Senate passes legislation to prevent another Berkeley balcony collapse

The California State Senate has passed new legislation raising oversight of building contractors in the US in light of the Berkeley balcony collapse which killed six students last year.

The passing of the laws by a vote of 37 to 0 means it will now go to the governor for consideration. He has until September 30 to act on bringing them into law.

“SB 465 [the legislation] is in response to last year’s tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley that killed six students and severely injured seven others,” Jerry Hill, who helped to formulate the legislation, told his fellow senators ahead of the vote. “It ensures that the state agencies tasked with overseeing the construction industry are taking appropriate steps to identify bad actors and improve building standards.”