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.