(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law, a community college district may acquire for use any facility previously used by the United States military and closed as a result of action by the federal Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or purchase any offsite building constructed prior to January 1, 1998 that meets the structural requirements of the 1976 Uniform Building Code, or subsequent additions to that code, but that does not meet the requirements of Section 81130, for use as a school building, as defined in Section 81130.5, if the governing board of the district finds that all of the following conditions have been met:

(1) A structural engineer has inspected the building or facility and submitted a report to the governing board of the community college district that certifies that the building or facility is in substantial compliance with the requirements of this article, or describes in detail any structural modifications necessary to render the building or facility in substantial compliance with this article. For purposes of this section, substantial compliance with this article means that the building or facility is likely to resist, without catastrophic collapse, earthquake forces generated by major earthquakes of the intensity and severity of the strongest experienced in California, but may experience some reparable architectural or structural damage. This requirement is satisfied if the structural engineer affixes his or her seal of approval to the report and he or she attests in that report that to the best of his or her knowledge:

(A) He or she has reviewed the design calculations, construction documents, and the local government construction inspection records of the building or facility, to the extent those items are available.

(B) He or she has authorized testing and has observed or reviewed the test results and the inspections of an adequate sample of the structure’s welds, anchor bolts, and other structural elements.

(C) He or she has observed that the nonstructural elements, including, but not limited to, light fixtures, heating, and air-conditioning diffusers are adequately braced or anchored.

(2) The governing board of the community college district shall forward the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) to the Department of General Services for its review. Within 45 working days, the Department of General Services shall review the report for compliance with the above requirements, to provide feedback to the structural engineer regarding any insufficiencies with the report, and to determine whether or not the building or facility is in substantial compliance with the requirements of this article, or whether any proposed structural modifications will render the structure in substantial compliance with this article. If the Department of General Services does not respond within 45 working days of the submission of the final and complete report, the department will be deemed to have concurred with the structural engineer’s report. If structural modifications are necessary to achieve substantial compliance with this article, plans shall be submitted to the department for review and approval. Construction shall be completed in compliance with the continuous inspection requirements of this article.

(b) (1) No member of the governing board of a community college district, and no employee of a community college district, shall be held personally liable for injury to persons or damage to property resulting from the fact that the governing board of the community college district purchased a building or facility pursuant to this subdivision for a school and the building or facility was not constructed pursuant to the requirements of Section 81130.

(2) The exemption from personal liability for members of the governing board and employees of a community college district described in paragraph (1) does not limit the liability of the community college district for injury to persons or damage to property resulting from the fact that the governing board or any employee of the community college district used a building or facility pursuant to this subdivision for a school if the building or facility was not constructed pursuant to the requirements of Section 81130. The exemption from personal liability for members of the governing board and employees of a community college district described in paragraph (1) does not limit the liability of the community college district, the governing board, or the district’s employees pursuant to § 835 of the Government Code.

(3) Section 81144 is not applicable to a person who, pursuant to this section, purchases a building or facility that meets the requirements of this section but does not meet the requirements of Section 81130. Approval and use of a building or facility pursuant to this section does not violate this article.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 135, Sec. 54. Effective January 1, 2001.)