(a) Every taxpayer, at the election of the taxpayer, shall be entitled to a deduction of the cost of repairing or remodeling any building, facility or transportation vehicle owned or leased by the taxpayer at the time of such repairing or remodeling, in order to permit handicapped or elderly individuals to enter or leave such building, facility or transportation vehicle, to increase the access handicapped or elderly individuals would have to such building, facility or transportation vehicle, or to allow handicapped or elderly individuals more effective use of the building, facility or transportation vehicle, provided that the repair or remodeling meets one or more standards established pursuant to Section 4450 or 4451 of the Government Code. In the absence of such state standards, those standards established by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States with the concurrence of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall be used. The installation of emergency egress/safe area refuge systems shall be eligible for such deductions.

(b) The deduction authorized by this section shall be taken with respect to the taxable year in which such repairing or remodeling is completed.

(c) The deduction provided by this section with respect to any taxable year shall be in lieu of any deduction with respect to such repairing or remodeling relating to exhaustion, wear and tear or obsolescence. If, however, the costs of that repair or remodeling exceed the limit set forth in subdivision (g), the remaining balance may be charged to capital account.

(d) If any building, facility or transportation vehicle is owned by more than one person, a taxpayer may deduct a portion of the costs of such repairing or remodeling apportionate to the interest in such building, facility or transportation vehicle which is owned by the taxpayer.

(e) For purposes of this section, “building, facility or transportation vehicle” means a building, facility or transportation vehicle, or part thereof, which is intended to be used, and is actually used, by the taxpayer or the general public, in the taxpayer’s business or trade.

(f) For purposes of this section, “handicapped individual” means any individual who has a physical or mental disability (including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness) which for such individual constitutes or results in a functional limitation to employment, or who has any physical or mental impairment (including, but not limited to, a sight or hearing impairment) which substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual, and “elderly individual” means an individual who is 65 years of age or older.

(g) The deduction authorized by this section shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) with respect to any taxpayer for any taxable year.

(h) The Franchise Tax Board shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(i) This section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1976.

(j) (1) The State Fire Marshal in cooperation with the Department of Rehabilitation and the Department of Aging shall adopt building standards and regulations for emergency egress/safe area refuge systems. The building standards and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, minimum requirements for safety, reliability, durability and usability. Emergency egress/safe area refuge systems that comply with the building standards and regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall be eligible for the deduction provided by this section.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that this section and the building standards adopted pursuant to this section do not supersede more restrictive building standards and regulations adopted by the state and local governments.

(k) “Emergency egress/safe area refuge system” shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) A building floor divided into not less than two compartments by not less than one-hour fire-resistive construction. Each door opening in the construction shall be protected by a twenty minute fire-resistive assembly as defined in regulations of the State Fire Marshal. Duct openings shall be protected by single-blade or curtain-type fire dampers to restrict the passage of smoke or flame. The smaller of the compartmental areas shall be not less than one-fourth the floor area of the story. Each such compartment shall contain a stairway or elevator or other means of ready egress from the building.

(2) A fire alarm system defined in regulations by the State Fire Marshal.

(3) Use of existing exiting systems and warning devices when practical, including, but not limited to, stairways, elevators, and fire alarms.

(4) Accommodations for wheelchairs and all attached wheelchair equipment, as well as wheelchair occupants.

(5) Its own power source.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 862, Sec. 153. Effective January 1, 2001.)