50-60-302. Certification of municipal and county building codes. (1) A county or municipality may not enforce a building code unless:
     (a) the code enforcement program has been certified by the department as in compliance with applicable statutes and department certification rules;
     (b) the current adopted code, a current list of fees to be imposed, and a current plan for enforcement of the code have been filed with and approved by the department; and
     (c) all inspectors inspecting or approving any installations, which if accomplished commercially require state licensure, must themselves be properly and currently state-licensed as journeymen in that craft or occupation or be certified by a nationally recognized entity for testing and certification of inspectors that is approved by the department before being permitted to inspect or approve any installations.
     (2) The department shall adopt additional rules and standards governing the certification of municipal and county building code enforcement programs which must include provisions for prompt revocation of certification for refusal or failure to comply with any applicable statute or rule. The department may allow a county or municipality a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed 6 months, to correct identified code enforcement program deficiencies, unless the deficiencies constitute an immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, in which case the department may require immediate correction. Failure to correct deficiencies within the time set by the department constitutes a basis for immediate decertification of the code enforcement program. Continued operation of a county or municipal code enforcement program in violation of a department order to correct deficiencies may be enjoined or subject to a writ of mandamus by a judge of the district court in the jurisdiction in which the county or municipality is located. The rules and standards must include provisions for the department to ensure that all code enforcement program functions are being properly performed.
     (3) In addition to maintaining the continued compliance oversight required in subsection (1), the department shall require a detailed and fully documented annual report from a local government with a certified code enforcement program to ensure continued local government compliance with all requirements of applicable statutes and rules. If review of the annual report identifies compliance problems, the department shall immediately conduct an onsite evaluation.
     (4) If the certification of any local government code enforcement program is revoked for any violation or deficiency, the state resumes its original jurisdiction for state building code enforcement within the municipal or county area and the local government retains the responsibility for completion of inspections and issuance of certificates of occupancy on any incomplete construction projects previously permitted by the local government, unless the reason for the decertification is directly related to the protection of health, safety, and welfare of the public.
     (5) If a local government voluntarily decertifies its code enforcement program, the department must be given written notification of the intended decertification at least 90 days prior to the date of decertification. The local government retains the responsibility for completion of inspections and issuance of certificates of occupancy on any incomplete construction projects permitted by the local government prior to decertifying its code enforcement program.

     History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 366, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 226, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 504, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 69-2112(3), (4); amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 488, L. 1997.