A Registration Provider is an entity that has been approved by the Energy Commission to provide Data Registry services. Registration Providers maintain Data Registries that conform to the requirements in Appendix JA7, with additional guidance specified in the Data Registry Requirements Manual. Registration Providers are required to retain completed Registered Compliance Documents and Compliance Registration Packages and make copies of the registered documents available to authorized users for submittals to enforcement agencies or to other parties to the building project that require the documents. Registration Providers make services available that enable authorized users of their Data Registry to verify the authenticity of paper and electronic copies of the retained registered documents.

In order to facilitate Commission oversight of a Registration Provider's documentation processes, the Registration Providers shall grant authorization to Energy Commission staff to view the data and documents retained in the Data Registry, and shall provide functionality that allows Energy Commission staff to query and download retained data or documents.

For residential compliance document registration, the Registration Provider shall be approved in accordance with the requirements in Section JA7.8, and shall also be a HERS Provider approved by the Energy Commission.

For nonresidential compliance document registration, the Registration Provider shall be approved in accordance with the requirements in Section JA7.8.

The Registration Provider shall only use XML Schema approved by the Commission in a nonresidential data registry.

Authorized users are persons who have established a user account with a Data Registry and are required to provide their correct username and password in order to access the secured information in that Data Registry. Data Registry authorized users may be required to provide proof of professional licensure, professional certification, or other qualifying information as a condition for receiving authority to access records or provide signatures for certain types of documentation. User accounts shall be established for each Data Registry for which a user must gain access.

The information required to establish a user account with a Data Registry shall be determined by the Registration Provider who shall gather and verify any and all information necessary to validate a user applicant's identity or applicable professional qualifications as prerequisite to authorizing assignment to a user applicant an electronic signature, or permissions as a documentation author, or permissions as a registration signer.

Authorized Users may not share their Secure Login with any other individual for any purpose. Violation of this policy may constitute fraud, and can be cited as a reason for denial of access for all the persons involved, including the user who releases their Secure Login to another person or persons, and the person or persons who use the Secure Login to gain access the Data Registry.

The roles and responsibilities in the remainder of this section JA7.4 describe specific types of authorized users of the Data Registry.

Refer to the Data Registry Requirements Manual for additional guidance regarding user accounts and authorized users.

Data Registries may provide user accounts that allow users to view only certain records. These types of accounts may allow access to records to view, print or download copies of compliance documents in order to validate the information submitted to enforcement agencies on paper copies of registered documents, and for determining the status of completion of the full documentation package for a project.

Documentation Authors are persons who prepare Title 24, Part 6 compliance documents that must subsequently be reviewed and signed by a Registration Signer (responsible person) in order to certify compliance with Part 6.

Documentation Authors assist with input of information required to complete the compliance documents required for the registration procedures in a Data Registry. Documentation authors who provide support for preparation of compliance documents in a Data Registry shall establish a user account and an electronic signature authority with the Data Registry. Documentation Authors shall sign the documents they prepare, but documentation author signatures do not indicate or assume responsibility for the truth or validity of the information reported on a compliance document. Documentation Authors may engage in business relationships with the Registration Signers they assist, or they may be employees of the Registration Signers they assist.

The Field Technician is responsible for performing the acceptance test procedures and documenting the results of the acceptance tests on a Certificate of Acceptance. The Field Technician shall sign the Certificate of Acceptance to certify that the information he reports on the Certificate of Acceptance is true and correct. When registration of a Certificate of Acceptance is required, the Field Technician shall establish a user account and an electronic signature authority with the Data Registry in order to provide electronic signatures to complete the Certificate of Acceptance. When a Field Technician also performs the data input to prepare the Certificate of Acceptance documentation, the Field Technician shall also provide the documentation author signature on the Certificate of Acceptance. The Field Technician may be, but is not required to be the installer of the system that requires Acceptance Testing. Field Technicians shall be certified Acceptance Test Technicians (ATT) when required by Sections 10-103.1 or 10-103.2.

The Registration Signer is the person responsible for the work identified on a compliance document (Certificate of Compliance, Certificate of Installation, Certificate of Acceptance, or Certificate of Verification).

1. For Certificate of Compliance documentation, the Registration Signer shall be eligible under Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code to accept responsibility for the building design.
2. For Certificate of Installation documentation, the Registration Signer shall be eligible under Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code to accept responsibility for the building construction or installation in the applicable classification for the scope of work identified on the document.
3. For Certificate of Acceptance documentation, the Registration Signer shall be eligible under Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code to accept responsibility for the system design, construction or installation in the applicable classification for the scope of work identified on the document.
4. For Certificate of Verification documentation, the Registration Signer shall be a certified HERS Rater.

The Registration Signer shall provide a signature to certify that the information reported on a compliance document for which he is responsible is true and correct. When registration of a compliance document is required, the Registration Signer shall establish a user account and an electronic signature authority with the Data Registry. When a Registration Signer also performs the data input to prepare a compliance document, the Registration Signer shall also provide the documentation author signature on the compliance document.

Standards Section 10-103(d) requires the Enforcement Agency to verify that all required compliance documents for a project are completed, signed, and submitted or posted as required by Standards Section 10-103(a). Thus, when Section 10-103(a) requires that a compliance document be registered with a Data Registry, the Enforcement Agency must verify that compliance documents submitted when applying for a permit, or posted in the field are registered documents. Such enforcement agency verification shall be by any valid means the Enforcement agency considers satisfactory.

Enforcement Agency persons may establish user accounts with data registries to enable viewing the compliance documents for projects for which their jurisdiction has enforcement authority.

Enforcement Agencies may be authorized to enter notations into project records in data registries to communicate plan check and field inspection information to builders, designers, installers, raters, and other parties to the project.

At any time, Commission staff may request access to those documents and associated Compliance Registration Package that a Registration Provider is required to maintain pursuant to Title 24, Part 1; Title 24, Part 6; or Appendix JA7. Upon receipt of a request for access, a Registration Provider shall provide Commission staff with copies of, or access to, those documents and associated Compliance Registration Package specified in the request within 30 days of receipt of the request, unless granted an extension by Commission staff.

If a Registration Provider fails to provide Commission staff with copies of, or access to, those documents and associated Compliance Registration Package, the Registration Provider shall explain in writing, fully and concisely, the basis for their failure to provide access or copies of those documents and associated Compliance Registration Package.

If a Registration Provider fails to comply with this or any other provision of Appendix JA7, Commission staff may initiate a review of the Registration Provider’s Data Registry approval pursuant to JA 7.8.4.2.

This subsection shall not be construed to limit existing enforcement oversight authority by Commission staff pursuant to any other provision of Appendix JA7.