The General Assembly finds that:

(1)    with the acceleration in development of new materials, processes, and assemblies of building components, industrialized buildings, manufactured homes, and subassemblies, and the increased use of temporary and mobile structures, there is a need for a statewide building regulatory system;

(2)    until the recent increase in demand for use of temporary and mobile structures, the present system with its essentially local building regulatory departments has done a creditable job protecting the health and safety of the public in their respective communities;

(3)    this new demand calls for more in depth performance evaluations in terms of the intent of the building regulations and inspection services that usually involve going beyond the boundaries of local units of government and require the assistance of the State;

(4)    local officials in the State possess great knowledge and insight in this field and are aware of the needs for modification, and their cooperation in developing, applying, and refining a satisfactory program is essential;

(5)    there is a great opportunity to cooperate with other states, with organizations that have published widely used model building codes or standards of regulations, and with other similarly engaged agencies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology;

(6)    this cooperation shall be an integral element in the application and enforcement of this statewide program; and

(7)    the health and safety of the public will be protected best if the State assumes the responsibility to enforce in the State federal construction and safety standards in accordance with the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act.