agencies
- Codifying and publishing approved building standards in one state building standards code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24)
- Administering California's building code adoption processes
- Resolving conflict, duplication, and overlap in building standards
- Ensuring consistency in the nomenclature and format of the code
- Hearing appeals resulting from the administration of state building standards
- Receiving local agency modifications to California Code of Regulations, Title 24
- Coordinating and managing the model code adoption process for various state agencies
- Adopting and approving model codes and building standards for buildings owned by the state, including those constructed by the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California
- Adopting and approving model codes for state agencies that fail to adopt these codes within one year of their publication
- Ensuring coordination in the proposal of building standards
- Assisting in the development of building standards
- Resolving conflicting building standards
Mission
The BSC's mission is to produce sensible and usable state building standards and administrative regulations that implement or enforce those standards.
The BSC:
- Assists state agencies in producing high-quality amendments
- Works to repeal unnecessary building regulations and see that ambiguous regulations are more clearly written
- Assists various constituents and special interest groups in making their needs known to various code-writing departments
- Administers a public appeal process
- Educates the public about the state's building code, and helps them to understand and comply with it
- Ensures a high-quality California Code of Regulations, Title 24 with minimal errors
VisionThe BSC's vision is to ensure that the statewide building code development and adoption process is efficient and effective.
To ensure that state building codes reflect California's interests, the BSC is committed to encouraging the participation of California's representatives in the development of model codes. The creation of such codes will result in:
- Fewer amendments by state agencies and local governments
- A California Code of Regulations, Title 24 that is understandable, simplified, and devoid of errors and conflicts
- More easily obtainable building permits
- Improved building performance
- Highly consistent building standards throughout California
The BSC is also committed to ensuring an efficient and effective regulatory process that protects all Californians. Aspects crucial to realizing this vision are:
- Dedicated funding for full participation of state agency staff in developing model codes
- Stable funding for all BSC activities
- Complete cooperation and collaboration between BSC staff and the staff of proposing and adopting state agencies
ChallengesAreas of consumer and legislative interest are almost as diverse as the building code itself. Building regulations involve areas such as health, fire and panic safety, employee safety, energy conservation, and handicapped accessibility. These regulations impact various consumer and building industry groups, such as apartment owners, architects, engineers, and insurance companies.
California is a leader in the regulation of its building industry, particularly in the areas of handicap accessibility and energy conservation. However, the current regulatory process is much more complex than in past years. Controversial and complex building standards and new emerging model codes and national standards present a challenge to the BSC in determining if such codes and standards are in the public interest. If the BSC were to approve and publish standards that were not in the public interest, it would cause confusion, create problems, and place an unreasonable burden on the public and the building industry.
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