§ 373-a. Code comparison study and report. 1. Examination and study
of the New York state uniform fire prevention and building code. a. The
secretary, through the department of state's code division, shall
perform, oversee, and/or commission a study comparing the New York state
uniform fire prevention and building code to the national building and
fire codes presently in force and promulgated by Building Officials and
Code Administrators International, Inc (BOCA).

b. The secretary, through the department of state's code division,
shall further perform, oversee and/or commission a study comparing the
present New York state energy, plumbing, and mechanical codes to the
energy, plumbing and mechanical code presently in force and promulgated
by Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc (BOCA).
The secretary, through the department of state's code division shall
also perform, oversee and/or commission a study comparing the present
New York state plumbing code to the international plumbing code and the
uniform plumbing code.

c. The secretary, through the department of state's code division,
shall also perform, oversee and/or commission a study comparing the
present provisions of the state, uniform fire prevention and building
code relating to fire safety to the provisions of the fire prevention
code presently in force and promulgated by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA1).

2. Report on the examination and study of the New York state uniform
fire prevention and building code. On or before the fifteenth day of
November, nineteen hundred ninety-eight, the secretary, through the
department of state's code division, shall issue a report on the
examinations and studies prescribed by subdivision one of this section,
and shall provide a copy of such report to the governor, the temporary
president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the
senate standing committee on housing, construction and community
development, the chair of the assembly standing committee on
governmental operations and the chair of the assembly standing committee
on housing. Such report shall:

a. Make an express line by line comparison between the provisions of:

(i) the present New York state uniform fire prevention and building
code and national building and fire codes presently in force and
promulgated by Building Officials and Code Administrators International,
Inc (BOCA);

(ii) the present New York state energy, plumbing, mechanical codes and
the energy, plumbing and mechanical code presently in force and
promulgated by Building Officials and Code Administrators International,
Inc (BOCA);

(iii) the present New York state plumbing code and the international
plumbing code;

(iv) the present New York state plumbing code and the uniform plumbing
code;

(v) the present provisions of the New York state uniform fire
prevention and building code relating to fire safety and the provisions
of the fire prevention code presently in force and promulgated by the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA1); and

b. Report on the similarities of, and differences between each such
aforementioned code with respect to:

(i) public safety;

(ii) ease of use and clarity of understanding;

(iii) effectiveness of enforcement;

(iv) ease and effectiveness of administration;

(v) user cost savings;

(vi) compatibility with other state and international codes; and

(vii) potential for promoting economic development.