Federal spending bill advances multiple International Code Council priorities

On March 15, the President signed into law the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, bipartisan legislation to fund the U.S. federal government through September 30, 2022. The bill includes several measures that the International Code Council championed to support building safety professionals, including:

• The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2022. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning claims at least 430 lives and sends 50,000 Americans to emergency rooms annually. The Act provides grants to state, tribal and territorial governments that adopt building safety codes—including the International Fire Code and the International Residential Code—that require CO poisoning prevention measures. Funding provided may be used for education, training and the purchase and installation of CO alarms. The Code Council joined construction industry associations and national fire and life safety organizations in support of the legislation’s passage and ensured that the legislation supports communities that have adopted the I-Codes.
• Prioritization of Building Resilience and Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) program funding for the adoption and implementation of hazard resistant codes. The bill includes language – advocated for by the Code Council – requiring that FEMA develop a plan addressing how the Agency and BRIC can better assist state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments in adopting and implementing building codes that advance community resilience. The legislation also increases BRIC funding for code activities and other capability and capacity building measures by 50 percent.
• A 20 percent increase in funding for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), which funds the development, adoption and implementation of energy conservation codes, including the International Energy Conservation Code. The Code Council spearheaded a coalition of state and industry organizations and sustainability advocates in support of an increase in funding to meet growing demand from state and local governments for updated, locally tailored energy codes.

“The Code Council applauds Congress and the Administration for their commitment to greater investments in building safety, resilience and efficiency for communities across the United States. We look forward to collaborating with departments and agencies, all levels of government, as well as our building safety colleagues, to advance these shared goals,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.