ICC committee advances key code changes

The International Code Council (ICC) held code action hearings for the administrative, general and structural sections of the International Building Code, International Existing Building Code, International Property Maintenance Code and the International Zoning Code from Oct. 22-30. The ICC Committee on Healthcare (CHC) testified in support of 33 proposal comments — 12 of which were for proposals submitted by the CHC — and opposed comments on 21 other proposals. Below is an overview of some of the issues the CHC advocated for and against and their outcomes.

ICC CHC testimony on proposal comments

Sound transmission and lightning protection. The ICC CHC testified regarding comments to establish requirements that would require sound and impact ratings and testing as an alternative to an exception for nursing homes and hospitals and to improve the requirements for lightning protection. The committee was successful in its actions, and this move will align the International Building Codes with current National Fire Protection Association and federal requirements that hospitals already are required to meet.

Risk category classification realignment. The CHC testified on comments submitted to three proposals to clarify the language of Risk Category IV facilities and return Group I-2 Condition 2 occupancies not having emergency surgery or emergency treatment facilities, and Group I-2 Condition 1 occupancies with 50 or more care recipients to Risk Category III. However, the CHC was not successful in overturning the original decision to move these facilities to Risk Category IV.

Clinical labs and guard height. The ICC CHC was successful in testifying to a comment that provided important clarification to which clinical laboratories Proposal G87 will apply. Proposal G87 lays out the definition of what a clinical laboratory is. Additionally, the CHC also was successful in testifying to a comment that raised concerns on its proposal to allow higher guards to be installed for patient safety around outdoor patient garden/exercise areas on a roof.

Flood plain. The ICC CHC was not successful in testifying to comments that would have returned the requirements for all structures to become compliant with 500-year flood plain requirements and for Risk Category IV structures to be compliant with 1,000-year flood plain requirements.

Code development participation

The ICC CHC will continue to work on gaining additional consensus regarding the risk categories and flood plain proposals noted above by developing public comments regarding the proposals that were approved by the various ICC committees. Public comments are due no later than Jan. 5, 2026.

If you are interested in participating in the ICC CHC’s efforts for public comment development and/or presenting testimony at the public comment hearings that will be held April 19-28, 2026 in Hartford, Conn., please reach out to the ICC CHC Chair Jeff O’Neill, vice president of plant operations at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, or Jonathan Flannery, senior associate director of regulatory affairs at the American Society for Health Care Engineering. They can be reached at Jeffrey.ONeill@rwjbh.org and  Jflannery@aha.org.