Series Descriptions
ID R109.1, Boxes 1-7, Folders 1-16
Series 1
Commission Meeting Agenda Books
1976-1993
Physical Description: 159 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
The Commission Meeting Agenda Books contain proposed agendas, minutes of meetings, background information, and relevant correspondence
for a designated meeting. Public access to copies of these books was given at designated locations throughout the state 45-days
before a Building Standards Commission meeting took place. This allowed for statewide public review and comment before the
proposed building standard adoption or changes.
SB 331(Statutes of 1979, Chapter 1152) provided the BSC with broader powers in order to correct problems that had arisen,
including conflicting, duplicate, and overlapping state regulations. These problems had allowed more than twenty agencies,
ranging from the Barbers' Licensing Board to the State Architect, to adopt building standards. As a result of SB 331, all
proposed building regulations adopted by various state agencies must be reviewed and approved by the BSC before the regulations
had any force or effect. The majority of the Meeting Agenda Books commence after this legislation was enacted.
ID R109.2, Boxes 7-9, Folders 17-5
Series 2
Chronological Files
1988-1993
Physical Description: 30 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
The Chronological Files contain incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Building Standards Commission and representatives
of affected state agencies, members of the building industry, and interested members of the public. The correspondence from
the Building Standards Commission is primarily from the Executive Director as a response to inquiries of the Commission. Subjects
found within the records include the BSC's yearly goals and objectives, elevator safety, and disabled access.
ID R109.3, Boxes 9-11, Folders 6-19
Series 3
Rulemaking Files
1980-1995
Physical Description: 59 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
There are two types of files within the Rulemaking Files: Regular Rulemaking Files and Emergency Rulemaking Files. Their
chronological order has been maintained.
The Regular Rulemaking Files contain proposed building standards administrated by numerous state agencies, other than the
Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of the State Architect, Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development, and Office of the State Fire Marshal. All other state agencies can propose a new building standard, information
on hearings, drafts for the proposed change, public hearing notices, statement of reasons for change, and factual background
information which the Commission relies on in order to propose its regulations. The state agency must then have adopted the
changes within one year and submit the adopted changes and records to the Building Standards Commission for approval.
The Emergency Rulemaking Files contain proposed building standards submitted by any state agency, including the Department
of Housing and Community Development, Division of the State Architect, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development,
and Office of the State Fire Marshal. These state agencies may have adopted emergency changes to the California Code of Regulations,
Title 24, and then submitted them to the BSC for approval. The state agency did not need to initially follow the regular
rulemaking process when adopting the emergency change. However, if the Building Standards Commission approved the change,
the agency must have followed the regular rulemaking process and certified that it had complied with the regular rulemaking
process. The adopting state agency must have done this within 120 days of the change's effective date in order to maintain
the effectiveness of the change.
ID R109.4, Boxes 11-12, Folders 20-14
Series 4
New Prison Construction Standards
1990
Physical Description: 19 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged numerically by the exhibits provided by California State Prisons.
Scope and Content Note
Files include exhibits of prison construction elements accumulated during a one-year study by the BSC. These include feasibility
studies, prison specific planning studies, examples of bids and proposed budgets, cost control studies, illustrated design
criteria guidelines, and illustrated space standards.
ID R109.5, Boxes 12-13, Folders 5-7
Series 5
State Design and Construction Policy Task Force Files
1988-1989
Physical Description: 22 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
The State Design and Construction Policy Task Force existed for two years in order to research problems regarding design and/or
construction encountered by state agencies and to recommend solutions. Its work was divided Phase I and II. The BSC decided
Phase I would focus on building standards, plan check, inspection, approvals, and other design and construction processes.
A number of meeting transcripts are also included in this part of the files. Phase II dealt with how public work is distributed
to in house design teams or to private practitioners, selection procedures, fees, contracts, construction management, and
other procedures relating to the state's interface with private practitioners performing public work. Typical material found
in these files include questionnaires from the BSC to affected state agencies, background studies submitted by state agencies,
meeting transcripts, and report drafts of the BSC's findings
F3874:1-8
Series 6
General Correspondence
1961-1970
Physical Description: 8 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged in reverse chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
Selected incoming and outgoing correspondence, principally chronological files, between the Commission and business groups,
other state agencies, individual Commission members, and private citizens. Topics include proposed legislation, changes in
the Code, Commission and advisory panel meetings, and interagency relations.
F3874:9-20
Series 7
Administrative Files
1962-1971
Physical Description: 12 file folders
a) Meeting File
(1962-70):
Physical Description: 3 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged in reverse chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
Agendas, minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and other official records relating to Commission Meetings. Subseries also includes
biographical sketches of some commissioners.
b) Budget
(1965-71):
Physical Description: 1 file folder
Arrangement
Arranged in chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, budget reports, operating expenses, projected workload, legislative analyses, and other materials relating
to the financial needs of the Commission, the justification of continued legislative support, and the growth and decline of
the Commission reflecting that support.
c) Reports and Studies.
(1955-70):
Physical Description: 4 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged in chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
Arranged with Biennial, Activity, and Governor's Council reports first, the rest of the reports in reverse chronology, and
then the Management Information and Control Study. The Biennial Reports are the only complete set of reports in the subseries
and they demonstrate the changing responsibilities of the Commission. The Activity and Governor's Council reports are almost
complete but contain minimal information. The other reports are mostly single items that resemble the Activity reports in
format and content. The Management Information and Control study contains organizational charts and a description of the SBSC.
d) Interpretations of the Code
(1966-68, 1970):
Physical Description: 4 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged in reverse chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
Miscellaneous correspondence sent and received requesting hearings and interpretations on specific portions of the Code. The
Byron Jackson Pumps, Inc. case describes a request for a ruling on divergent handrail standards.
F3874:21-26
Series 8
Committees and Subcommittees
1958-1969
Physical Description: 6 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content Note
Arranged alphabetically by committee and include Botsai (adoption by reference), Coding, Executive, Handrail, Joint State
Agencies Building Code, and Legislative committees. Minutes, agendas, correspondence, memoranda, meeting reports, rosters,
code analyses, proposed legislation, and other materials relating to the activities of committees comprised of commissioners.
F3874:27-39
Series 9
Advisory Panels
1963-1970
Physical Description: 14 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content Note
Arranged alphabetically with a general file placed first and include Architectural, Electrical, Elevator, Housing, Local Government
Relations, Mechanical, Occupancy, Organized Camps, Plumbing, Structural, and Title 19 (State Fire Marshall) advisory panels.
Correspondence, memoranda, agencies, minutes, meeting reports, rosters, policy statements, and other materials relating to
the drafting and updating of portions of the Code. The Architectural, Electrical, and Structural panels offer the largest
examples of panel activities.
F3874:40-44
Series 10
State Agencies
1968-1970
Physical Description: 5 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content Note
Arranged alphabetically by department and include Education, State Fire Marshall, Housing and Community Development, Industrial
Relations, and Public Health. Correspondence, memoranda, code proposals, and excerpts of minutes reflecting the actions of
the Commission on these agencies.
F3874:45-52
Series 11
Public and Private Interest Groups
1959-1971
Physical Description: 8 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Content Note
Arranged alphabetically by organization and include Committee for a State Uniform Building Code, International Conference
of Building Officials (ICBO), Building Standards Coordinating Council (BSCC), Construction Industries Legislative Council,
League of California Cities, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and the National Conference of
States Building Codes. Correspondence, memoranda, minutes, meeting notes, reports and other material relating to the Commission
and the Groups effected by State regulations. BSCC and ICBO files show the development of pressure on the Commission to adopt
private building codes by reference instead of by Commission review.
F3874:53-62
Series 12
Legislation
1959-1970
Physical Description: 10 file folders
Arrangement
Drafts of legislation arranged in original order. Correspondence, memoranda, newsletters, legal interpretations, and other
materials are arranged in reverse chronological order.
Scope and Content Note
These records relate to legislation endorsed or opposed by the Commission. The Commission actively supported AB 1739 (1961)
and AB 49x (1962), which developed the Commission's responsibilities, and AB 2237 (1965), which clarified the Commission's
authority. Materials pertaining to those bills are files separately after the year in which they were introduced.
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