S.C. Building Code Bill Gives Insurers Role on Panel

Nearly nine months of work by the Alliance of American Insurers recently culminated in the introduction of a South Carolina bill, S 449, which would give the insurance industry a voice in shaping the state’s building code.

According to the Alliance, the bill was introduced by Sen. Hugh Leatherman (R), and is aimed at revising the procedures by which the state administers it statewide building code. It was drafted based on recommendations from a stakeholder group convened by the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to propose revisions to the building code statute. The Alliance, which represented insurers on the stakeholder group, sought and was granted inclusion of a recommendation that an insurance representative be on the state Building Code Council.

“The relationship between building codes and insurance is well recognized, so it only makes sense that we have a voice in determining this important public policy,” Keith Lessner, Alliance vice president of safety and environment, remarked. “The addition of an insurer representative would broaden the range of technical expertise available to the Council and further validate the group’s decisions. “We welcome Sen. Leatherman’s recognition of this important fact and will work for the bill’s passage this session.”