SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2647
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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SENATE, October 23, 2025.
The committee on Housing to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 964) of John J. Cronin, Patricia D. Jehlen, Mike Connolly and Manny Cruz for legislation to study single-stair residential buildings, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 2647).
For the committee,
Julian Cyr
FILED ON: 10/10/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2647
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to study single-stair residential buildings.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission to study and define conditions under which multi-family residential buildings up to six stories in height may be built with a single-staircase. The commission shall produce a report that includes a proposed building code amendment for consideration by the board of building regulations and standards that would allow single-stair multi-family residential buildings of up to six stories, including measures for mitigating any adverse health and safety impacts unique to single-stair multi-family residential buildings.
(b) The commission shall consist of the commissioner of the division of occupational licensure or their designee, who shall serve as chair, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on housing or their designees, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security of their designees, and the following members who shall be appointed by the chair: 1 member representing the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, 2 members of the American Institute of Architects, 1 member who is a practicing fire engineer representing the National Fire Protection Association, 2 members representing the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, 1 member representing the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter, 1 member representing the Home Builders and Remodelers Association, 1 member representing the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, 1 member representing the Center for Building in North America, 1 member representing a building official employed by a municipality with a Class 1 Fire Department and 1 member representing Abundant Housing Massachusetts.
(c) The commission shall consider the report Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in Massachusetts produced by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Boston Indicators, and Utile. The report shall include, but not be limited to, a technical study into the safety of single-stair residential buildings compared to two-staircase buildings, proposed alternate safety modifications to compensate for the staircase reduction, the proposed building code amendment described in subsection (a), the estimated number of additional housing units that would result from said amendment and proposed timeline and process by which the amendment may be implemented. The report shall be submitted to the house and senate clerks, house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on housing and the joint committee on public safety and homeland security by December 15, 2026.