Section 8-2-113. Promulgation of rules and regulations by commissioner; delegation of inspection authority; rules and regulations continued in full force and effect; advisory committee; powers of commissioner; training programs

   (a) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to interpret and make specific the provisions of this part. These rules and regulations shall include provisions imposing requirements reasonably consistent with recognized, nationally accepted standards. The commissioner shall adopt other rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this part.

(b) The commissioner shall enforce the provisions of this part and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto, except that inspection authority may be delegated to a local government agency, an approved inspection agency, or an agency of another state in such manner as the commissioner shall determine.

(c) The rules promulgated by the State Building Administrative Board pursuant to an Act providing for certification of factory built housing and for the establishment of uniform health and safety standards and inspection procedures for factory built housing, approved April 1, 1971 (Ga. L. 1971, p. 364), as amended, shall continue in full force and effect until the effective date of rules adopted pursuant to this part. Units approved under the provisions of the State Building Administrative Board's rules shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of rules promulgated pursuant to this part.

(d) The commissioner shall consult with and obtain the advice of an advisory committee on industrialized buildings in the drafting, promulgation, and revision of rules and regulations to be adopted for the purpose of this part. The committee shall consist of 11 members appointed by the commissioner and approved by the Governor to serve at the commissioner's pleasure. Members shall be appointed for four-year terms, and no member of the committee shall be appointed to serve more than two full terms. Vacancies occurring during a term shall be filled by appointment by the commissioner for the remainder of the unexpired term, and such successor shall meet the requirements and criteria of selection of the person previously holding the vacant position. To be eligible to serve on the committee, each individual member shall be and remain actively involved in the profession or industry of his or her appointed committee position. The position of any member of the committee who, during his or her term of appointment, shall cease to meet the qualifications for original appointment shall be deemed to be vacated. Members of said committee shall consist of technically qualified, interested, and affected persons appointed by the commissioner from the following professional, technical, and occupational fields:

   (1) Two members shall be licensed design professionals representing two of the following: structural engineering, electrical engineering, architecture, or mechanical engineering;

   (2) One member shall be a building code enforcement officer;

   (3) One member shall be from the residential industrialized building industry;

   (4) One member shall be from the commercial industrialized building industry;

   (5) One member shall be from the industrialized building installation industry;

   (6) One member shall be an elected member of the governing body of a municipality;

   (7) One member shall be an elected member of the governing body of a county;

   (8) One member shall be from the industrialized building evaluation-inspection service;

   (9) One member shall be from a regional commission; and

   (10) One member shall be the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs or his or her designee.

(e) The advisory committee shall meet on call by the commissioner, and the members of the advisory committee shall be reimbursed for any reasonable and necessary travel and other expenses actually incurred by them while attending meetings of said committee.

(f) Recommendations from this committee shall be subject to approval by an advisory committee appointed by the commissioner pursuant to Code Section 8-2-24.

(g) The commissioner may set qualifications and employ and fix the compensation of any state inspectors or other employees necessary to carry out the provisions of this part. The commissioner may authorize such state inspectors to travel inside or outside the state for the purpose of inspecting industrialized buildings and manufacturing facilities to determine compliance of such structures with standards promulgated pursuant to this part. Upon the request of a local government, the commissioner may authorize a state inspector to visit any site of installation of industrialized buildings for the purpose of inspecting such installation on behalf of the local government requesting such service. The cost of any inspections made pursuant to this subsection shall be borne by the manufacturer in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe by rule.

(h) The commissioner may establish necessary training programs for a local government enforcement agency and inspection agency personnel.

Ga. L. 1971, p. 364, § 4; Ga. L. 1980, p. 1316, § 13; Code 1981, § 8-2-113; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1637, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1317, § 6.2; Ga. L. 2004, p. 631, § 8; Ga. L. 2007, p. 275, § 1/SB 246; Ga. L. 2008, p. 181, § 12/HB 1216; Ga. L. 2008, p. 324, § 8/SB 455.