To improve the Oklahoma Architectural Act; Provide Oklahoma citizens and businesses with a uniform standard for the protection of public health, safety and welfare as it relates to the built environment; Raise that standard to a level that matches the laws in adjacent states. This is one of several White Papers to generally explain the need and proposals to be presented to the Oklahoma Legislature's 2003 session.

Many persons travel past hundreds of buildings every day. Many of those same persons have no idea how those buildings came into being. Architects and engineers are heavily involved with the development of the built environment and work with building owners to translate an original idea into the information needed by their contractors in order to construct those buildings.

But just what does an architect deal with? How does his actions affect the public health, safety and welfare?

The first point of public health, safety and welfare influence in the construction of buildings is in regard to the legal mandates of building codes. Most existing building codes require that the building egress, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, structural and life safety systems be analyzed. Each of these areas has specific dictates in order to provide the public with a minimal level of health, safety and welfare protections.

The concept of building codes were first introduced with The Code of Hammurabi (2200 B.C.) In more recent times the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) International, Inc., building code was created in 1915 followed by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) building code in 1922 and in 1941 the Standard Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) was established. These codes have been combined and transformed into the International Building Codes with its first edition being published in 2000.

In early America, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson encouraged the development of building regulations to provide for minimum standards related to public health and safety.

Present-day building codes have evolved into a comprehensive system of regulations which define safety requirements for the built environment. Today, most of the United States is covered by a network of modern building regulations ranging in coverage from fire and structural safety to health, security and conservation of energy.

In today's construction industry architects are the only individuals licensed by governments to assemble all of these public health, safety and welfare concerns into a building.

In addition to building codes there are a whole host of other issues that today's architects deal with in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

Modern construction is also affected by molds, air-borne contaminants, radon, water aquifers, storm water management, acoustics, sustainability, asbestos, lead-based paint and other public health, safety and welfare issues.

In addition the construction industry is concerned with the legal bidding, bonding, insurance and construction administration requirements that also deal with the public health, safety and welfare issues for the many owners, general contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, workforce and the many parties involved with the construction of any building.

Add to these layers the governmental layer of issues dealing with OSHA, wage rates, liens, Fair Housing laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessibility boards and regulations and you find a very complicated set of conditions and requirements that must be met for the construction of most buildings.

In today's construction industry architects are the only individuals who have demonstrated an education and training to be licensed by state governments to assemble all of these public health, safety and welfare concerns and layers into a modern building.

Because of the many elements involved with the design and construction of modern buildings it is imperative that these components be properly assembled in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Most people associated building codes with the public health, safety and welfare. In reality there are a great many other factors involved with constructing modern buildings that also need to be properly handled in order to benefit the public.

Unlike its counterparts in other states the current Oklahoma Architectural Act only spells out the protection of the public health, safety and welfare on a very limited number of buildings. Fortunately, many building owners already see the need to acquire the services of architects for the construction of their facilities and for the benefit of the public. Unfortunately, the general public, for which all of these laws are written, have no knowledge and no way of knowing which buildings in Oklahoma have been afforded the same level of public health, safety and welfare oversight as is provided by the laws in other states for identical or similar buildings.

In order to assure transient visitors to the state of Oklahoma that their welfare has been addressed to the same levels as is provided by other states, Oklahoma's Architectural Act needs to be changed to assure a consistent level of public oversight on the same buildings that are covered in other states.

In order for businesses to locate, find and acquire properties in Oklahoma that serve their needs in dealing with the public, Oklahoma's Architectural Act needs to be changed to assure business owners that they are able to use or acquire structures that in fact serve their needs and those of the public at the same time.