SB 12-179 Summary

• Prohibits individuals with any financial interest in Building Excellent Schools Today Act (BEST) projects from serving on the BEST board, effective July 1, 2012, and requires existing board members with such interests to cease service on that date.

• Requires school boards with buildings only within one municipality or unincorporated county territory, charter schools, and the state charter school institute to use prequalified local building departments instead of the state fire safety division for plan reviews, permits, inspections, and occupancy certificates when available.

• Mandates the BEST division conduct supplemental plan reviews for all BEST-funded projects where prequalified building departments handle the primary inspections and permitting functions.

• Requires the BEST division to ensure owner's representatives for BEST-funded design-build contracts are wholly independent of the design-build contractor.

• Adds the BEST division director as an ex officio voting member to the fire safety board of appeals and requires annual BEST board reports to include assistance fund revenues and balance information made available electronically.