§21-9-11. State may act as primary inspection agency.

(a) This state, acting through the board, is hereby granted all powers and authority necessary to act as a primary inspection agency and to perform the functions of a "design approval primary inspection agency" and a "production inspection primary inspection agency", as the terms are defined in the federal standards. The board may apply to the secretary of HUD on behalf of this state to act as the primary inspection agency, including application for approval to act as the exclusive production inspection primary inspection agency in this state. The board may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code necessary to enable the board to act on behalf of this state as the primary inspection agency.

(b) The board may provide inspections to private home sites to aid in the resolution of a consumer complaint filed with the board by the home owner. The board may provide, free of charge, one initial and one follow-up inspection related to each consumer complaint: Provided, That the board may charge a licensee an inspection fee for any follow-up inspections which are necessitated by a licensee's failure to comply with an order of the board. The inspection fee may not exceed $75 per hour, plus expenses.