Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06957 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 5873 \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-06957-R02-
4		-	HB.docx
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7	6		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6957
8	7		January Session, 2019
9	8		LCO No. 5873
10	9
11	10
12	11		Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
13	12
14	13
15	14		Introduced by:
16	15		(PS)
17	16
18	17
19	18
20	19		AN ACT REQUIRING ACCESSIBILITY EQUIPMENT TO ASSIST
21	20		PERSONS WITH DISABIL ITIES IN CERTAIN STATE BUILDINGS.
22	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
23	22		Assembly convened:
24	23
25	24		Section 1. Section 29-269 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
26	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 2
27	26		(a) The State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards 3
28	27		Committee shall revise the State Building Code to be in substantial 4
29	28		compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act 5
30	29		of 1990, as amended, 42 USC 12101 and the Fair Housing Amendments 6
31	30		Act of 1988, as amended, 42 USC 3600. The provisions of this 7
32	31		subsection and the State Building Code as from time to time revised 8
33	32		pursuant to this section shall control the design, construction and 9
34	33		arrangement of all buildings and building elements, constructed under 10
35	34		permits issued on or after October 1, 1975, and all buildings or 11
36	35		building elements constructed or substantially renovated by the state, 12
37	36		any municipality or any other political subdivision of the state, the 13
38	37		architectural design of which was commenced on or after October 1, 14
39	38		1977, except buildings which have been approved by the Department 15
40		-	of Housing and Urban Development as being in conformance with 16 Committee Bill No. 6957
	39	+	of Housing and Urban Development as being in conformance with 16
	40	+	Committee Bill No. 6957
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42	42
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47	45		federal standards for housing for the elderly and physically 17
48	46		handicapped and for which a permit was issued prior to June 9, 1976, 18
49	47		to ensure accessibility thereto and use by the physically handicapped. 19
50	48		(b) Any variation of or exemption from any provision of (1) the State 20
51	49		Building Code relating to accessibility to, and use of, buildings and 21
52	50		structures by persons with disabilities, (2) subsection (i) of section 14-22
53	51		253a, (3) section 29-273, or (4) section 29-274, shall be permitted only 23
54	52		when approved by the State Building Inspector. Any person, agent of 24
55	53		the state, municipality or any other political subdivision of the state 25
56	54		may apply to the State Building Inspector to vary or set aside 26
57	55		standards incorporated in the State Building Code pursuant to the 27
58	56		provisions of subsection (a) of this section. The State Building 28
59	57		Inspector shall, within thirty days of receipt, review the application, 29
60	58		and render a decision to accept or reject the application in whole or in 30
61	59		part. The State Building Inspector may approve a variation of or 31
62	60		exemption from any such standard or specification when the State 32
63	61		Building Inspector determines that the standard or specification would 33
64	62		not be feasible or would unreasonably complicate the construction, 34
65	63		alteration or repair in question. Such determination shall be in writing, 35
66	64		shall state the reasons therefor and if it sets aside any such standard or 36
67	65		specification, a copy of such determination shall be published 37
68	66		electronically by the State Building Inspector on the Internet web site 38
69	67		of the Department of Administrative Services. Any person aggrieved 39
70	68		by any such decision may appeal to the Codes and Standards 40
71	69		Committee within thirty days after such decision has been rendered. 41
72	70		(c) Regulations or codes made or amended by authority of this 42
73	71		section shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of section 43
74	72		29-252b. 44
75	73		(d) If any regulation is set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction, 45
76	74		such ruling shall affect only the regulation, standard or specification 46
77	75		included in the ruling and all other regulations, standards or 47
78		-	specifications shall remain in effect. 48 Committee Bill No. 6957
	76	+	specifications shall remain in effect. 48
	77	+	Committee Bill No. 6957
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85	82		(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this 49
86	83		section, the State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards 50
87	84		Committee shall revise the State Building Code to require that any 51
88	85		state-owned building constructed or renovated on or after the effective 52
89	86		date of such revision include accessibility equipment for persons with 53
90	87		disabilities, including wheelchair ramps, power-assist doors and 54
91	88		accessible restrooms and elevators, as part of the construction or 55
92	89		renovation project. 56
93	90		[(e)] (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this 57
94	91		section, a variation or exemption from the State Building Code shall 58
95	92		not be required to construct a visitable feature in a residential home. 59
96	93		For purposes of this section, "visitable feature" means (1) interior 60
97	94		doorways that provide a minimum thirty-two inch wide unobstructed 61
98	95		opening, (2) an accessible means of egress, as defined in Appendix A 62
99	96		to 28 CFR Part 36, including a ramp complying with the International 63
100	97		Residential Code portion of the State Building Code intended to allow 64
101	98		access by a wheelchair, or (3) a full or half bathroom on the first floor 65
102	99		that is compliant with the provisions of the Americans with 66
103	100		Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, 42 USC 12101. 67
104	101		Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) The Department of 68
105	102		Administrative Services shall not enter a lease agreement for use of a 69
106	103		building by any state agency or other state entity unless the building 70
107	104		has accessibility equipment for persons with disabilities, including 71
108	105		wheelchair ramps, power-assist doors and accessible restrooms and 72
109	106		elevators. 73
110	107		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
111	108		sections:
112	109
113	110		Section 1 July 1, 2019 29-269
114	111		Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 New section
115	112
116		-	PS Joint Favorable
	113	+	Committee Bill No. 6957
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	115	+
	116	+	LCO No. 5873 4 of 4
	117	+
	118	+	Statement of Purpose:
	119	+	To require installation of certain accessibility equipment to assist
	120	+	persons with disabilities in newly constructed or renovated state-
	121	+	owned buildings and buildings leased to the state.
	122	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
	123	+	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
	124	+	not underlined.]
	125	+
	126	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. DEMICCO, 21st Dist.; REP. REYES, 75th Dist.
	127	+
	128	+	H.B. 6957
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117	130