Housing and Community Development, Board of; increases membership.
Summary
HB2526 would amend Virginia law governing the Board of Housing and Community Development by increasing the board’s membership from 14 to 15. The bill adds a second ex officio voting member from the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association, specifically two Directors of Regulatory Compliance, and clarifies that both serve on the board’s Codes and Standards Committee but may not chair either that committee or the full board. It also makes a technical change to the board’s composition language and preserves existing term limits, four-year terms, and annual election of the board chair.
The bill also authorizes the board, when proposing changes to statewide building and fire regulations, to convene an ad hoc committee that may include representatives of industry groups directly affected by the proposed change. This provision formalizes a process for obtaining stakeholder input on regulatory changes affecting building and fire codes.
Impact
If enacted, HB2526 would directly amend § 36-135 of the Code of Virginia, changing the statutory makeup of the Board of Housing and Community Development and expanding the number of voting members. It would also broaden the board’s ability to seek advisory input from affected industry groups when considering statewide building and fire regulation changes, potentially influencing how building code and fire code policy is developed and reviewed in Virginia.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill did not advance and was stricken from the docket by the House Committee on General Laws on a 22-0 vote. That unanimous action indicates little visible opposition in committee, but also no support to move the measure forward at that stage. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded floor or hearing debate to show broader sentiment beyond the committee vote.
Contention
The main policy issue appears to be board composition and whether adding another ex officio voting member from the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association is appropriate. A related point of interest is the bill’s authorization for ad hoc committees with industry representatives, which could raise questions about stakeholder influence versus regulatory independence. Because the bill was unanimously stricken from the docket and no transcript is available, there is no documented disagreement among specific legislators or groups in the provided materials.