(a) Any building standard adopted or proposed by state agencies shall be submitted to, and approved or adopted by, the California Building Standards Commission prior to codification. Prior to submission to the commission, building standards shall be adopted in compliance with the procedures specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Building standards adopted by state agencies and submitted to the commission for approval shall be accompanied by an analysis written by the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards which shall, to the satisfaction of the commission, justify the approval thereof in terms of the following criteria:

(1) The proposed building standards do not conflict with, overlap, or duplicate other building standards.

(2) The proposed building standard is within the parameters established by enabling legislation and is not expressly within the exclusive jurisdiction of another agency.

(3) The public interest requires the adoption of the building standards. The public interest includes, but is not limited to, health and safety, resource efficiency, fire safety, seismic safety, building and building system performance, and consistency with environmental, public health, and accessibility statutes and regulations.

(4) The proposed building standard is not unreasonable, arbitrary, unfair, or capricious, in whole or in part.

(5) The cost to the public is reasonable, based on the overall benefit to be derived from the building standards.

(6) The proposed building standard is not unnecessarily ambiguous or vague, in whole or in part.

(7) The applicable national specifications, published standards, and model codes have been incorporated therein as provided in this part, where appropriate.

(A) If a national specification, published standard, or model code does not adequately address the goals of the state agency, a statement defining the inadequacy shall accompany the proposed building standard when submitted to the commission.

(B) If there is no national specification, published standard, or model code that is relevant to the proposed building standard, the state agency shall prepare a statement informing the commission and submit that statement with the proposed building standard.

(8) The format of the proposed building standards is consistent with that adopted by the commission.

(9) The proposed building standard, if it promotes fire and panic safety, as determined by the State Fire Marshal, has the written approval of the State Fire Marshal.

(b) In reviewing building standards submitted for its approval, the commission shall consider only the record of the proceedings of the adopting agency, except as provided in subdivision (b) of § 11359 of the Government Code.

(c) Where the commission is the adopting agency, it shall consider the record submitted to, and considered by, the state agency that proposes the building standards and the record of public comment that results from the commission’s adoption of proposed regulations.

(d) (1) The commission shall give great weight to the determinations and analysis of the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards on each of the criteria for approval set forth in subdivision (a). Any factual determinations of the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards shall be considered conclusive by the commission unless the commission specifically finds, and sets forth its reasoning in writing, that the factual determination is arbitrary and capricious or substantially unsupported by the evidence considered by the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards.

(2) Whenever the commission makes a finding, as described in this subdivision, it shall return the standard to the adopting agency or state agency that proposes the building standards for a reexamination of its original determination of the disputed fact.

(e) Whenever a building standard is principally intended to protect the public health and safety, its adoption shall not be a “factual determination” for purposes of subdivision (d). Whenever a building standard is principally intended to conserve energy or other natural resources, the commission shall consider or review the cost to the public or benefit to be derived as a “factual determination” pursuant to subdivision (d). Whenever a building standard promotes fire and panic safety, each agency shall, unless adopted by the State Fire Marshal, submit the building standard to the State Fire Marshal for prior approval.

(f) Whenever the commission finds, pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), that a building standard is adopted by an adopting agency pursuant to statutes requiring adoption of the building standard, the commission shall not consider or review whether the adoption is in the public interest pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 585, Sec. 1. (AB 341) Effective January 1, 2014.)