18945-18949
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 18945-18949
18945. (a) Any person adversely affected by any regulation, rules, omission, interpretation, decision, or practice of any state agency respecting the administration of any building standard may appeal the issue for resolution to the commission. (b) If any local agency having authority to enforce a state building standard and any person adversely affected by any regulation, rule, omission, interpretation, decision, or practice of such agency respecting such building standard both wish to appeal the issue for resolution to the commission, then both parties may appeal to the commission. The commission may accept such appeal only if the commission determines that the issues involved in such appeal have statewide significance. 18946. Except as provided in Section 18947, the commission may hear the appeal itself, or by designating a member of the commission to be a hearing officer, or may refer the appealing parties to an advisory panel, a committee, or to a hearing officer appointed by the Office of Administrative Hearings, wherein the hearing officer designated by the commission or appointed by the Office of Administrative Hearings, should, where possible, possess some expertise in the technical aspects of the appeal. If a referral is made, the panel, committee, or hearing officer may make an investigation and conduct hearings as they deem appropriate, provided that all interested agencies or parties shall have a full and fair opportunity to be heard. A proposed written decision shall be submitted to the commission which the commission may adopt, adopt as modified, or reject. The commission shall render its decision or interpretation in writing. 18947. Where the appeal issue results from the enforcement of a standard for occupational safety and health by an inspector of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Industrial Relations, the employer shall appeal directly to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board, and the appeal shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6600) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Labor Code. Such an appeal, if sent to the commission in error, shall be forwarded immediately to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. The date of receipt of any such appeal by the commission shall be considered the date of filing for purposes of meeting the filing time requirements of Section 6600 of the Labor Code. 18948. The responsibility for the enforcement and administration of building standards shall remain in the state or local agency specified by other provisions of law. 18948.1. (a) Written rules and regulations by a local enforcement agency to clarify the application of the California Building Standards Code shall be made available to the public upon request. (b) A local enforcement agency may charge a fee to cover the costs of making copies of the written rules and regulations described in subdivision (a). 18949. The commission shall establish a schedule of fees for appeals in an amount sufficient to pay its costs of administration and hearing appeals.