Senate Bill 1182, creating the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission, has been passed through the legislature and signed by the governor on June 2. The law will become effective on November 1, 2009.

The purpose of the bill is to establish uniform building standards in Oklahoma and to give all stakeholders the opportunity for input. The new law establishes a commission that shall have the power and the duty to review, either in whole or in part, the building codes for residential and commercial construction to be used for all entities within this state.  Codes and standards recommended by the Commission and adopted, in whole or in part, by legislative action, shall be the default health, safety and welfare and/or minimum safety standard of this state.

All public projects shall abide by such minimum safety standards and requirements.  Municipalities and other political subdivisions shall abide by such minimum safety standards and requirements, provided, nothing in this act shall prevent or take away from such municipalities and other political subdivisions the authority to enact and enforce requirements containing higher standards and requirements than such minimum safety standards and requirements.  Municipalities will have the option to submit more stringent codes for adoption by the commission.

The commission will consist of 11 members:

Statewide Residential Construction Organization

Commercial Construction Organization

Electrical Contractor Organization

Plumbing Contractor Organization

Heating & Cooling  Contractor Organization

Local-Level Regulator/Inspector of a Municipal Organization

Certified Building Official employed by a political subdivision

General Public with no prior ties to construction or government

Fire Marshall (or designee

Administrator of the Construction Industries  Board (or designee)

Labor Commissioner (or designee)