The Field Act was one of the first pieces of legislation in the United States to mandate earthquake-resistant construction, and had its genesis in the 6.4 magnitude 1933 Long Beach earthquake which occurred on March 10 of that year and destroyed or rendered unsafe 230 school buildings in Southern California.
Public awareness of this narrowly averted tragedy led to passage of the Act within 30 days of the quake by the California State Legislature.
The act was based on the research done by San Diego architect Louis John Gill, then president of the California State Board of Architectural Examiners, who traveled to the stricken area within hours of the quake and analyzed the structural failures which had caused buildings to collapse.
The same professionals were also required by the Act to periodically inspect the construction while underway and verify that the actual work completed is in compliance with the approved drawings.
The DSA remains the primary enforcement body, and also provides limited review of university buildings, primarily for disabled access issues.