HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3245        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2441

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker

_________________

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 enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

2/18/2021

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

2/23/2021

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/24/2021

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

3/8/2021

Danillo A. Sena

37th Middlesex

9/30/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3245        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2441

By Ms. Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2441) of Marjorie C. Decker and others relative to automatic sprinklers in certain older high rise buildings.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings.

 

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. Section 26A ½ of Chapter 148 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition is hereby amended by deleting the following phrase from the first paragraph of said Section 26A ½: “provided, further, that sprinklers shall not be required to be installed in buildings where construction has commenced prior to January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-five and which have been submitted to the provisions of chapter one hundred and eighty-three A;” and replacing it with the following: ”any building where construction has commenced prior to January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-five and which have been submitted to the provisions of chapter one hundred and eighty-three A shall comply with the following schedule for the installation of automatic sprinklers: - one-third of the gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, two thousand and twenty- four; two-thirds of the gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, two thousand and twenty- seven; and the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, two thousand and thirty-one; provided, however, that the owner of said building or structure may apply to the board of appeals of the fire safety commission for an extension or a waiver of the provisions of this section as provided for in section two hundred and one of chapter six. Any building or structure subject to the provisions of this section shall have the option of complying with the following schedule: the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, two thousand and twenty-seven; provided, however, that under said option the owner of said building or structure shall be deemed to have waived his right to any such extension of time.”