BUILDING SEISMIC SAFETY COUNCIL CHARTER, ORGANIZATIONAL RULES, AND PROCEDURES


 

ARTICLE I. CHARTER


Section 1. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the Building Seismic Safety Council (Council) is to enhance the public's safety by providing a national forum to foster improved seismic safety provisions for use by the building community. For the purposes of the Council, the building community is taken to include all those involved in the planning, design, construction, regulation, and utilization of buildings.

The scope of the Council's activities encompasses seismic safety of structures with explicit consideration and assessment of the social, technical, administrative, political, legal, and economic implications of its deliberations and recommendations.

Achievement of the Council's purpose is important to all in the public and private sectors. Council activities will provide an opportunity for participation by those at interest, including local, State, and Federal Government, voluntary organizations, business, industry, the design professions, the construction industry, the research community and the public. Regional and local differences in the nature and magnitude of potentially hazardous earthquake events require a flexible approach adaptable to the relative risk, resources and capabilities of each community.

The Council recognizes that appropriate earthquake hazard reduction measures and initiatives should be adopted by existing organizations and institutions and incorporated into their legislation, regulations, practices, rules, codes, relief procedures and loan requirements, whenever possible, so that these measures and initiatives become part of established activities rather than being superposed as separate and additional.


Section 2. Establishment

The Council is established as a voluntary advisory, facilitative council of the National Institute of Building Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Institute), a nonprofit corporation incorporated in the District of Columbia.

Section 3. Statutory Authority

The Council is established under the authority given the Institute by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, (Public Law 93-383), Title VIII, in furtherance of the objectives of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-124) and in support of the President's National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, June 22, 1978.

Section 4. Objectives

To achieve its purposes, the Council shall conduct activities and provide the leadership needed to:

a. Promote development of seismic safety provisions suitable for use throughout the United States;

b. Recommend, encourage, and promote adoption of appropriate seismic safety provisions in voluntary standards and model codes;

c. Assess implementation progress by federal, state, and local regulatory and construction agencies;

d. Identify opportunities for the improvement of seismic regulations and practices and encourage public and private organizations to effect such improvements;


e. Promote the development of training and educational courses and materials for use by design professionals, builders, building regulatory officials, elected officials, industry representatives, other members of the building community and the public.

f. Provide advice to governmental bodies on their programs of research, development, and implementation; and

g. Periodically review and evaluate research findings, practice, and experience and make recommendations for incorporation into seismic design practices.

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