The Committee Action Hearings (CAH) of the International Code Council are in full swing. While normally these hearings would be in person, this year they are completely virtual. The ICC has created an impressive online hearing environment that has proved to work well as the various committees hear the many proposals submitted for this code cycle.  This cycle includes the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Fire Code (IFC), and many more.  The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) has been successful in supporting/opposing proposals that affect the fire sprinkler industry.

You can be involved: Register!

NFSA encourages members to participate in this important process. Curious how codes are developed, how the process works, or how to be involved? To participate in the hearings, one will need to register. This registration is free, costs nothing to be involved and is open to interested parties. By clicking here, you can register for free to participate. Once the registration process, you will receive a confirmation email that will contain a link that will take you to the participant website.

How do I watch the hearing webcast?

After registering, there are two options available:

1. View only: The first option is to just observe the proceedings (view only webcast).
2. Testify: The second option is to be able to take part in the hearings (participant webcast) by the way of testifying in support or in opposition of any code change proposal. Instructions for participation are on the ICC committee action hearing website.

Can fire sprinkler contractors vote?

No. In the past, the committee action hearings did allow non-governmental ICC members, i.e. fire sprinkler contractors, to vote on certain code changes made by motions from the assembly. The ICC process no longer permits this option. Voting is only available to ICC governmental members who are validated (Validation FAQ) at the public comment hearings and the online governmental consensus vote later this fall.

What codes are being heard and when?

The hearings for the 2024 International Building Code started April 11 and are ongoing daily until approximately April 21.  Other codes, such as the 2024 International Plumbing Code (including residential plumbing) start April 25. The full schedule can be viewed here.

The 2024 starts Friday, April 30 at approximately 9:00 a.m. (CST). As stated previously, there are two options available to those who want to be involved. To just watch the proceedings, you can click here. The livestream will be in process when you arrive on the page and from there you can watch all the proceedings.

Key Proposals to Watch

There are approximately 2,000 proposals heard over 26 days from April 11 and through May 5.

• For a full schedule of the hearings and a complete monograph of all proposals submitted, click here.
• For just the IFC hearing order with highlighted proposals to watch, click here.
• For a full breakdown of proposals submitted by the NFSA, click here.

How is NFSA being represented?

While we invite you to be part of the process, know that the NFSA team is currently watching every code change proposal and fighting for the advancement of the fire sprinkler concept during every step of the ICC process. We invite you to be part of the process, however, the NFSA codes and standards staff members are continually monitoring, watching, and testifying on the almost 2,000 proposals for changes to the 2024 ICC codes. Hearings are held daily from 9:00 a.m. (CST) to 11:00 p.m. (CST).

For immediate help or questions, contact Vice President of Codes and Standards, Jeffrey M. Hugo, CBO at hugo@nfsa.org or Codes and Standards Specialist, Andrew Bevis, MCP, CBO at bevis@nfsa.org