ORS 455.156: Municipal investigation and enforcement of certain violations; notice of civil penalty; department to develop programs; defense for violation of building inspection program.

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, ORS chapter 693 or ORS 447.010 to 447.156, 447.992, 479.510 to 479.945, 479.990 or 479.995, the Department of Consumer and Business Services shall carry out the provisions of this section. (2)(a) A municipality that establishes a building inspection program under ORS 455.148 or a plumbing inspection program under ORS 455.150 covering installations under the plumbing specialty code or Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code may act on behalf of the State Plumbing Board to investigate violations of and enforce ORS 447.040, 693.030 and 693.040 and to issue notices of proposed assessment of civil penalties for those violations. (b) A municipality that establishes a building inspection program under ORS 455.148 or an electrical inspection program under ORS 455.150 covering installations under the electrical specialty code or Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code may act on behalf of the Electrical and Elevator Board to investigate violations of and enforce ORS 479.550 (1) and 479.620 and to issue notices of proposed assessment of civil penalties for those violations. (c) A municipality that establishes a building inspection program under ORS 455.148 or 455.150 may investigate violations and enforce any provisions of the program administered by the municipality. (3) The department shall establish: (a) Procedures, forms and standards to carry out the provisions of this section, including but not limited to creating preprinted notices of proposed assessment of penalties that can be completed and served by municipal inspectors; (b) A program to provide that all of the moneys recovered by the department, less collection expenses, be paid to the municipality that initiated the charges when a person charged with a violation as provided in subsection (2) of this section, other than a violation of a licensing requirement, agrees to the entry of an assessment of civil penalty or does not request a hearing, and an order assessing a penalty is entered against the person; (c) A uniform citation process to be used in all jurisdictions of the state for violation of a licensing requirement. The process may include but need not be limited to all program areas administered by a municipality under ORS 455.148 or 455.150 and may provide a uniform method for checking license status and issuing citations for violation of a licensing requirement, and a consistent basis for enforcement of licensing requirements and treatment of violations, including fine amounts; (d) A program to provide a division of the moneys recovered by the department with the municipality that initiated the charges, when a person charged with a violation as provided in subsection (2) of this section, other than a violation of a licensing requirement, requests a hearing and is assessed a penalty. One-half of the amounts recovered shall be paid to the municipality. The department shall keep an amount equal to its costs of processing the proceeding and collection expenses out of the remaining one-half and remit the balance, if any, to the municipality; and (e) A program to require municipalities to investigate violations of the department’s permit requirements for plumbing installations and services under the plumbing specialty code and for plumbing and electrical installations and services under the Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code, and to: (A) Initiate notices of proposed assessment of civil penalties as agents of the boards designated in subsection (2) of this section; and (B) Pay the agents of the boards out of net civil penalty recoveries as if the recoveries were under paragraphs (b) and (d) of this subsection. (4) The assessment of a civil penalty under this section by a municipality is subject to the amount limitations set forth in ORS 455.895. (5)(a) It shall be a defense for any person charged with a penalty for violation of a building inspection program permit requirement covering plumbing installations under the plumbing specialty code, electrical permit requirements under ORS 479.550 or plumbing or electrical requirements under the Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code that the person was previously penalized for the same occurrence. (b) A building inspection program permit requirement is a requirement contained in a specialty code or municipal ordinance or rule requiring a permit before the particular installations covered by the codes are commenced. (c) A penalty for the same occurrence includes a combination of two or more of the following that are based on the same plumbing or electrical installation: (A)(i) An investigative or other fee added to an electrical permit fee when a permit was obtained after the electrical installation was started; (ii) A civil penalty pursuant to ORS 479.995 for violation of ORS 479.550 for failure to obtain an electrical permit; (iii) A civil penalty pursuant to ORS 455.895 for failure to obtain an electrical permit under the Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code; or (iv) A municipal penalty, other than an investigative fee, for making an electrical installation under the electrical specialty code or Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code without a permit; or (B)(i) An investigative or other fee added to a plumbing permit fee when a permit was obtained after the plumbing installation was started; (ii) A civil penalty pursuant to ORS 447.992 for failure to obtain a plumbing permit as required under the plumbing specialty code; (iii) A civil penalty pursuant to ORS 455.895 for failure to obtain a plumbing permit under the Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code; or (iv) A municipal penalty, other than an investigative fee, for making a plumbing installation under the plumbing specialty code or Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code without a permit. [1995 c.553 §12; 2001 c.411 §18; 2001 c.573 §6a; 2003 c.675 §24; 2005 c.758 §20; 2019 c.401 §§5,12]