[Your information will be inserted here]
Prefix Firstname Lastname
123 Street Address
MyCity, St 12345

November 20, 2009

[The Official's information will appear here]
The Honorable Firstname Lastname
123 Street Address
Washington, DC 12345
Fax: ###-###-####
Fax: [Leg_Fax]

Dear [Official's Title and Name will be inserted here]:

As a constituent and as a building safety and fire prevention professional I am asking for your support for the passage of the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2008 (CBCAG)- HR 4461 / S 2458.

When enacted and funded, the CBCAG will provide a source of grant funding dedicated to improving public safety through heightened adherence to modern building safety requirements.

Here at home and across the country we are all well served by the availability of modern and regularly updated model building codes. I am proud that the process by which these model codes are developed incorporates the expertise and dedicated participation of thousands of building industry professionals and authorities like me, coming from all sectors of America's economy and geography. These nationally developed model codes are then adopted, with state and local amendment, as requirements for building and fire safety.

The adoption of modern codes, however, must be coupled with capable and thorough local code administration. Many local jurisdictions lack the resources necessary to fully establish a code enforcement program that will ensure that local buildings meet the requirements of their building code. The CBCAG is designed to assist those jurisdictions short on resources but committed to improvement of the quality of the built-environment through effective on-going local code administration.

The enhancement of local capability through the CBCAG will serve the nation as well as improving the local quality of life. Through a study undertaken by the National Institute of Building Sciences we know that for every federal $1 spent on mitigation and prevention, nearly $4 is saved in future federal expenditures on disaster assistance. Achieving the result of safer, better and more energy efficient buildings will serve us for decades.

As a competitive grant program the CBCAG will assist in creating long-lasting capabilities in communities ready to build and to sustain a program of dedicated and professional code enforcement. The CBCAG will serve local needs, provide local benefits and, in the long-run, reduce burdens on national taxpayers.

I appreciate your review of this legislation and ask you to join as a co-sponsor and support its passage. HR 4461 passed the full House on July 9, with no opposition, and we are hopeful that the Senate will act before the end of 2008.

Should you need additional information on the CBCAG, I encourage you to visit the International Code Council at www.iccsafe.org/government/congressional/code-grant/.

Sincerely,

[Your name will appear here.]