What's happening
This bill allows municipalities in New York, except NYC, to grant building permits for certain alterations based on certification by licensed engineers or architects.
Why it matters
Streamlines permit approval for minor building changes. By allowing licensed engineers or architects to certify code compliance for certain building alterations, the bill can speed up the permitting process for property owners and businesses, reducing delays that often cost time and money.
Limits scope to non-structural, safety-compliant alterations. The bill only applies when changes do not affect load-bearing walls, fire egress, or ADA-compliant accessibility, and where fire ratings are maintained. This ensures that only lower-risk modifications qualify, balancing efficiency with safety.
Empowers local governments, except NYC. Municipalities outside New York City can opt in by local law, giving local control over whether to adopt this streamlined permitting, which may benefit smaller cities and towns with fewer resources for detailed inspections.
Potentially reduces administrative burdens. By accepting professional certifications for qualifying alterations, municipal building departments may have fewer routine inspections to conduct, allowing them to focus on more complex or higher-risk projects.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Faster Permits for Renovations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1372
- Reported and committed to finance
- Print number 6950a
- Amend (t) and recommit to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Engineers to Approve Permits
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6950--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
November 20, 2017
Introduced by Sens. BOYLE, CROCI, HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -recommitted to the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing uniform procedures authorizing municipalities to grant building permits upon certification by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect in good standing for certain alterations to existing commercial buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs d and e of subdivision 2 of section 377 of the executive law, as added by chapter 707 of the laws of 1981, are amended and a new paragraph f is added to read as follows:
d. encourage, so far as may be practicable, the standardization of construction practices, methods, equipment, material and techniques; [and]
e. eliminate restrictive, obsolete, conflicting and unnecessary building regulations and requirements which tend to increase unnecessarily construction costs or retard unnecessarily the use of new materials, or provide unwarranted preferential treatment to types or classes of material or products or methods of construction[.]; and
f. notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, establish a uniform procedure authorizing municipalities, except cities with a population in excess of one million, which adopt a local law authorizing the adoption of such uniform procedure, to grant a building permit in cases where a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect in good standing certifies to the municipality that the proposed construction is in conformance with the requirements of the uniform fire
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10673-03-8
S. 6950--A 2
prevention and building code; provided, however, that such procedure shall allow a municipality to accept a certification by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect in good standing only in cases where the permit application is for alterations to existing residential or commercial buildings, where such alterations do not alter load bearing walls, do not alter existing accessibility that is compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, meets all fire egress requirements, and maintains at least the same fire rating as before the proposed construction.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing uniform procedures authorizing municipalities to grant building permits upon certification by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect in good standing for certain alterations to existing commercial buildings
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation will allow municipalities the option to create a professional certification program.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Adds a new subsection to the executive law which would estab- lish an optional professional certification program for municipalities.
Section 2. Effective Date
Justification
Under this legislation, Professional Engineers or Registered Architects will be able to certify compliance with applicable building laws and codes. The proposal certification program would be for building permits under limited circumstances, as defined in the legislation as alter- ations which to do alter the bearing walls, alter ADA accessibility, maintain fire egress standards, and maintains the previous fire rating standard.
This program will allow municipalities to have a more efficient process by reducing the amount of time a builder normally waits for a building permit. Ultimately, this program will save municipalities time and resources. The professional certification program would be is optional. New York City has a similar professional certification program.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.