Mississippi Law Supports More Resilient Construction

Last week, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed into law legislation that amends an existing section of the state building code that requires insurance companies to offer a discount or rate reduction to residential building owners who build new construction to hurricane and windstorm-resistant standards. The same discounts and rebates will now be available for those that meet resiliency standards in commercial construction. The bill will encourage the commercial construction industry to build properties that are more resilient to hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters in order to mitigate loss.

Build With Strength (BWS), a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association consisting of community organizations, fire safety professionals, engineers, architects and industry experts, supports lawmakers and communities across the U.S. who encourage more resilient construction practices through legislation. BWS works with communities, lawmakers and industry employees to advocate for safer, sustainable building materials. Strengthening local and national building codes is among the organization’s top priorities.

“This is a significant piece of legislation for the people of Mississippi, especially given the growing prevalence of natural disasters in our state,” said Joel Waters, executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Association. “The damage inflicted by tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, etc. cannot be prevented entirely, but we should be doing everything in our power to lessen the blow. Building more resilient structures plays a significant role in mitigation efforts and the hope is that this will lead to safer communities across the state.”

The bill is the first of its kind in the U.S. in its application to commercial structures. The increase and severity of natural disasters is requiring states and localities to examine existing law relative to construction practices in order to minimize damage in local communities.

For more information, contact NRMCA Senior Vice President of State and Local Government Affairs John Loyer at 703-675-7603 or jloyer@nrmca.org.