HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 982        FILED ON: 1/15/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2121

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Ruth B. Balser

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to enhanced fire protection in new one and two family dwellings.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

 

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

 

Nicholas A. Boldyga

3rd Hampden

 

Donald Humason

 

 

Anne M. Gobi

5th Worcester

 

Thomas P. Kennedy

Second Plymouth and Bristol

 

Denise Andrews

2nd Franklin

 

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 982        FILED ON: 1/15/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2121

By Ms. Balser of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2121) of Ruth B. Balser and others for legislation to require the installation of sprinkler systems in new or substantially rehabilitated construction of single and two family homes.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act relative to enhanced fire protection in new one and two family dwellings.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 148 of the General laws, as appearing in the 2012 “Official Edition”, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Section 26J.  In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, any newly constructed building or any existing building substantially rehabilitated so as to constitute the equivalent of new construction, designed or used for residential occupancy and containing not more than two dwelling units, shall be protected throughout with an adequate system of automatic sprinklers installed in accordance with the provisions of the state building code.  The provisions of this section shall apply to any such building for which a building permit is issued on or after one year from the acceptance of this act by a city or town.

The head of the fire department shall enforce the provisions of this section.

Whoever is aggrieved by the head of the fire department’s interpretation, order, requirement, direction or failure to act under the provisions of this section, may, within forty-five days after the service of notice thereof, appeal from such interpretation, order, requirement, direction, or failure to act, to the board of appeals as provided in section 100 of chapter 143. 

SECTION 2.  Section 27A of chapter 148, as so appearing, is amended by inserting, after the word “service”, in lines 17 and 18, the following new sentence:- This section shall not apply to the seasonal shut-off of automatic sprinklers installed in accordance with the provisions of section 26J of chapter 148, when such shut off has been conducted in accordance with the procedures established by the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations.  For purposes of this section, the Board shall determine what constitutes a seasonal shutoff of automatic sprinklers.