Conformity to codes.

(1) CONFORMITY TO FLORIDA BUILDING CODE AND FLORIDA FIRE PREVENTION CODE REQUIRED FOR APPROVAL.—

(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), all public educational and ancillary plants constructed by a board must conform to the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, and the plants are exempt from all other state building codes; county, municipal, or other local amendments to the Florida Building Code and local amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention Code; building permits, and assessments of fees for building permits, except as provided in s. 553.80; ordinances; road closures; and impact fees or service availability fees. Any inspection by local or state government must be based on the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. Each board shall provide for periodic inspection of the proposed educational plant during each phase of construction to determine compliance with the Florida Building Code, the Florida Fire Prevention Code, and the State Requirements for Educational Facilities.

(b) A board may comply with the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code and the administration of the codes when constructing ancillary plants that are not attached to educational facilities, if those plants conform to the space size requirements established in the codes.

(c) A board may not approve any plans for the construction, renovation, remodeling, or demolition of any educational or ancillary plants unless these plans conform to the requirements of the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. Each board may adopt policies for delegating to the district school superintendent, Florida College System institution president, or university president authority for submitting documents to the department and for awarding contracts subsequent to and consistent with board approval of the scope, timeframes, funding source, and budget of a survey-recommended project.

(2) ENFORCEMENT BY BOARD.—It is the responsibility of each board to ensure that all plans and educational and ancillary plants meet the standards of the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code and to provide for the enforcement of these codes in the areas of its jurisdiction. Each board shall provide for the proper supervision and inspection of the work. Each board may employ a chief building official and such other inspectors, who have been certified pursuant to chapter 468, and a fire official and such other inspectors, who have been certified pursuant to chapter 633, and such personnel as necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of such codes. Boards may also use local building department inspectors who are certified by the department to enforce the Florida Building Code and the State Requirements for Educational Facilities. Boards may also use local county, municipal, or independent special fire control district firesafety inspectors who are certified by the State Fire Marshal to conduct reviews of site plans and inspections and to enforce the Florida Fire Prevention Code. Plans or facilities that fail to meet the standards of the Florida Building Code or the Florida Fire Prevention Code may not be approved. When planning for and constructing an educational, auxiliary, or ancillary facility, a board must use construction materials and systems that meet standards adopted pursuant to s. 1013.37(1)(e)3. and 4. If the planned or actual construction of a facility deviates from the adopted standards, the board must, at a public hearing, quantify and compare the costs of constructing the facility with the proposed deviations and in compliance with the adopted standards and the Florida Building Code. The board must explain the reason for the proposed deviations and compare how the total construction costs and projected life-cycle costs of the facility or component system of the facility would be affected by implementing the proposed deviations rather than using materials and systems that meet the adopted standards.

(3) ENFORCEMENT BY DEPARTMENT.—As a further means of ensuring that all educational and ancillary facilities constructed or materially altered or added to conform to the Florida Building Code standards or Florida Fire Prevention Code standards, each board that undertakes the construction, renovation, remodeling, purchasing, or lease-purchase of any educational plant or ancillary facility, the cost of which exceeds $200,000, may submit plans to the department for approval.