BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 2030
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 18, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                 AB 2030 (Olsen) - As Introduced:  February 23, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              Business and 
          Professions  Vote:                            9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the state Building Standards Commission (BSC) 
          to adopt building standards for accessibility to press boxes in 
          stadium bleachers, with specified exemptions.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable costs to promulgate and adopt the specified 
          standards, and potential construction-related savings to schools 
          and colleges from applying a less stringent accessibility 
          standard for bleachers that conforms to current federal 
          requirements.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . The BSC is responsible for the administration of 
            California's State Building Code, including adoption, 
            approval, publication, and implementation of codes and 
            standards.  The Code is published on a triennial cycle. The 
            BSC anticipates publishing updates to the current Code on July 
            1, 2013, with the regulations taking affect 180 days 
            thereafter.

            The U.S. Department of Justice published its revised 
            regulations, including design standards, to the Americans with 
            Disability Act of 1990 on September 15, 2010. The standards 
            require all areas of newly designed and constructed buildings 
            and facilities and altered portions of existing buildings and 
            facilities to be accessible. With respect to accessible routes 
            to press boxes, the standards add the following two 
            exemptions, which mirror the language in AB 2030: small press 








                                                                  AB 2030
                                                                  Page  2

            boxes (maximum 500 square feet) either (a) located in 
            bleachers with entrances on only one level or (b) 
            free-standing structures elevated 12 feet or more above grade.

            The Division of the State Architect (DSA), within the 
            Department of General Services, indicates that it is currently 
            working to update the Code to mirror the federal language. 
            (Specified state agencies, including DSA, may adopt 
            regulations for approval by BSC for inclusion in the Code.) If 
            there are any discrepancies between a California and a federal 
            accessibility standard, the more stringent requirement must be 
            followed. The current state building standard does not provide 
            the same exemptions described above for small press boxes.  

           2)Purpose  . The author's intent is to direct the BSC to adopt 
            state standards with the federal exemptions, which are 
            intended to reduce building costs for schools and colleges. 
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081