§2152e Program to Improve Building Construction and Practices in Latin American Countries

Summary

The President, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), can run a program to improve building codes and construction practices in Ecuador, El Salvador, and other Latin American countries. USAID can give grants or sign contracts with U.S. technical organizations to carry out the work. The program must train public and private professionals, translate and share detailed construction manuals and model building codes across the region (covering zoning, egress, fire and life safety, plumbing, sewage, sanitation, electrical and mechanical work, structural engineering, and seismic design), and provide other help like making seismic micro‑zonation maps or helping draft laws to put codes into practice so buildings better resist earthquakes and other disasters. Work must be done through U.S. groups with the needed expertise, including the American Society for Testing and Materials, Underwriters Laboratories, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the International Code Council, and the National Fire Protection Association.