2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENTS (§§ 24-30-101 — 24-36-306) › Article 33.5 - Public Safety (§§ 24-33.5-101 — 24-33.5-2704) › Part 12 - DIVISION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL (§§ 24-33.5-1201 — 24-33.5-1239) › Section 24-33.5-1212.5 - Health facility fire and building codes - third-party inspections authorized - temporary certificate of occupancy - fees - rules - board of appeals

(1)
(a)
This section applies to health facility buildings or structures, including the construction or substantial remodeling and ongoing compliance with this article thereof, when there is no local building department or fire department to perform such functions. The division shall conduct the necessary plan reviews and inspections and issue certificates of compliance to certify that such buildings or structures are constructed or maintained in conformity with the codes adopted by the director.
(b)
On and after July 1, 2013, health facility buildings and structures shall be maintained in accordance with their local building and fire codes or, if no such local building and fire codes exist, with the building and fire codes adopted by the director pursuant to section
24-33.5-1203.5
.
(c)
Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), upon request of the local fire authority, the director of the division shall provide technical assistance in the review of health facility plans and, if appropriate, conduct inspections on behalf of the local fire authority.
(2)
Except as specified in subsection (3) of this section, in the absence of a local building department or fire department, the division shall conduct the necessary plan reviews, issue building permits, cause the necessary inspections to be performed, perform final inspections, and issue certificates of occupancy to assure that a health facility building or structure has been constructed in conformity with the building and fire codes adopted by the director and that the health facility has complied with this section.
(3)
Third-party inspectors.
(a)
The division may contract with third-party inspectors who are certified in accordance with section
24-33.5-1213.5
to perform inspections.
(b)
(I)
A health facility may hire and compensate third-party inspectors under contract with the division or hire and compensate other third-party inspectors who are certified in accordance with section
24-33.5-1213.5
to perform inspections.
(II)
If a third-party inspector is used, the division shall require a sufficient number of third-party inspection reports to be submitted by the inspector to the division based upon the scope of the project to ensure quality inspections are performed. Except as specified in subsection (4) of this section, the third-party inspector shall attest that inspections are complete and all violations are corrected before the health facility is issued a certificate of occupancy. Inspection records shall be retained by the third-party inspector for two years after the certificate of occupancy is issued. If the division finds that inspections are not completed satisfactorily, as determined by rule of the division, or that all violations are not corrected, the division shall take enforcement action against the appropriate health facility pursuant to section
24-33.5-1213
.
(4)
Temporary certificate of occupancy.
If inspections are not completed and a building or structure requires immediate occupancy, and if the health facility has passed the appropriate inspections that indicate there are no life safety issues, the division may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy. The temporary certificate of occupancy expires ninety days after the date of occupancy. If no renewal of the temporary certificate of occupancy is issued or a permanent certificate of occupancy is not issued, the building or structure shall be vacated upon expiration of the temporary certificate. The division shall enforce this subsection (4) pursuant to section
24-33.5-1213
.
(5)
Division fees.
If the division conducts the necessary plan reviews and performs the necessary inspections to determine that a building or structure has been constructed in conformity with the building and fire codes adopted by the director, the division shall charge fees as established by the director by rule, based on the direct and indirect cost of providing the service. The fees shall cover the actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses of the division. The director, by rule or as otherwise provided by law, may increase or reduce the amount of the fees as necessary to cover the actual, reasonable, and necessary costs of the division. Any fees collected by the division pursuant to this subsection (5) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the health facility construction and inspection cash fund created in section
24-33.5-1207.8
.
(6)
Rules.
Rules promulgated pursuant to this section shall be adopted in accordance with article
4
of this title.
(7)
Board of appeals.
(a)
(I)
There is hereby created in the division the health facility construction and inspection program board of appeals, referred to in this section as the "board of appeals". The board of appeals consists of seven members appointed by the executive director and one ex officio nonvoting member appointed in accordance with sub-subparagraph (C) of subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a).
(II)
The members of the board of appeals shall be persons who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to health facility building construction, including one member with experience and knowledge of the life safety code, and shall include:
(A)
The four members of the board of appeals created in section
24-33.5-1213.7
who represent the Colorado chapter of the international code council, the fire marshal's association of Colorado, the Colorado state fire chiefs' association, and Colorado counties, incorporated, or any member appointed from a successor to any of these organizations representing comparable interests;
(B)
One representative from each of the following organizations or a successor to any of such organizations representing comparable interests: The Colorado association of healthcare engineers and directors; the American society for healthcare engineering; and the Colorado chapter of the American institute of architects; and
(C)
One ex officio nonvoting member, appointed by the executive director of the department of public health and environment, who is employed by that department as a health surveyor.
(III)
The members of the board of appeals serve at the pleasure of the executive director.
(IV)
For the initial appointments to the board of appeals:
(A)
The members serving pursuant to sub-subparagraph (A) of subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a) serve terms coextensive with the terms to which they were appointed under section
24-33.5-1213.7
; and
(B)
For the members appointed pursuant to sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a), the executive director shall appoint one member for a one-year term, one member for a two-year term, and one member for a three-year term. Each term for the member appointed pursuant to sub-subparagraph (C) of subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a) is two years. All subsequent appointments are for three-year terms; except that an appointment to fill a vacancy on the board shall be for the remainder of the predecessor's term.
(V)
The members of the board of appeals shall not be compensated for their service on the board and shall not be reimbursed for expenses.
(b)
The board of appeals shall select a chair from among its members and shall adopt reasonable procedures for conducting its deliberations.
(c)
(I)
A health facility representative may appeal to the board of appeals a final written decision of a division inspector or third-party inspector that conducts a plan review or inspection pursuant to this section. The appeal shall be filed with the division within thirty days after the date of the decision. The division shall specify the form on which an appeal shall be made and shall provide the form to a health facility representative upon request.
(II)
Upon receipt of an appeal, the division shall notify the chair of the board of appeals and schedule a hearing no more than fifteen days after the date on which the appeal was filed.
(III)
The board of appeals may review a final written decision by an inspecting entity that is based on the codes or standards adopted by the director. The board of appeals shall not waive any requirement of the codes or standards. The board of appeals may recommend alternative materials as provided in the codes or standards. The final written decision of the board is final agency action for purposes of section
24-4-106
.
(d)
In addition to hearing appeals as provided in this section, the board of appeals shall advise the director in promulgating rules and enacting standards for the health facility construction and inspection program.
Amended by 2013 Ch. 24, § 2, eff. 3/14/2013.
L. 2012: Entire section added, (HB 12-1268), ch. 234, p. 1029, § 11, effective 7/1/2013.