An Act amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, in Uniform Construction Code, further providing for adoption by regulations.
Summary
HB358 would amend the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, within the Uniform Construction Code, to require the Department of Labor and Industry to adopt regulations for elevators in newly constructed apartment buildings and condominiums. For covered buildings, the department would have to issue regulations within 180 days of the effective date requiring at least two elevators in any newly constructed apartment building or condominium that is at least two stories above grade, and those regulations would apply only to buildings constructed on or after the regulations take effect.
The bill also directs the regulations to require that at least one elevator remain operational unless the outage was caused by circumstances beyond the owner’s control. It defines “apartment building” and incorporates the existing statutory definition of “condominium.” The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
If enacted, HB358 would add a new elevator-safety and accessibility standard to Pennsylvania’s construction code regulations, expanding the Department of Labor and Industry’s rulemaking duties under the Uniform Construction Code. It would affect developers, building owners, and condominium associations by imposing design and operational requirements on newly constructed multi-story residential buildings, potentially increasing construction and maintenance costs while also improving resident access and reliability of elevator service.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a housing and accessibility regulation intended to improve reliability in new residential buildings, with no recorded opposition or support in the supplied materials.
Contention
The main likely points of contention are the cost and feasibility of requiring two elevators in newly constructed apartment buildings and condominiums, especially for smaller projects, versus the benefits of redundancy and accessibility for residents. Another possible issue is the operational mandate that at least one elevator remain working, which could raise questions about liability and what qualifies as circumstances beyond the owner’s control. No specific stakeholders or objections are identified in the provided discussion materials.
In preliminary provisions, further providing for review of updated sections and adoption of updated sections into Uniform Construction Code and providing for pause of review of 2024 ICC codes, review of existing codes and creation of alternative economic standards to reduce construction costs and for resumption of 2027 and successor ICC code review; and, in Uniform Construction Code, further providing for revised or successor codes.
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.