Governor Hassan's Veto Message Regarding SB 446

Press Release

"By the authority vested in me, pursuant to part II, Article 44 of the New Hampshire Constitution, on May 3, 2016, I have vetoed Senate Bill 446, relative to requirements of the state building code.

"Ensuring that buildings are safe is critical to public safety and our economy, and we must always work to ensure that our families and businesses have the safe environment necessary for them to grow and thrive. By placing an arbitrary restriction on the rules that can be adopted by the State Building Code Review Board and limiting the ability of building inspectors to request relevant information prior to issuing permits, this bill could lead to less safe buildings and is a potential threat to public safety.

"Senate Bill 446 unnecessarily ties the hands of local officials, limiting their ability to gather the information necessary to determine the scope of work, what code needs to be applied and the cost of the permit. As a result, it will be more difficult for building inspectors to properly vet projects and ensure that applicants meet the necessary requirements to keep the public safe. Furthermore, the proposed legislation would have set a vague and ambiguous standard, which could lead to an increase in litigation.

"The New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs and the New Hampshire Planners Association oppose Senate Bill 446, and these changes were not recommended by the State Building Code Review Board, which is composed of a broad cross-section of people involved in planning and development, including home builders, engineers, electricians, plumbers, fire chiefs and municipal officials. No evidence was presented during hearings on this legislation that suggest there is currently an unnecessary burden on applicants, or that this bill would represent a solution as opposed to creating new problems.

"This bill makes it more difficult for local officials to effectively do their jobs and ensure that buildings meet the uniform standard necessary to ensure public safety, and it is opposed by many of New Hampshire's foremost experts on building safety. Therefore, I have vetoed Senate Bill 446."

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