(a) (1) The Department, in cooperation with the Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code Advisory Council, the Maryland Department of Labor, and the State Fire Marshal, shall adopt by regulation the Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code.

(2) The MBRC shall be modeled on the nationally applicable recommended rehabilitation provisions developed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.

(b) The purpose of the MBRC is to encourage and facilitate the rehabilitation of existing buildings by reducing the cost of and constraints on rehabilitation that result from existing procedures and standards.

(c) Except as otherwise allowed under this subtitle and Subtitles 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this title, and notwithstanding the Local Government Article, Division II of the Land Use Article, and Division II of the Public Utilities Article and any building codes, mechanical codes, plumbing codes, fire prevention codes, and electrical codes adopted under those articles of the Code, the MBRC applies to all rehabilitation projects for which a construction permit application is received by a local jurisdiction, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, or the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission after adoption of the MBRC.