(a) Wherever used in this section, unless a different meaning clearly appears in the context, the following terms shall be given the following respective interpretations:

(1) PUBLIC BUILDING or STRUCTURE. All buildings constructed for any department, agency, board, commission, council or authority of the State of Alabama, including public school buildings or structures and public buildings or structures of universities and colleges, including any additions to existing buildings or structures.

(2) STATE BUILDING COMMISSION. The building commission of 1945.

(3) RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT PROTECTION. The minimum space and fallout protection criteria recommended by the Office of Civil Defense, United States Department of Defense or its successor organization.

(b) No person, officer, official, board, commission, agency, council or authority shall cause to be planned or constructed any publicly owned building or structure in the State of Alabama costing more than $50,000.00, wherein the use of state funds are involved, including public school buildings and structures and including public buildings and structures of colleges and universities, without incorporating or causing to be incorporated in such building or structure protection from radioactive fallout for at least its normal anticipated occupancy. Such protection shall meet or exceed the minimum space and fallout protection criteria recommended by the Office of Civil Defense, United States Department of Defense, at the time of the beginning of planning of said building.

(c) It shall be the duty of the State Building Commission to certify that all public buildings or structures have been planned or are being constructed with radioactive fallout protection sufficient to comply with the provisions of this section. All public buildings and structures shall have incorporated in the architectural plans provisions for radioactive fallout protection and shall be so constructed, unless such requirement would create an additional net cost in the construction of such building or structure so as to make the provision of radioactive fallout protection economically impracticable or other factors make unnecessary or impracticable the incorporation of such radioactive fallout protection.

Any person, official, board, commission, council, agency or authority desiring an exemption from the requirements of this section with regard to any public building or structure may apply to the State Building Commission for an exemption from the requirements of the provisions of this section and the State Building Commission may grant such exemption if concurred in by the Alabama Director of Emergency Management and the Governor. In making a determination on the question of whether the requirement of radioactive fallout protection is economically impracticable, the State Building Commission shall grant an exemption in any case where application is made therefor if the cost of inclusion of radioactive fallout protection would create an additional net cost in the cost of such public building or structure in excess of the percentages of the estimated costs of such public building or structure as follows:

(1) Four percent for costs of $50,000.00 to $500,000.00.

(2) Three percent for costs of $500,001.00 to $1,500,000.00.

(3) Two percent for costs exceeding $1,500,001.00.