BILL NUMBER: AB 1058 VETOED DATE: 10/14/2007 To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 1058 without my signature. I support the development of green building standards and share the goals of this bill. However, if implemented provisions in this bill would put the health and safety of Californians at risk by being in conflict with current safety standards. The national standards in this bill could require that wood support studs be placed twenty-four inches apart instead of the California seismic safety standard of sixteen inches, thus endangering the safety of the home. Additionally, the guidelines for planting vegetation for shade would violate California fire standards for the most dangerous areas by placing vegetation next to the house, not the 100 foot firebreak required by California law. Additionally, building standards should not be statutory. The Building Standards Commission was created to ensure an open public adoption process allowing experts to develop standards and periodic updates to the building codes. Allowing private entities, such as proposed in this bill, to dictate California's building standards usurps the state's authority to develop and adopt those standards and could compromise the health and safety of Californians. I encourage state agencies to review all nationally recognized programs and glean from those programs, standards that promote greener construction, energy and water conservation, and reduce Green House Emissions. It is imperative to expedite the greening of California's building standards. As such, I am directing the California Building Standards Commission to work with specified state agencies on the adoption of green building standards for residential, commercial, and public building construction for the 2010 code adoption process. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger