Virtually every state of our nation experiences some variety of windstorm, and from 1980 to 2017, these natural disasters have resulted in over 5,000 fatalities and $1 trillion in economic losses. That’s why recent testimony from ICC and stake holders before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittees on Research and Technology and Environment stressed support for the reauthorization of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). The program is implemented through a coordinated effort between federal agencies, academia, and private sector organizations such as the International Code Council. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Science Foundation are all participants. The program supports the development, adoption and enforcement of building codes and other mitigation strategies. “Building codes have been recognized as a highly cost-effective hazard mitigation measure,” Ryan Colker, ICC Vice President of Innovation and Executive Director of the Alliance for National and Community Resilience (ANCR). “We stand ready to support this Committee and the NWIRP agencies in achieving shared goals of better understanding windstorms and assessing and reducing their impacts.” The Congressionally-established National Institute of Building Sciences found that adopting the 2018 International Building Code and International Residential Code, which govern commercial and residential construction and renovations, provided $10 in mitigation benefits against hurricane winds for every $1 invested. Click here to read the full story

The U.S. Congress recently passed and President Donald Trump signed into law two spending packages for fiscal year 2020, including an appropriations agreement which funds several programs that benefit the building safety industry and which the International Code Council supported through engagement with lawmakers. They include:

• A $100 million increase to $3.4 billion total for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which funds code adoption and enforcement activities at the state and local levels.
• A $167 million increase in funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  The Institute’s Science and Technical Research and Services received a $29.5 million boost over current levels. NIST’s disaster resilience grants were preserved and current funding levels will allow NIST’s premise plumbing research to continue.
• An $80 million increase in FEMA preparedness grants to $2.9 billion, including a $35 million increase to $560 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program and a $5 million increase to $355 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, staffing for an adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grant Program, and Emergency Management Performance Grant Program, respectively.
• A $20 million increase to $1.26 billion for Perkins career and technical education state grants.
• A $1.6 million increase to $4.5 million for WaterSense, which the International Green Construction Code leverages and which is supported by both the International Accreditation Service and ICC Evaluation Service products.
• A $3 million increase to $10 million for the Department of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program, which supports the development and implementation of the IECC.

The appropriations legislation also extends from December 31, 2017, to December 31, 2020, the 45L tax credit for new homes that are 50 percent more efficient than the 2006 IECC and, over the same period, the 179D tax deduction for efficiency improvements to commercial buildings. The Code Council looks forward to continuing to work with the federal government, our members and our partners to aid in efforts to improve building safety and resilience. To read the FEMA spending agreement, click here. The remaining spending bills may be accessed here, and the tax provisions, here.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. In support of this determination, DOE conducted technical analysis evaluating the impacts of the updated code relative to the previous 2015 edition. DOE estimates national savings of approximately:

• 1.97 percent energy cost savings
• 1.91 percent source energy savings
• 1.68 percent site energy savings

Additional related information is available at Regulations.gov. Upon publication of an affirmative determination, states are required to certify that they have reviewed the provisions of their residential building code regarding energy efficiency, and made a determination as to whether it is appropriate for them to revise their code to meet or exceed the updated edition of the IECC. Click here for a Building Safety Journal news feature on the IECC authored by Michelle Britt, ICC Director of Energy Programs.

With the completion of the 2019 Group B Public Committee Hearings in Las Vegas October 23-30 and the post-hearings online voting, the International Code Council recently released the preliminary results which will shape the 2021 International Codes. Click here to see those preliminary results. Keep in mind they are not final as they have yet to be certified by the Validation Committee and confirmed by the ICC Board of Directors (in accordance with Section 10.1 of Council Policy 28 Code Development). The post-hearings online voting, formally known as the Online Governmental Consensus Vote (OGCV), was conducted November 19 to December 6. The 2019 Group B Final Action results, including vote tallies from the OGCV, will be posted following certification in accordance with Section 10.4 of CP 28.