In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions and for Accessibility Advisory Board; in Uniform Construction Code, further providing for adoption by regulations and for revised or successor codes; in training and certification of inspectors, further providing for education and training programs; and establishing the Accessibility Advisory Board Administration Account.
HB2306 amends the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act to change how accessibility-related building code updates are reviewed and adopted. It expands and restructures the Accessibility Advisory Board, increasing member terms from two years to four years, clarifying membership categories, and shifting the legislative members to the standing committees with jurisdiction over Uniform Construction Code regulations under the Regulatory Review Act. The bill also creates a formal process for reviewing updated ICC accessibility code sections, beginning 21 months after publication of a new ICC edition, with a public comment period, public hearings, and board votes on whether to adopt, reject, or modify each updated section.
The bill requires the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate regulations adopting the board’s decisions within nine months after the board’s report, and it sets the effective date for those regulations 33 months after the review process begins. It also adds a new Accessibility Advisory Board Administration Account and reallocates a portion of existing training-related fees to fund the board’s work. The bill further requires annual reporting on expenditures, including separate accounting for accessibility-board spending, contractor/vendor costs, travel reimbursements, and departmental personnel and operational expenses. Existing regulations inconsistent with the act would be abrogated, and the act takes effect 60 days after enactment.
HB2306 would amend multiple sections of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, primarily affecting the state’s process for updating accessibility standards within the Uniform Construction Code. It changes the timing and procedure for adopting ICC accessibility provisions, gives the Accessibility Advisory Board a more structured review role, and requires the department to adopt the board’s recommendations through regulatory action. It also creates a dedicated restricted account for accessibility-board administration and redirects a small share of existing fee revenue to support that work, while adding new reporting and transparency requirements for related expenditures.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a technical and administrative update rather than a highly partisan policy change. Its structure suggests support for improving accessibility-code review, public participation, and fiscal transparency. The inclusion of disability advocates, architects, municipal officials, and industry representatives on the board indicates an effort to balance stakeholder interests.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the pace and rigidity of the new adoption process, the expanded role of the advisory board, and the funding changes. Accessibility advocates may favor stronger and more transparent review of code updates, while builders, developers, municipalities, or other regulated parties may be concerned about added administrative steps, delayed code adoption, and compliance costs. The bill also requires public comments and hearings on each updated accessibility section and mandates detailed expenditure reporting, which may be viewed as either accountability measures or additional procedural burdens depending on the stakeholder.