NEII Provides Code Development Update

National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) recently provided development updates on various codes. The 2022 edition of ASME A17/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators is being prepared for publication near the end of the second quarter of this year. The effective date will be six months from publication. Since the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) works on a continuous basis, committees are being formed for the 2025 edition and proposals may be submitted at any time. International Code Council (ICC) has released its schedule for the 2027 edition of the International Building Code Series (I-Codes). ICC will hold two sets of committee hearings for each group of changes. Group A will be heard in 2024 and Group B in 2025. A joint public comment hearing will be held in 2026. Proposed changes for Group A of the 2027 edition are due on January 8, 2024. The A117 Committee of the ICC Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities is meeting virtually every two weeks to review proposed revisions for the next edition. More than 250 proposals were submitted, and the committee has reviewed roughly three-fourths of them. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is accepting proposals for changes to the 2026 edition of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code through September 7. Changes for the 2024 edition of the NFPA Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code, including several from NEII, were being finalized with publication expected later this year. Effective March 11, Montana has adopted 2021 I-codes/requirement 3001.2 on elevator emergency communications to comply with ASME A17.1/CSA B44.