(a) The State Architect shall develop amendments for building regulations and submit them to the California Building Standards Commission for adoption to ensure that no accessibility requirements of the California Building Standards Code shall be enhanced or diminished except as necessary for (1) retaining existing state regulations that provide greater accessibility and features, or (2) meeting federal minimum accessibility standards of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as adopted by the United States Department of Justice, the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, and the federal Architectural Barriers Act.

(b) The Department of General Services shall use fees deposited in the Disability Access Account established in Section 4454 for the purposes identified in this chapter. The department shall include the cost of carrying out the responsibilities identified in this chapter as part of the plan review costs in determining fees.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the application and scope of accessibility regulations in the California Building Standards Code shall not be less than the application and scope of accessibility requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as adopted by the United States Department of Justice, the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, and the federal Architectural Barriers Act.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 989, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2001.)