Administration of construction regulations.

The Mayor or the Mayor’s designee is authorized to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter, including provisions regarding the Construction Codes, building permits, and certificates of occupancy, and all regulations issued pursuant thereto. In regulating and enforcing building permits and certificates of occupancy, the Director shall require an employer, as that term is defined in § 32-1501(10), prior to the issuance of a construction permit to produce proof of Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage. The Director shall seek to assure that all buildings and structures in the District of Columbia are in full compliance with the Construction Codes adopted pursuant to this chapter and all zoning provisions in subchapter IV of Chapter 6 of this title, and regulations issued and enforced under those provisions. The Director shall seek to administer all building permits, certificates of occupancy and other provisions of this chapter, and all regulations issued hereunder, in a manner that is fair, efficient, predictable, readily adaptable to new technologies, consumer-oriented, devoid of unnecessary time delays and other administrative burdens, cost-effective, and directed at enhancing the protection of the public health, welfare, safety and quality of life. The Director may enforce the regulations issued pursuant to this chapter by means of covenants or agreements between the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and an affected party. All such covenants or agreements shall have the prior approval of the Office of the Corporation Counsel for legal sufficiency and compliance with all District and other laws. Where the Office of the Corporation Counsel determines that, under District law, a covenant or agreement may require the review and approval of other District agencies, it shall so notify such agencies and establish an inter-agency process for review and, if required under District law, approval. The Director shall coordinate with the Office of the Corporation Counsel the time required for the review and recommendations by the Office of the Corporation Counsel of any covenant or agreement proposed pursuant to this chapter. The Building Code Official shall have authority over the approval, installation, design, modification, maintenance, testing, and inspection of all new and existing fire protection systems. For purposes of this section, the term “Director” means the Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. To the extent not [sic] authorized by § 6-661.01, and notwithstanding § 6-1409(a), the Mayor, from time to time, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], may establish and revise fees and additional charges regarding the Construction Codes, building permits, and certificates of occupancy, without submission of the proposed rules to the Council for its prior review and approval.