HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2843        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 439

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Lenny Mirra

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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 updating the plumbing code in order to accommodate agricultural uses.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2843        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 439

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 309 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act relative to updating the plumbing code in order to accommodate agricultural uses.

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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the board of examiners of plumbers and gas fitters is authorized to amend the Uniform State Plumbing Code, under 248 CMR 10.00, and associated regulations to include a category of agricultural buildings and operations, as defined by section 1A of chapter 128, separate from regulations governing residential and commercial buildings; provided, however, that such amendments shall follow the recommendations provided by the advisory committee formed pursuant to subsection (b) and are approved by the board of examiners of plumbers and gas fitters.

(b) The division shall assemble an advisory committee, consisting of: the chair of the board of state examiners of plumbers and gas fitters, or his designee, who shall co-chair the advisory committee; the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources, or his designee, who shall co-chair the advisory committee; the commissioner of the department of public health, or his designee; one member to be appointed by the division of professional licensure, who shall be a plumbing inspector who works for a municipality; one member appointed by the division, whom shall be a public member, who has no financial or otherwise profitable interest in the plumbing industry, and one member appointed by the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources, whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation and the Agriculture community.  The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the board for amendments to the Uniform State Plumbing Code, and associated regulations pursuant to subsection (a). Such recommendations shall seek to ensure the safety and efficacy of plumbing with agricultural buildings, as well as on-farm processing operations, while ensuring that such requirements are not unnecessarily restrictive and do not unduly interfere with agricultural development within the Commonwealth. The advisory committee shall submit its recommendations to the board within 12 months of the effective date of this act.

(c) Within 6 months of completion of the advisory committee recommendations pursuant to subsection (b), the board shall review the advisory committee’s recommendations and make a determination as to which, if any, amendments shall be incorporated to the Uniform State Plumbing Code.