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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7119
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5489
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Introduced by:
(PS)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE,
STATE FIRE SAFETY CODE, STATE BUILDING CODE AND
ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 29-349 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 4
shall have exclusive jurisdiction [in the preparation of and may enforce 5
reasonable regulations for] over explosives and blasting agents. The 6
commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions 7
of chapter 54 regarding the safe and convenient storage, transportation 8
and use of explosives and blasting agents used in connection therewith. 9
[, which] Such regulations shall (1) deal in particular with the quantity 10
and character of explosives and blasting agents to be stored, transported 11
and used, the proximity of such storage to inhabited dwellings or other 12
occupied buildings, public highways and railroad tracks, the character 13
and construction of suitable magazines for such storage, protective 14
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measures to secure such stored explosives and blasting agents and the 15
abatement of any hazard that may arise incident to the storage, 16
transportation or use of such explosives and blasting agents, and (2) be 17
consistent with the State Fire Prevention Code. 18
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 29-357 of the general statutes is 19
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 20
passage): 21
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 22
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over fireworks and the indoor use of 23
pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains for special effects. Said 24
commissioner shall adopt [reasonable] regulations [,] in accordance 25
with the provisions of chapter 54, which regulations shall (1) establish a 26
procedure for the granting of permits for supervised displays of 27
fireworks or for the indoor use of pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains 28
for special effects by municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, 29
other organizations or groups of individuals or artisans in pursuit of 30
their trade, and (2) be consistent with the State Fire Prevention Code. 31
Such permit may be issued upon application to said commissioner and 32
after [(1)] (A) inspection of the site of such display or use by the local 33
fire marshal to determine compliance with the requirements of such 34
regulations, and [(2)] (B) approval of the chiefs of the police and fire 35
departments, or, if there is no police or fire department, of the first 36
selectman, of the municipality wherein the display is to be held as is 37
provided in this section. No such display shall be handled or fired by 38
any person until such person has been granted a certificate of 39
competency by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 40
Protection, in respect to which a fee of two hundred dollars shall be 41
payable to the State Treasurer when issued and which may be renewed 42
every three years upon payment of a fee of one hundred ninety dollars 43
payable to the State Treasurer, provided such certificate may be 44
suspended or revoked by said commissioner at any time for cause. Such 45
certificate of competency shall attest to the fact that such operator is 46
competent to fire a display. Such display shall be of such a character and 47
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so located, discharged or fired as in the opinion of the chiefs of the police 48
and fire departments or such selectman, after proper inspection, will not 49
be hazardous to property or endanger any person or persons. In an 50
aerial bomb, no salute, report or maroon may be used that is composed 51
of a formula of chlorate of potash, sulphur, black needle antimony and 52
dark aluminum. Formulas that may be used in a salute, report or 53
maroon are as follows: [(A)] (i) Perchlorate of potash, black needle 54
antimony and dark aluminum, and [(B)] (ii) perchlorate of potash, dark 55
aluminum and sulphur. No high explosive such as dynamite, fulminate 56
of mercury or other stimulator for detonating shall be used in any aerial 57
bomb or other pyrotechnics. Application for permits shall be made in 58
writing at least fifteen days prior to the date of display, on such notice 59
as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection by 60
regulation prescribes, on forms furnished by the commissioner, and a 61
fee of one hundred dollars shall be payable to the State Treasurer with 62
each such application. After such permit has been granted, sales, 63
possession, use and distribution of fireworks for such display shall be 64
lawful for that purpose only. No permit granted hereunder shall be 65
transferable. Any permit issued under the provisions of this section may 66
be suspended or revoked by the Commissioner of Emergency Services 67
and Public Protection or the local fire marshal for violation by the 68
permittee of any provision of the general statutes, any regulation or any 69
ordinance relating to fireworks. 70
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 29-357a of the general statutes is 71
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 72
passage): 73
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 74
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over supervised displays of special 75
effects produced by pyrotechnics or flame producing devices. Said 76
commissioner shall adopt regulations [,] in accordance with the 77
provisions of chapter 54, which regulations shall (1) establish a 78
procedure for the granting of permits for supervised displays of special 79
effects produced by pyrotechnics, including sparklers and fountains, or 80
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flame producing devices by municipalities, fair associations, 81
amusement parks, other organizations or groups of individuals or 82
artisans in pursuit of their trade, [. Such regulations shall] (2) include 83
provisions for determining the competency of persons intending to 84
discharge or fire such special effects, and (3) be consistent with the State 85
Fire Prevention Code. Such regulations shall not apply to ceremonial 86
activities that include minimal use of pyrotechnics or flame producing 87
devices. 88
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 29-367 of the general statutes is 89
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 90
passage): 91
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 92
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over rockets propelled by rocket 93
motors. Said commissioner shall adopt, and may amend, [reasonable] 94
regulations [,] in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 95
concerning the safe design, construction, manufacture, testing, 96
certification, storage, sale, shipping, operation and launching of rockets 97
propelled by rocket motors, including, but not limited to, solid, liquid 98
and cold propellant, hybrid, steam or pressurized liquid rocket motors. 99
Such regulations shall (1) include provisions for the prevention of injury 100
to life and damage to property and protection of hazards incident to the 101
design, construction, manufacture, testing, storage, sale, shipping, 102
operation and launching of such rockets, and (2) be consistent with the 103
State Fire Prevention Code. The commissioner shall enforce such 104
regulations. 105
Sec. 5. Subsections (b) and (c) of section 29-291a of the general statutes 106
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 107
from passage): 108
(b) There is established an advisory committee consisting of [nine] 109
eleven persons appointed by the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire 110
Marshal shall appoint two members selected from a list of individuals 111
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submitted by the Codes and Standards Committee from the 112
membership of said committee, [and] seven members representing local 113
fire marshals, deputy fire marshals and fire inspectors selected from a 114
list of individuals submitted by the Connecticut Fire Marshals 115
Association and two members selected from a list of individuals 116
submitted by the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit of the Division 117
of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 118
Protection. 119
(c) The State Fire Marshal and the Commissioner of Emergency 120
Services and Public Protection may issue official interpretations of the 121
State Fire Prevention Code [, including interpretations of the 122
applicability of any provision of the code,] upon the request of any 123
person. The State Fire Marshal and the Commissioner of Emergency 124
Services and Public Protection shall jointly compile and index each 125
interpretation and shall publish such interpretations at periodic 126
intervals not exceeding four months. 127
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 29-293 of the general statutes is 128
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 129
1, 2025): 130
(a) (1) The Fire Safety Code and the State Fire Prevention Code shall 131
specify reasonable minimum requirements for fire safety in new and 132
existing buildings and facilities. 133
(2) Any nonresident owner of a building or structure regulated by the 134
State Fire Safety Code and the State Fire Prevention Code, except for 135
residential buildings designed to be occupied by one or two families, 136
shall register with the local fire marshal having jurisdiction over such 137
building or structure, in such form and manner as prescribed by the 138
local fire marshal. The registration shall include the following 139
information: (A) Such nonresident owner's identifying information, and 140
(B) if the nonresident owner is a corporation, partnership, trust or other 141
legal entity, the identifying information for the individual who exercises 142
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day-to-day financial or operational control of such corporation, 143
partnership, trust or other legal entity. For purposes of this subsection, 144
"identifying information" means an individual's name, date of birth, 145
current residential address and motor vehicle operator's license number 146
or other identification number issued by a governmental agency or 147
entity, and "nonresident owner" means an individual who does not 148
reside at a building or structure regulated by the State Fire Safety Code 149
and the State Fire Prevention Code but owns such building or structure 150
or exercises control over such building or structure. 151
Sec. 7. Section 29-291c of the general statutes is repealed and the 152
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 153
(a) When the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal ascertains that 154
there exists in any building, or upon any premises, a condition that 155
violates the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code, the State Fire 156
Marshal or local fire marshal shall order such condition remedied by the 157
owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such remedy shall 158
be in conformance with all building codes, ordinances, rules and 159
regulations of the municipality involved. Such owner or occupant shall 160
be subject to the penalties prescribed by subsection (e) of this section. 161
[and, in addition, may be fined fifty dollars a day for each day's 162
continuance of each violation, to be recovered in a proper action in the 163
name of the state.] 164
(b) Upon failure of an owner or occupant to abate or remedy a 165
violation pursuant to subsection (a) of this section within a reasonable 166
period of time specified by the State Fire Marshal or the local fire 167
marshal, the local fire marshal shall promptly notify, in writing, the 168
prosecuting attorney having jurisdiction in the municipality in which 169
such violation or condition exists of all of the relevant facts. The local 170
fire marshal may request the chief executive officer, any official of the 171
municipality authorized to institute actions on behalf of the 172
municipality in which the hazard exists or the State Fire Marshal, to 173
apply to any court of equitable jurisdiction for an injunction against 174
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such owner or occupant for the purpose of closing or restricting from 175
public service or use the place or premises containing the violation or 176
condition until the violation or condition has been remedied, or the State 177
Fire Marshal may apply for such an injunction without such request. 178
(c) The State Fire Marshal or any local fire marshal empowered to 179
enforce the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code may, as an 180
alternative to issuing an order pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, 181
give the owner or occupant a written citation for any violation of the 182
applicable code. No such citation may be issued if the owner or 183
occupant has been previously issued a citation for the same violation by 184
the State Fire Marshal or the local fire marshal within six months prior 185
to the current violation. Such citation shall contain the name and 186
address, if known, of the owner or occupant, the specific offense 187
charged and the time and place of the violation. The citation shall be 188
signed by the State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal and shall be signed 189
by the owner or occupant in acknowledgment that such citation has 190
been received. The State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal shall, if 191
practicable, deliver a copy of the citation to the owner or occupant at the 192
time and place of the violation or shall use some other reasonable means 193
of notification. Any person who is issued a citation for violation of any 194
provision of the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code in 195
accordance with this subsection shall be fined not more than two 196
hundred fifty dollars. 197
(d) If a local fire marshal issues a citation pursuant to subsection (c) 198
of this section, the state shall remit to the municipalities in which the 199
violations occurred ninety per cent of the proceeds of the fine and shall 200
remit to the State Treasurer the remaining ten per cent. If the State Fire 201
Marshal issues a citation pursuant to said subsection, the state shall 202
remit to the State Treasurer the entire proceeds of the fine. Each clerk of 203
the Superior Court or the Chief Court Administrator, on or before the 204
thirtieth day of January, April, July and October in each year, shall 205
certify to the Comptroller the amount due for the previous quarter 206
under this subsection to each municipality served by the office of the 207
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clerk or official. 208
(e) [In addition to the fine prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, 209
any person] Any person, including, but not limited to, a corporation, 210
partnership, trust or other legal entity, who violates any provision of the 211
State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code shall, for a first offense, 212
be fined [not less than] two hundred fifty dollars [or more than one 213
thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than six months, or both] 214
and, for a subsequent offense, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 215
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 29-306 of the general statutes is 216
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 217
1, 2025): 218
(a) (1) When the local fire marshal ascertains that there exists in any 219
building, or upon any premises, [(1)] (A) combustible or explosive 220
matter, dangerous accumulation of rubbish or any flammable material 221
especially liable to fire, that is so situated as to endanger life or property, 222
[(2)] (B) obstructions or conditions that present a fire hazard to the 223
occupants or interfere with their egress in case of fire, or [(3)] (C) a 224
condition in violation of the statutes relating to fire prevention or safety, 225
or any regulation made pursuant thereto, the remedy of which requires 226
construction or a change in structure, the local fire marshal shall order 227
such materials to be immediately removed or the conditions remedied 228
by the owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such 229
removal or remedy shall be in conformance with all building codes, 230
ordinances, rules and regulations of the municipality involved. 231
(2) Any person, [firm or] corporation, partnership, trust or other legal 232
entity which violates any provision of this subsection shall, for a first 233
offense, be fined [not more than one] two hundred fifty dollars [or be 234
imprisoned not more than three months, or both, and, in addition, may 235
be fined fifty dollars a day for each day's continuance of each violation, 236
to be recovered in a proper action in the name of the state] and, for a 237
subsequent offense, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 238
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Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) The State Building Inspector 239
and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, jointly, with the 240
approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, include in the 241
amendments to the State Building Code next adopted after October 1, 242
2025, provisions that: 243
(1) Require a residential building consisting of six stories and 244
containing less than twenty-five dwelling units to install and maintain 245
a passenger elevator that is of sufficient size to accommodate two 246
persons, one of whom uses a wheelchair; and 247
(2) Define the terms "high tunnels" and "hoop homes" and classify 248
such high tunnels and hoop homes as temporary agricultural structures. 249
Sec. 10. Section 29-253 of the general statutes is repealed and the 250
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 251
(a) [The] Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the State 252
Building Code, including any amendment to said code adopted by the 253
State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee, shall 254
be the building code for all towns, cities and boroughs. 255
(b) Not later than July 1, 2026, the State Building Inspector and the 256
Codes and Standards Committee shall jointly develop and promulgate 257
a model ordinance that establishes a set of energy-efficiency 258
requirements with respect to buildings or building projects that are 259
more stringent than the energy-efficiency requirements of the State 260
Building Code. Said inspector and committee shall consider input from 261
the public and interested parties in the process of developing such 262
model ordinance. A town, city or borough may, by ordinance, adopt 263
such model ordinance and the adopted ordinance shall supersede the 264
energy-efficiency requirements of the State Building Code. The 265
remaining provisions of the State Building Code shall apply to such 266
town, city or borough. 267
[(b)] (c) Nothing in this section shall prevent any town, city or 268
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borough from adopting an ordinance governing the demolition of 269
buildings deemed to be unsafe. As used in this subsection, "unsafe 270
building" means a building that constitutes a fire hazard or is otherwise 271
dangerous to human life or the public welfare. 272
Sec. 11. Section 29-195 of the general statutes is repealed and the 273
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 274
[Each] (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, each 275
elevator or escalator shall be thoroughly inspected by a department 276
elevator inspector at least once each eighteen months, except elevators 277
located in private residences shall be inspected upon the request of the 278
owner. More frequent inspections of any elevator or escalator shall be 279
made if the condition thereof indicates that additional inspections are 280
necessary or desirable. 281
(b) Each elevator at a congregate housing facility shall be thoroughly 282
inspected by a department elevator inspector at least once each twelve 283
months. For each such inspection, the department elevator inspector 284
shall submit a report to the State Building Inspector that describes the 285
status of each elevator at such facility, describes the status of any 286
elevator repair and specifies the duration of time during which any 287
inoperable elevator at such facility is expected to remain inoperable. For 288
purposes of this subsection, "congregate housing" has the same meaning 289
as provided in section 8-119e. 290
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 29-349(a)
Sec. 2 from passage 29-357(b)
Sec. 3 from passage 29-357a(a)
Sec. 4 from passage 29-367(a)
Sec. 5 from passage 29-291a(b) and (c)
Sec. 6 October 1, 2025 29-293(a)
Sec. 7 October 1, 2025 29-291c
Sec. 8 October 1, 2025 29-306(a)
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Sec. 9 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 10 October 1, 2025 29-253
Sec. 11 October 1, 2025 29-195
Statement of Purpose:
To make various revisions to the public safety statutes relating to the
State Fire Prevention Code, State Fire Safety Code, State Building Code
and elevator inspections.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]