Sec. 10-292. Review of final plans by Commissioner of Education. Exceptions; role of local officials.
Sec. 10-292. Review of final plans by Commissioner of Education. Exceptions;
role of local officials. (a) Upon receipt by the Commissioner of Education of the final
plans for any phase of a school building project as provided in section 10-291, said
commissioner shall promptly review such plans and check them to the extent appropriate
for the phase of development or construction for which final plans have been submitted
to determine whether they conform with the requirements of the State Fire Safety Code,
the Department of Public Health, the life-cycle cost analysis approved by the Commissioner of Public Works, the State Building Code and the state and federal standards for
design and construction of public buildings to meet the needs of disabled persons, and
if acceptable a final written approval of such phase shall be sent to the town or regional
board of education and the school building committee. No phase of a school building
project, subject to the provisions of subsection (c) or (d) of this section, shall go out for
bidding purposes prior to such written approval.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a town or regional school district may submit final plans and specifications for oil tank replacement,
roof replacement, asbestos abatement, code violation, energy conservation, network
wiring projects or projects for which state assistance is not sought, to the local officials
having jurisdiction over such matters for review and written approval. The total costs for
an asbestos abatement, code violation, energy conservation, or network wiring project
eligible for review and approval under this subsection shall not exceed one million
dollars. Except for projects for which state assistance is not sought and projects for
which the town or regional school district is using a state contract pursuant to subsection
(d) of this section, no school building project described in this subsection shall go out
for bidding purposes prior to the receipt and acceptance by the Department of Education
of such written approval.
(c) On and after October 1, 1991, if the Commissioner of Education does not complete his review pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, within thirty days from the
date of receipt of final plans for a school building project, a town or regional school
district may submit such final plans to local officials having jurisdiction over such matters for review and written approval. In such case, the school district shall notify the
commissioner of such action and no such school building project shall go out for bidding
purposes prior to the receipt by the commissioner of such written approval, except for
projects for which the town or regional school district is using a state contract pursuant
to subsection (d) of this section. Local building officials and fire marshals may engage
the services of a code consultant for purposes of the review pursuant to this subsection,
provided the cost of such consultant shall be paid by the school district.
(d) If the Department of Administrative Services or the Department of Public Works
makes a state contract available for use by towns or regional school districts, a town or
regional school district may use such contract, provided the actual estimate for the school
building project under the state contract is not given until receipt by the town or regional
school district of approval of the plan pursuant to this section.
(1953, S. 991d; 1957, P.A. 593, S. 11; 1969, P.A. 413; P.A. 73-358, S. 3; P.A. 76-418, S. 16, 18; P.A. 77-597, S. 4;
77-614, S. 73, 323, 587, 610; P.A. 87-496, S. 49, 110; P.A. 88-360, S. 44, 63; P.A. 90-256, S. 5, 9; P.A. 91-220, S. 6, 8;
P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-245, S. 5, 46; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-244, S. 30, 63; P.A. 98-249, S. 66, 67;
P.A. 01-173, S. 28, 67; P.A. 03-76, S. 31.)
History: 1969 act required that plans be checked for compliance with standards for design and construction of public
buildings to meet needs of disabled persons; P.A. 73-358 included reference to regional boards of education and required
checking plans "to the extent appropriate for the phase ... for which final plans have been submitted" for conformity; P.A.
76-418 required written approval of phases checked and forbade bids before such written approval obtained, deleting
previous provision for report which carried no authority to prevent bids or continuance of project; P.A. 77-597 required
check for conformity with life-cycle cost analysis requirements; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of administrative
services for commissioner of public works and, effective January 1, 1979, substituted department of health services for
state department of health; P.A. 87-496 substituted public works for administrative services commissioner; P.A. 88-360
substituted "commissioner" for "state board" of education; P.A. 90-256 added Subsec. (b) re submission of final plans and
specifications for certain projects to local officials; P.A. 91-220 in Subsec. (a) added references to state building code and
federal standards and made technical changes, in Subsec. (b) increased the limitation from $100,000 to $1,000,000 and
added Subsec. (c) re review procedures; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public
health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (b) to add energy conservation projects,
effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with
Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (a) to replace "State
Fire Code" with "State Fire Safety Code", effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 98-249 amended Subsec. (a) to add reference to
new Subsec. (d), amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to add exceptions for use of state contracts and added new Subsec. (d) re
use of state contracts, effective June 8, 1998; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (b) to include network wiring, effective July
1, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2003.
See chapter 541 part III (Sec. 29-381 et seq.) re safety requirements for public buildings.