HB 2306

                                                   PRINTER'S NO.   3039
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2306
                                             Session of
                                               2026
INTRODUCED BY INGLIS, BURGOS, SANCHEZ, NEILSON, HILL-EVANS,
   DOUGHERTY AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MARCH 19, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
   MARCH 23, 2026
                                  AN ACT
1 Amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), entitled
2    "An act establishing a uniform construction code; imposing
3    powers and duties on municipalities and the Department of
4    Labor and Industry; providing for enforcement; imposing
5    penalties; and making repeals," in preliminary provisions,
6    further providing for definitions and for Accessibility
7    Advisory Board; in Uniform Construction Code, further
8    providing for adoption by regulations and for revised or
9    successor codes; in training and certification of inspectors,
10    further providing for education and training programs; and
11    establishing the Accessibility Advisory Board Administration
12    Account.
13    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15    Section 1.    Section 103 of the act of November 10, 1999
16 (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code
17 Act, is amended by adding definitions to read:
18 Section 103.    Definitions.
19    The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
20 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
21 context clearly indicates otherwise:
22    "Accessibility code."       Any collective codes relating to
1 accessibility and their referenced standards.
2    * * *
3    "Updated accessibility code sections."       Any sections of the
4 newest editions of the ICC accessibility codes subject to review
5 by the advisory board under section 106(d) that are different
6 from, added to or deleted from the immediately preceding
7 editions of the ICC codes.
8    * * *
9    Section 2.    Section 106(a)(1) of the act is amended, the
10 subsection is amended by adding a paragraph and the section is
11 amended by adding a subsection to read:
12 Section 106.    Accessibility Advisory Board.
13    (a)   Creation and composition.--
14(1)   There is hereby created an Accessibility Advisory
15    Board which shall be composed of 11 members, seven of which
16    shall be appointed by the secretary. At least six members of
17    the advisory board shall be public members, three of whom
18    shall be persons with physical disabilities, one shall be an
19    architect registered in Pennsylvania, one shall be a member
20    of the business community, and one shall be a representative
21    of the multifamily housing industry. One member shall be a
22    municipal official. The chairman and minority chairman of the
23    [Labor and Industry Committee of the Senate and the chairman
24    and minority chairman of the Labor Relations Committee of the
25    House of Representatives,] standing committees of the Senate
26    and the House of Representatives having jurisdiction under
27    the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the
28    Regulatory Review Act, to review Uniform Construction Code
29    regulations, or their designees, shall be members. All
30    members of the advisory board, except the members of the
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1    General Assembly, shall serve for a term of [two] four years
2    and until their successors are appointed.
3* * *
4(5)   Any member absent from three consecutive voting
5    meetings may be dismissed and the vacancy shall be filled in
6    the same manner as the appointment of the absent member,
7    unless the secretary, upon written request from the member,
8    finds the member should be excused from a meeting because of
9    illness, the death of a family member, military service or
10    another legitimate reason acceptable to the secretary.
11    * * *
12    (d)   Review of accessibility code.--The advisory board shall
13 review the accessibility code and submit a report to the
14 secretary with sections of the accessibility code that are
15 specified for adoption or modification. The review process shall
16 be conducted as follows:
17(1)   The advisory board shall commence review of the
18    updated accessibility code sections 21 months following the
19    publication of a new edition of the ICC codes, beginning with
20    the 2024 ICC codes.
21(2)   Each updated accessibility code section subject to
22    review shall be examined by applying all of the following
23    criteria:
24(i)    The impact that the section may have upon the
25health, safety and welfare of the public, particularly
26individuals with disabilities.
27(ii)    The economic and financial impact of the
28section, including the impact on the end consumer.
29(iii)    The technical feasibility of the section.
30(3)   The advisory board shall review the updated
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1  accessibility code sections as follows:
2(i)    A 120-day period to receive comments from the
3      general public shall commence within 30 days of the
4      advisory board's review under paragraph (1). The
5      department shall transmit notice of the initiation of the
6      public comment period to the Legislative Reference Bureau
7      for publication in the next available issue of the
8      Pennsylvania Bulletin and shall post notice on the
9      publicly accessible Internet website of the department.
10(ii)    All public comments shall be submitted on a
11      form created by the advisory board. Each comment shall
12      relate to a single updated accessibility code section.
13      The comment shall, at a minimum, specify the updated
14      accessibility code section to which the comment relates,
15      state whether the updated section shall be adopted,
16      rejected or modified and specify the rationale for the
17      recommended action based on the criteria specified in
18      paragraph (2). A proposed modification shall meet or
19      exceed the standards of the section in effect or being
20      reviewed and the proposed modification shall be within
21      the standards under review.
22(iii)    All public comments submitted in accordance
23      with subparagraph (ii) shall be published in accordance
24      with subparagraph (i).
25(iv)    After the conclusion of the public comment
26      period specified in subparagraph (i), the advisory board
27      shall hold one or more in-person or virtual public
28      hearings to receive additional public comment.
29(v)    The advisory board shall hold one or more
30      official meetings to decide whether to adopt, reject or
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1modify the updated accessibility code sections in
2accordance with the following:
3(A)   Updated accessibility code sections that did
4not receive public comment to reject or modify shall
5be adopted by a majority vote of advisory board
6members. The advisory board may consider updated
7accessibility code sections in a single vote.
8(B)   Updated accessibility code sections that
9received public comment to reject or modify shall be
10voted on individually and shall require a vote of at
11least seven advisory board members for adoption or
12modification.
13(vi)    The advisory board shall submit a report to the
14secretary within 24 months of the commencement of the
15review process by the advisory board with sections of the
16updated accessibility codes that are specified for
17adoption or modification.
18    Section 3.     Sections 301(a)(4), 304(a)(3) and (a.1) and
19 703(b), (c) and (d)(2) of the act are amended to read:
20 Section 301.     Adoption by regulations.
21    (a)   Regulations.--
22* * *
23(4)   The secretary shall consider the recommendations of
24    the advisory board as provided in section 106(c). [The
25    department shall consider the comments of the advisory board
26    with respect to accessibility issues in any proposed
27    regulations.]
28* * *
29 Section 304.     Revised or successor codes.
30    (a)   Duties of department.--
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1* * *
2(3)   [The department shall promulgate regulations
3    updating accessibility standards under Chapter 3 by adopting
4    by December 31 of the year of issuance of the accessibility
5    provisions of the most recently published edition of the ICC
6    codes and any other accessibility requirements which shall be
7    specified in the regulations, or contained in or referenced
8    by the Uniform Construction Code relating to persons with
9    disabilities.] Within nine months of the report under section
10    106(d)(3)(vi), the department shall promulgate final-omitted
11    regulations under the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181),
12    known as the Regulatory Review Act, to adopt the advisory
13    board's decisions contained in the report without change. The
14    regulations shall take effect 33 months after the
15    commencement of the advisory board review as provided in
16    section 106(d)(1).
17* * *
18    (a.1)   Continuity.--If an updated section is not adopted or
19 modified under section 106 or 108, the relevant provisions of
20 the existing sections shall remain in effect.
21    * * *
22 Section 703.     Education and training programs.
23    * * *
24    (b)   Accounts.--There are hereby established within the State
25 Treasury [three] four restricted accounts which shall be known
26 as the Municipal Code Official Training Account, the Review and
27 Advisory Council Administration Account, the Accessibility
28 Advisory Board Administration Account and the Construction
29 Contractor Training Account.
30    (c)   Deposit.--
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1      (1)   The fee collected as authorized under subsection (a)
2  shall be transmitted quarterly to the State Treasury and
3  shall be divided and deposited in the accounts established in
4  subsection (b) as follows:
5(i)    Forty-three and one-half percent of the fee
6      shall be deposited in the Municipal Code Official
7      Training Account for the purpose of education and
8      training programs for municipal code officials and
9      individuals employed by third-party agencies under
10      contract with a municipality.
11(ii)    Forty-three and one-half percent of the fee
12      shall be deposited in the Construction Contractor
13      Training Account for a Pennsylvania-based housing
14      research center located at a land grant university for
15      the construction industry. To assure the programs meet
16      the needs of the construction industry, the education,
17      training and other activities provided by the housing
18      research center must be approved by its industry advisory
19      committee.
20(iii)    [Thirteen] Ten percent of the fee shall be
21      deposited in the Review and Advisory Council
22      Administration Account for expenses of the council as
23      authorized under section 107(l), for technical assistance
24      as provided for under section 107(k), for administrative
25      assistance as provided under section 107(j), for fees
26      associated with the ICC to establish and publish code
27      manuals which contain the standards of the Uniform
28      Construction Code as provided under section 304(a)(4) and
29      as otherwise determined necessary by the department as
30      funds are available.
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1(iv)   Three percent of the fee shall be deposited in
2the Accessibility Advisory Board Administration Account
3for expenses of the advisory board and department
4incurred under section 106(d) related to review of
5accessibility codes.
6(2)     Money deposited under paragraph (1)(i) and (ii) is
7  hereby appropriated on approval of the Governor to the
8  Department of Community and Economic Development. The
9  Department of Community and Economic Development may utilize
10  up to 3% of the funds allocated to the account under
11  paragraph (1)(i) and up to 3% of the funds allocated to the
12  account under paragraph (1)(ii) for administrative and
13  program expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
14  paragraph to the contrary, the Department of Community and
15  Economic Development may continue to abide by the provisions
16  of an agreement permitting the retention or collection of a
17  greater percentage for administrative and program expenses,
18  but only for a period of one year from the effective date of
19  this paragraph.
20(3)   All money deposited under paragraph (1)(iii) and
21  (iv) shall be transmitted quarterly to the department. The
22  department shall not be required to utilize other sources of
23  funding to carry out activities under this act if the funds
24  provided under this section are insufficient.
25  (d)   Reports.--
26* * *
27(2)   No later than November 1 of each calendar year, the
28  department shall provide a report to the chairperson and
29  minority chairperson of the [Labor and Industry Committee of
30  the Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of
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1  the Labor and Industry Committee of the House of
2  Representatives.] standing committees of the Senate and the
3  House of Representatives having jurisdiction under the act of
4  June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory
5  Review Act, to review Uniform Construction Code regulations.
6  The report shall detail expenditures for the most recent
7  fiscal year. The report shall include:
8(i)    A separate accounting of revenue and
9      expenditures for the account under subsection (c)(1)(iii)
10      and (iv). The separate accounting provided under this
11      paragraph shall include, to the extent available, revenue
12      and expenditures by a contractor, vendor or other party
13      engaged to perform the services under subsection (c)(1)
14      (iii) and (iv). All contracts entered into after the
15      effective date of this paragraph by the department with a
16      contractor, vendor or other party shall require the
17      contractor, vendor or other party to provide the
18      information required under this paragraph.
19(ii)    The amount utilized by the Uniform Construction
20      Code Review and Advisory Council and advisory board for
21      reimbursement of travel expenses.
22(iii)    The amount utilized by the Uniform
23      Construction Code Review and Advisory Council and
24      advisory board for other purposes and a description of
25      each expenditure.
26(iv)    The amount utilized by the department for
27      personnel, including the position title, hours charged,
28      amount and description of the duties and responsibilities
29      of each individual paid in whole or in part from the
30      account.
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1(v)    The amount utilized by the department for
2operational costs and a description of each expenditure.
3(vi)    The amount utilized by the department for other
4program purposes and a description of each expenditure.
5    Section 4.    All regulations are abrogated to the extent of
6 any inconsistency with this act.
7    Section 5.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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