18950-18961

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 18950-18961




18950.  This part shall be known and may be cited as the "State
Historical Building Code."



18951.  It is the purpose of this part to provide alternative
regulations and standards for the rehabilitation, preservation,
restoration (including related reconstruction), or relocation of
qualified historical buildings or structures, as defined in Section
18955. These alternative standards and regulations are intended to
facilitate the rehabilitation, restoration, or change of occupancy so
as to preserve their original or restored architectural elements and
features, to encourage energy conservation and a cost-effective
approach to preservation, and to provide for the safety of the
building occupants.


18952.  This part shall apply to all qualified historical buildings
or structures as defined in Section 18955.



18953.  It is the intent of this part to provide means for the
preservation of the historical value of qualified historical
buildings or structures and, concurrently, to provide reasonable
safety from fire, seismic forces or other hazards for occupants of
these buildings or structures, and to provide reasonable availability
to and usability by, the disabled.



18954.  Repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the
preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, moving, or continued use
of a qualified historical building or structure may be made if they
conform to this part. The building department of every city or county
or other local agency that has jurisdiction over the enforcement of
code within its legal authority shall apply the alternative standards
and regulations adopted pursuant to Section 18959.5 in permitting
repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the preservation,
restoration, rehabilitation, safety, moving, or continued use of a
qualified historical building or structure. A state agency shall
apply the alternative regulations adopted pursuant to Section 18959.5
in permitting repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the
preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, safety, moving, or
continued use of a qualified historical building or structure.
   The application of any alternative standards for the provision of
access to the disabled or exemption from access requirements shall be
done on a case-by-case and item-by-item basis, and shall not be
applied to an entire qualified historical building or structure
without individual consideration of each item, and shall not be
applied to related sites or areas except on an item-by-item basis.



18955.  For the purposes of this part, a qualified historical
building or structure is any structure or property, collection of
structures, and their related sites deemed of importance to the
history, architecture, or culture of an area by an appropriate local
or state governmental jurisdiction. This shall include historical
buildings or structures on existing or future national, state or
local historical registers or official inventories, such as the
National Register of Historic Places, State Historical Landmarks,
State Points of Historical Interest, and city or county registers or
inventories of historical or architecturally significant sites,
places, historic districts, or landmarks. This shall also include
places, locations, or sites identified on these historical registers
or official inventories and deemed of importance to the history,
architecture, or culture of an area by an appropriate local or state
governmental jurisdiction.


18956.  The application of the provisions of Part 5.5 (commencing
with Section 19955) of Division 13 of this code, Chapter 7
(commencing with Section 4450) of Division 5 of Title 1 of the
Government Code, Division 15 (commencing with Section 25000) of the
Public Resources Code, and of any other statute or regulation, as
they may apply to qualified historical buildings or structures, shall
be governed by this part.



18957.  Nothing in this part shall be construed to prevent
authorized building or fire officials from the performance of their
duties when in the process of protecting the public health, safety,
and welfare.


18958.  Except as provided in Section 18930, the following state
agencies, in addition to the State Historical Building Safety Board,
shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations pursuant to
the State Historical Building Code governing the rehabilitation,
preservation, restoration, related reconstruction, safety, or
relocation of qualified historical buildings and structures within
their jurisdiction:
   (a) The Division of the State Architect.
   (b) The State Fire Marshal.
   (c) The State Building Standards Commission, but only with respect
to approval of building standards.
   (d) The Department of Housing and Community Development.
   (e) The Department of Transportation.
   (f) Other state agencies that may be affected by this part.



18959.  (a) Except as otherwise provided in Part 2.5 (commencing
with Section 18901), all state agencies shall administer and enforce
this part with respect to qualified historical buildings or
structures under their respective jurisdiction.
   (b) Except as otherwise provided in Part 2.5 (commencing with
Section 18901), all local authorities shall, within their legal
authority, administer and enforce this part with respect to qualified
historical buildings or structures under their respective
jurisdictions where applicable.
   (c) The State Historical Building Safety Board shall coordinate
and consult with the other applicable state agencies affected by this
part and, except as provided in Section 18943, disseminate
provisions adopted pursuant to this part to all local building
authorities and state agencies at cost.
   (d) Regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this
part shall be enforced in the same manner as regulations are
enforced under Sections 13145, 13146, and 13146.5.
   (e) Regular and alternative building standards published in the
California Building Standards Code shall be enforced in the same
manner by the same governmental entities as provided by law.
   (f) When administering and enforcing this part, each local agency
may make changes or modifications in the requirements contained in
the California Historical Building Code, as described in Section
18944.7, as it determines are reasonably necessary because of local
climatic, geological, seismic, and topographical conditions. The
local agency shall make an express finding that the modifications or
changes are needed, and the finding shall be available as a public
record. A copy of the finding and change or modification shall be
filed with the State Historical Building Safety Board. No
modification or change shall become effective or operative for any
purpose until the finding and modification or change has been filed
with the board.



18959.5.  Subject to the applicable provisions of Part 2.5
(commencing with Section 18901) of this division, the State
Historical Building Safety Board shall adopt and submit alternative
building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing
with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 of this division and may adopt,
amend, and repeal other alternative rules and regulations under this
part which the board has recommended for adoption under subdivision
(b) of Section 18960 by the State Architect or other appropriate
state agencies.


18960.  (a) A State Historical Building Safety Board is hereby
established as a unit within the Division of the State Architect. The
board shall be composed of qualified experts in their respective
fields who shall represent various state and local public agencies,
professional design societies and building and preservation oriented
organizations.
   (b) This board shall act as a consultant to the State Architect
and to the other applicable state agencies for purposes of this part.
The board shall recommend to the State Architect and the other
applicable state agencies rules and regulations for adoption pursuant
to this part.
   (c) The board shall also act as a review body to state and local
agencies with respect to interpretations of this part as well as on
matters of administration and enforcement of it. The board's
decisions shall be reported in printed form.
   (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 18945, if any local
agency administering and enforcing this part or any person adversely
affected by any regulation, rule, omission, interpretation,
decision, or practice of this agency representing a building standard
wishes to appeal the issue for resolution to the State Historical
Building Safety Board, these parties may appeal to the board. The
board may accept the appeal only if it determines that issues
involved in the appeal have statewide significance.
   (2) The State Historical Building Safety Board shall, upon making
a decision on an appeal pursuant to paragraph (1), send a copy to the
State Building Standards Commission.
   (3) Requests for interpretation by local agencies of the
provisions of this part may be accepted for review by the State
Historical Building Safety Board. A copy of an interpretation
decision shall be sent to the State Building Standards Commission in
the same manner as paragraph (2).
   (4) The State Historical Building Safety Board may charge a
reasonable fee, not to exceed the cost of the service, for requests
for copies of their decisions and for requests for reviews by the
board pursuant to paragraph (1) or (3). All funds collected pursuant
to this paragraph shall be deposited in the State Historical Building
Code Fund, which is hereby established, for use by the State
Historical Building Safety Board. The State Historical Building Code
Fund and the fees collected therefor, and the budget of the State
Historical Building Safety Board, shall be subject to annual
appropriation in the Budget Act.
   (5) Local agencies may also charge reasonable fees not to exceed
the cost for making an appeal pursuant to paragraph (1) to persons
adversely affected as described in that appeal.
   (6) All other appeals involving building standards under this part
shall be made as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 18945.
   (d) The board shall be composed of representatives of state
agencies and public and professional building design, construction,
and preservation organizations experienced in dealing with historic
buildings. Unless otherwise indicated, each named organization shall
appoint its own representatives. Each of the following shall have one
member on the board who shall serve without pay, but shall receive
actual and necessary expenses incurred while serving on the board:
   (1) The Division of the State Architect.
   (2) The State Fire Marshal.
   (3) The State Historical Resources Commission.
   (4) The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.
   (5) California Council, American Institute of Architects.
   (6) Structural Engineers Association of California.
   (7) A mechanical engineer, Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors
of California.
   (8) An electrical engineer, Consulting Engineers and Land
Surveyors of California.
   (9) California Council of Landscape Architects.
   (10) The Department of Housing and Community Development.
   (11) The Department of Parks and Recreation.
   (12) The California State Association of Counties.
   (13) League of California Cities.
   (14) The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
   (15) The Department of Rehabilitation.
   (16) The California Chapter of the American Planning Association.
   (17) The Department of Transportation.
   (18) The California Preservation Foundation.
   (19) The Seismic Safety Commission.
   (20) The California Building Officials.
   (21) The Building Owners and Managers Association of California.
   The 21 members listed above shall select a building contractor as
a member of the board, who shall serve without pay, but shall receive
actual and necessary expenses incurred while serving on the board.
   Each of the appointing authorities shall appoint, in the same
manner as for members, an alternate in addition to a member. The
alternate member shall serve in place of the member at the meetings
of the board that the member is unable to attend. The alternate shall
have all of the authority that the member would have when the
alternate is attending in the place of the member. The board may
appoint, from time to time, as it deems necessary, consultants who
shall serve without pay but shall receive actual and necessary
expenses as approved by the board.
   (e) The term of membership on the board shall be for four years,
with the State Architect's representative serving continually until
replaced. Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the same manner
as original appointments. The board shall annually select a
chairperson from among the members of the board.



18961.  All state agencies that enforce and administer approvals,
variances, or appeals procedures or decisions affecting the
preservation or safety of the historical aspects of qualified
historical buildings or structures shall use the alternative
provisions of this part and shall consult with the State Historical
Building Safety Board to obtain its review prior to undertaking
action or making decisions on variances or appeals that affect
qualified historical buildings or structures.