05 LC 9 1601
Senate
Bill 152
By:
Senators Heath of the 31st, Grant of the 25th, Staton of the 18th, Unterman of
the 45th, Williams of the 19th and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 2 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to state building, plumbing, electrical, and other
codes, so as to provide for the security of certain records; to amend Article 4
of Chapter 18 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
inspection of public records, so as to provide that certain engineering and
construction drawings, plans, and critical data shall not be subject to public
disclosure; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
2 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to state building, plumbing, electrical, and other codes, is
amended by adding a new Code Section 8-2-26.2 to read as follows:
"8-2-26.2.
It
shall be the duty of the governing authority of each county and municipality,
building code inspectors, and other appropriate state and local officials to
institute procedures to ensure the safe storage and secure handling by local
officials and employees having access to or in the possession of engineering and
construction drawings and plans containing critical structural components,
security equipment and systems, ventilation systems, fire protection equipment,
mandatory building emergency equipment or systems, elevators, electrical
systems, telecommunications equipment and systems, and other utility equipment
and systems submitted for the purpose of complying with any state minimum
standard codes as defined in Code Section
8-2-20."
SECTION
2.
Article
4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to inspection of public records, is amended by adding a new paragraph (15.1) to
subsection (a) of Code Section 50-18-72, relating to exemptions from the
requirements of disclosure of public records, to read as follows:
"(15.1)
Those portions of engineering and construction drawings and plans that reveal
critical structural components, security equipment and systems, ventilation
systems, fire protection equipment, mandatory building emergency equipment or
systems, elevators, electrical systems, telecommunications equipment and
systems, and other utility equipment and systems submitted for the purpose of
complying with any state minimum standard codes as defined in Code Section
8-2-20, the disclosure of which would jeopardize the safety or security of any
public or private commercial office, multifamily residential building, or retail
building or its occupants in the event of terrorism or other threat to public
safety, to the extent that the owner or lessee of such property, equipment, or
system in writing:
(A)
Invokes the protections of this paragraph;
(B)
Identifies the drawings, plans, or other materials to be protected;
and
(C)
States the reasons why protection is necessary;
Nothing
in this paragraph shall prevent the disclosure of information relating to any
building in connection with an inquiry into the performance of that building
after it has been subjected to fire, explosion, natural disaster, or other
catastrophic
event;".
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.