New bipartisan legislation supports the implementation of updated building codes and helps communities recover more quickly after natural disasters

Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council supports bipartisan House Resolution 4455, the Supporting Mitigation Activities and Resiliency Targets for Rebuilding Act or SMART Rebuilding Act, sponsored by Congressmen Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Mike Capuano (D-Mass.). This bill aims to help communities rebuild stronger and recover more quickly after natural disasters by incentivizing communities to build replacement structures to the most up-to-date building codes available.

Working in partnership with the BuildStrong Coalition, the Code Council has advocated for the adoption of the latest building codes and met with dozens of Congressional members and their staffs to highlight the importance of pre-disaster mitigation. Buildings constructed to updated codes incorporate the latest technology and provide the safest, most resilient structures for families and communities. This legislation comes at a critical time following the loss of life and damages caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and widespread wildfires in California. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, media reports indicate that structures built to updated codes in Florida better withstood the effects of the storm.

“Guided by our members, our mission and our new subsidiary, the Alliance for National & Community Resilience, the Code Council is leading the way with other partners like the BuildStrong Coalition, the American Institute of Architects and the National Institute of Building Sciences to foster safer buildings and more resilient communities here in the U.S. and around the globe,” said ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “We are pleased to see the introduction of this resolution which supports ideas that the Code Council and our partners have been championing for some time.”

The International Codes (I-Codes), including the International Building Code, International Plumbing Code and International Mechanical Code, are the most widely utilized and adopted set of design codes in the U.S. Developed through a consensus-based process, the I-Codes result in the highest level of building safety in the industrial world.

Additional resources:

• HR 4455 full text
• News release – Rep. Jeff Denham introduces disaster mitigation bill
• News release – BuildStrong Coalition Praises Introduction of the SMART Rebuilding Act