S478 - 2021 Building Code and Development Regulatory Reforms

• Establishes tiered general contractor licensing with fee caps: examination fee up to $100, plus application fees of $125 (unlimited), $100 (intermediate), or $75 (limited), effective January 1, 2022.

• Requires Building Code Council to conduct independent cost-benefit analysis when reviewing building code revisions, rather than relying solely on proponent submissions.

• Streamlines erosion control requirements by allowing single plans for approved master plans, reducing documentation requirements for residential lots under one acre, and limiting silt fence placement requirements based on site topography.

• Exempts automatic sprinkler systems from one- or two-family dwellings with fewer than 100 units on a single fire apparatus access road with access from one direction.

• Modifies continuing education requirements for contractors, including allowing e-learning courses and specifying that inactive license holders pay the same renewal fees as active licensees.