By Michael Schmeida, MSc, LEED AP, FASTM, GA Director of Codes, Standards and Research
The International Code Council administers the International Codes (I-Codes) development process per Council Policy 28, which governs the code development process. A variety of changes are informing the current 2024-2026 cycle. Here we focus on changes to the Committee Action Hearing (CAH) schedule. For the first time, a second round of hearings will be included in the process.
The I-Codes are developed over the course of three years. There are 15 different coordinated building safety codes that cover everything from private waste disposal to the more familiar International Building Code and the International Residential Code. To facilitate changes to this extensive group of codes, the ICC splits them into two groups. Group A codes are reviewed in year one and Group B codes reviewed in year two. In the past, each group of codes was revised through a Committee Action Hearing in the spring of years one and two, followed up by a Public Comment Hearing in early fall. In mid- fall, Online Government Consensus Voting occurred, and code officials finalized actions resulting from the public hearing. During year three of the cycle, there were no code development activities. ICC Staff used the final year of the three-year cycle to assemble the new codes. The following year, another cycle began.
Image: Curtesy International Code Council
The new code development process also includes a Committee Action Hearing in the spring of year one for Group A proposals and in the spring of year two for Group B proposals. However, instead of a Public Comment Hearing in the early fall, there is a second Committee Action Hearing in which the committee hears comments and requests related to their spring actions. Stakeholders who are not satisfied with the outcome of committee decisions during the first hearing have the opportunity to revisit the issue at a combined Group A and Group B Public Comment Hearing in the spring of year three. Group A stakeholders get a year off, while the Committee Action Hearing process is followed for Group B code proposals.
The new process has advantages. Working with feedback received at the initial committee hearing, participants can make changes to proposals, attempt to achieve greater understanding and consensus among stakeholders, and approach the committee a second time. Additional time for consensus building and compromise should make the number of proposals reliant on Public Comment Hearings for passage much smaller for both code groups. Moreover, Public Comment Hearings should become more efficient while enhancing opportunities for public input via additional Committee Action Hearings.
As noted, changes to the Committee Action Hearing is just one of a number of changes implemented in this cycle. To learn more about additional changes, we recommend this article by Misty Guard from Public and Mechanical Engineer.