Codes, Standards, and Legislative Advocacy Annual Report for 2026 Membership Year

AIBD was actively involved in the processes of creating, interpreting, and applying building codes throughout the 2026 membership year. The year began with our submitting a revised set of proposed modifications to the Florida Building Code that had previously been rejected by the Florida Building Commission's Administrative Code Committee during its first round of reviews in June. (They denied all proposed modifications except one that changed the address of a standards-setting agency.) Once a proposed modification has been considered at the first meeting, reconsideration is accomplished by submitting a public comment that can make changes to the original proposal. This set of modifications sought to alter the wording of Section 107.1 in the Florida Building Code – Building and add new definitions for Special Condition and Supplemental Construction Documents. After a months-long process of additional hearings, the Florida Building Commission incorporated the AIBD’s modifications into the next edition of the Florida Building Code, which will take effect on December 31, 2026.

A similar process was followed at the International Code Council's CAH#2 hearing held in Cleveland, Ohio in October, 2025 in order to advocate for the International Residential Code (IRC) Committee's acceptance of a revised AIBD-submitted code modification they had previously denied. The IRC Committee was the first to hear this two-part proposal to modify IRC Section 106.1 and add two new definitions for Special Condition and Supplemental Construction Documents. Similar to the Florida protocol, public comments submitted by AIBD were subsequently used to create a floor modification that resulted in the proposal being accepted by the second committee to hear it, which was the ADMIN Committee. The same modification was then submitted to the IRC Committee as a public comment after the hearings ended, which allowed the IRC Committee to revisit the issue at CAH#2. This time, the committee accepted the revised modifications, which are now in the adopted 2027 ICC model codes.

Both code amendment proposals had been motivated by AIBD member complaints regarding actions by local building officials to require registered design professionals to prepare construction documents for permitting when the applicable laws did not require it. For example, the Broward County (Florida) Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA) had long applied a local policy requiring that a registered design professional prepare all construction documents for any residential project costing more than $35,000, when Florida Statutes specifically said—and the Florida Building Commission confirmed—that residential construction was exempt from designer licensing requirements. After years of pressure by AIBD, BORA voted 7 to 5 in August 2025 to repeal that policy.

These successes are the more public result of AIBD’s consistent and frequent participation in meetings of the ICC Building Code Advisory Committee (BCAC) and industry trade groups to draft model code language. Although the last BCAC meeting to finalize the 2027 ICC codes was held on July 10, it is already time to start the process to create the 2030 edition, which begins with the BCAC meeting set for August 5.

While drafting the codes and standards that govern the design process is a key area for AIBD leadership, the Institute is also involved at the legislative level. AIBD routinely monitors legislative activity in all 50 states and intervenes when doing so supports AIBD’s policies and our members' interests. For example, AIBD contacted legislators in California earlier this year regarding our support for continued exemption from state licensure requirements for interior design activities commonly included in residential and small commercial projects. The legislature subsequently rejected an effort by a commercial interior design group to create a state license mandate. In a similar way, AIBD contacted key legislators in Florida to support the inclusion of language requiring all local governments to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be permitted in residential districts subject to space and impact requirements. Although the amendment was included in the appropriate bills and made it through committees, it was removed at the last minute on the floor of the House of Representatives. We will try again in the 2027 session.

While these national and state advocacy activities are the public side of AIBD’s work in the codes and standards arena, less public but equally important are AIBD’s routine responses to member inquiries and requests for help from across the country regarding code compliance and local permitting issues. For example, AIBD worked during May with the City of Titusville, Florida, the Florida DOT, and a private developer to resolve issues related to onsite and offsite improvements and utility connections that were holding up the Phase 1 certificate of occupancy for the Millwright Apartments in Titusville. The situation was eventually resolved to the satisfaction of all parties and tenants have moved into the two approved buildings.

AIBD also supports local activities by organizing regional conferences. One example was the Connect-Florida Conference held in Sanford, Florida on January 16, where our PowerPoint presentation, Building Codes to Courtrooms: Advocacy at AIBD, premiered. This presentation describes the recent history of AIBD activities to support our members and is available for download by our members on the AIBD website.

All of these activities demonstrate that AIBD is in the best position to support the building design profession in the many organizations and legislatures where the codes and standards we must follow are developed. It is important for each member to engage with AIBD in this process and to take advantage of our ability to resolve problems you may have in resolving design issues or getting a building permit. Maybe you just need a sounding board to talk through a design issue. Whatever it is, AIBD has the resources to make a difference in your daily work. You’re paying for it, why not use it?