The bill amends Section 23-27.3-100.1.5 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3, which pertains to the State Building Code. It grants the state building code standards committee the authority to adopt and administer a state building code that includes provisions for one- and two-family dwellings using the International Residential Code (IRC) from the International Code Council (ICC), and for three-family dwelling units either using the IRC or by providing the same via an appendix to the Commercial International Building Code (IBC). The bill also introduces an energy conservation code based on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and specifies that the 2024 IRC, including any amendments adopted by the building code standards committee (BCSC), shall take effect for one to three-family dwelling units by January 1, 2027.

Additionally, the bill establishes a moratorium on changes to the state building codes applicable to residential structures of one to three-family dwelling units until January 1, 2031, unless approved by the legislature and made effective by the governor. It also includes provisions for the adoption of the 2026 National Electric Code (NEC) published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and exempts certain revisions from specific regulatory provisions. Overall, the act aims to streamline the adoption and amendment processes of the state building code while ensuring compliance with national standards and regulations.

Statutes affected:
2632: 23-27.3-100.1.5
2632  SUB A: 23-27.3-100.1.5
2632  SUB A as amended: 23-27.3-100.1.5