This year’s Building Code Bill, HB 535, was signed into law by Governor Scott on March 25. One of the many provisions of this bill which is critical to the construction industry was the establishment of the Construction Industry Workforce Task Force. The Task Force was established to look at the existing critical shortage of training individuals and develop a consensus path for training the next generation of construction workers.

The goals of the Construction Workforce Task Force, which was included in the bill, are to:

• Address the critical shortage of individuals trained in building construction and inspection;

• Develop a consensus path for training the next generation of construction workers in the state;

• Determine the causes for the current shortage of a trained construction industry work force and address the impact of the shortages on the recovery of the real estate market;

• Review current methods and resources available for construction training;

• Review the state of construction training available in K–12 schools; and,

• Address training issues relating to building code inspectors to increase the number of qualified inspectors.

The Task Force will elect a chair from among its 22 members and must submit a final report to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1, 2017. The Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) is providing $50,000 from funds available for the Florida Building Code Compliance and Mitigation Program to the University of Florida M.E. Rinker, Sr., School of Construction Management, for administration of this Task Force.

The Task Force must meet at least three times but as often as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities. The first meeting is currently slated to occur July 27, 2016 at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee. A second face–to–face meeting is being discussed for October with a final face–to–face meeting to occur most likely by December. It is expected that there will be conference calls in between the face–to–face smeetings, all of which are being targeted for the central Florida area.

The Task Force expires on July 1, 2017, and the full list of the 22 members are as follows:

1. A member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
2. A member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate.
3. The chair of the Florida Building Commission.
4. A member representing the Building Officials Association of Florida.
5. A member representing the Alarm Association of Florida.
6. A member representing the American Fire Sprinkler Association – Florida Chapter.
7. A member representing the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida.
8. A member representing the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida.
9. A member representing the Florida Associated General Contractors Council.
10. A member representing the Florida Building Construction Trades Council within the Florida AFL–CIO
11. A member representing the Florida Carpenters Regional Council.
12. A member representing the Florida Chapter of the National Electrical Contractor Association.
13. A member representing the Florida Concrete and Products Association.
14. A member representing the Florida Electrical Workers Association.
15. A member representing the Florida Fire Sprinkler Association.
16. A member representing the Florida Home Builders Association.
17. A member representing the Florida Plumbing–Heating–Cooling Contractors Association.
18. A member representing the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association.
19. A member representing the Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association.
20. A member representing the Florida Swimming Pool Association.
21. A member representing the Independent Electrical Contractors.
22. A member representing the National Utility Contractors Association of Florida.