(a) The Seismic Safety Commission shall convene an advisory committee that shall include, but not be limited to, the State Architect, the State Fire Marshall, representatives from the major professional associations representing architects, engineers, and school facilities designers, and other interested parties.

(b) The advisory committee shall convene by August 19, 2002, and shall study and report on whether a regulatory process may be developed that will allow the State Architect to determine whether a building not originally constructed in compliance with the Field Act, as defined in Section 17281, and its implementing regulations either meets, or can be retrofitted to meet, the equivalent pupil safety performance standard as a building constructed according to the Field Act and its implementing regulations. If the advisory committee finds that the regulatory process may be developed, the advisory committee, shall include within its report the facts and rationale supporting the finding and the essential steps required in that regulatory process. The advisory committee shall report its findings to the Seismic Safety Commission by December 31, 2002.

(c) By January 8, 2003, and after reviewing the advisory committee’s findings, the Seismic Safety Commission shall make a determination as to whether the regulatory process described in subdivision (b) may be developed, and shall report that determination to the Governor and the Legislature.

(d) If the Seismic Safety Commission determines that the regulatory process may be developed, the State Architect shall draft regulations to establish that regulatory process and to delineate the required retrofitting, deconstructive testing, continuous inspection procedures, and other necessary certifications and requirements that must be completed for a building to ensure it meets the equivalent pupil safety performance standard as a building constructed according to the Field Act and its implementing regulations. The State Architect shall promulgate the regulations on or before April 1, 2003, as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

(e) Notwithstanding any law, a leased or purchased building that is determined to have the equivalent pupil safety performance standard as a building constructed according to the Field Act and implementing regulations is hereby deemed to be in full compliance with the safety requirements of a school building as set forth in Section 17280, and is hereby deemed to be in full compliance with the Field Act.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 33, Sec. 29. Effective April 29, 2002.)