(1) It is the purpose of this section to provide an alternative procedure for the construction and installation of factory-built school buildings designed or intended for use as school buildings. As used in this section, the term “factory-built school building” means any building designed or intended for use as a school building, which is in whole or in part, manufactured at an offsite facility in compliance with the State Uniform Code for Public Educational Facilities and Department of Education rule, effective on January 5, 2000. After March 1, 2002, the Uniform Code for Public Educational Facilities shall be incorporated into the Florida Building Code, including specific requirements for Public Educational Facilities and the Department of Education rule, effective on January 5, 2000. For the purpose of this section, factory-built school buildings include prefabricated educational facilities, factory-built educational facilities, and modular-built educational facilities, that are designed to be portable, relocatable, demountable, or reconstructible; are used primarily as classrooms or the components of an entire school; and do not fall under the provisions of ss. 320.822-320.862.
(2) A manufacturer of factory-built school buildings shall be subject to the certification and enforcement requirements in this part except as provided in this section.
(3) Within 90 days after the effective date of this section, the department shall adopt by emergency rule regulations to carry out the provisions of this section. Such rule shall ensure the safety of design, construction, accessibility, alterations, and inspections and shall also prescribe procedures for the plans, specifications, and methods of construction to be submitted to the department for approval.
(4) A manufacturer of factory-built school buildings designed or intended for use as school buildings shall submit to the department for approval the manufacturer’s plans, specifications, alterations, and methods of construction. The department is authorized to charge manufacturers a fee which reflects the actual expenses incurred for the review of such plans and specifications.
(5) The department, in accordance with the standards and procedures adopted pursuant to this section and as such standards and procedures may thereafter be modified, shall approve or reject such plans, specifications, and methods of construction. Approval shall not be given unless such plans, specifications, and methods of construction are in compliance with the State Uniform Building Code for Public Educational Facilities and department rule. After March 1, 2002, the Uniform Code for Public Educational Facilities shall be incorporated into the Florida Building Code, including specific requirements for public educational facilities and department rule.
(6) The department may delegate its plans review authority to a state agency or public or private entity; however, the department shall ensure that any person conducting plans reviews is a certified plans examiner, pursuant to part XII of chapter 468.
(7) A standard plan approval may be obtained from the department for factory-built school buildings and such department-approved plans shall be accepted by the enforcement agency as approved for the purpose of obtaining a construction permit for the structure itself. The department, or its designated representative, shall determine if the plans qualify for purposes of a factory-built school shelter, as defined in s. 553.36.
(8) Any amendment to the State Uniform Code for Public Educational Facilities, and after March 1, 2002, the Florida Building Code, shall become effective 180 days after the amendment is filed with the Secretary of State. Notwithstanding the 180-day delayed effective date, the manufacturer shall submit and obtain a revised approved plan within the 180 days. A revised plan submitted pursuant to this subsection shall be processed as a renewal or revision with appropriate fees. A plan submitted after the period of time provided shall be processed as a new application with appropriate fees.
(9) The school district or community college district for which any factory-built school building is constructed or altered after July 1, 2001, shall provide for periodic inspection of the proposed factory-built school building during each phase of construction or alteration. The inspector shall act under the direction of the governing board for employment purposes. This subsection does not prevent a school district or community college district from purchasing or otherwise using a factory-built school building that has been inspected during all phases of construction or alteration conducted after July 1, 2001, by another school district or community college or by an approved inspection agency certified pursuant to s. 553.36(2). If a factory-built school building is constructed or altered for an entity other than a school district or community college district, such entity may employ at its election a school district, community college district, or such approved inspection agency to conduct such inspections. A school district or community college district so employed may charge such entity for services at reasonable rates comparable to those charged for similar services by approved inspection agencies.
(10) The department shall, by rule, develop forms and reporting periods for the architect or structural engineer in charge of the supervision of the work of construction in the factory, the inspector on the work, and the manufacturer verifying that based upon personal knowledge, the work during the period covered by the report has been performed, and the materials used and installed, in every particular, in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, setting forth such detailed statements of facts as required by the department.
(11) The department shall require that an insignia bearing the department’s name and state seal and a manufacturer’s data plate be affixed to all newly constructed factory-built school buildings and existing factory-built school buildings which have been brought into compliance with the standards for existing “satisfactory” buildings pursuant to chapter 5 of the Uniform Code for Public Educational Facilities, and after March 1, 2002, the Florida Building Code. The department may charge a fee for issuing such insignias. The manufacturer’s data plate shall, at a minimum, contain: (a) The name of the manufacturer. (b) The standard plan approval number or alteration number. (c) The date of manufacture or alteration. (d) The serial or other identification number. (e) The following designed-for loads: lbs. per square foot live load; lbs. per square foot floor live load; lbs. per square foot horizontal wind load; and lbs. per square foot wind uplift load. (f) The designed-for flood zone usage. (g) The designed-for wind zone usage. (h) The designed-for enhanced hurricane protection zone usage: yes or no.
(12) Such insignia and data plate shall be permanently affixed by the manufacturer in the case of newly constructed factory-built school buildings, or by the department or its designee in the case of an existing factory-built building altered to comply with provisions of s. 1013.20.
(13) As of July 1, 2001, all newly constructed factory-built school buildings shall bear a label pursuant to subsection (12). As of July 1, 2002, existing factory-built school buildings and manufactured buildings used as classrooms and not bearing such label shall not be used as classrooms pursuant to s. 1013.20.
(14) Nothing in this section shall affect any requirement for compliance with firesafety criteria.