into their statutes and regulations by reference. Adopting privately-developed model codes saves governments time and money. Adopted model codes also substantially benefit building professionals, engineers, and the public more broadly. For example, because model codes are drafted by groups that are more familiar with the particular subject matter of their codes than governments, governmental adoption of model codes helps align the law with industry best practices. Adoption by reference is also valuable because standards may concern areas of broad relevance to the public, such as the safety of residences and workplaces. Entities dedicated to the development of such standards are called standards development organizations (“SDOs”).
ICC is an SDO that develops model codes regulating what it calls the “built environment”; its model codes include building codes, fire safety codes, plumbing codes, and more. ICC was founded in 1994 by three regional SDOs that developed similar codes: the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (“SBCCI”), Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (“BOCA”), and the International Conference of Building Officials (“ICBO”). These three regional predecessor organizations
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