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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 7119
AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE, THE
STATE FIRE SAFETY CODE, THE REPORTING OF IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION, THE STATE BUILDING CODE, ORDERS OF
BUILDING INSPECTORS AND LOCAL FIRE MARSHALS AND
ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS.
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes to laws regarding the state building
and fire codes and responsibilities for nonresident owners and
landlords. Principally, the bill:
1. requires Department of Emergency Services and Public
Protection (DESPP) regulations on explosives, fireworks,
pyrotechnics, and rockets to be consistent with the State Fire
Prevention Code (§§ 1-4);
2. increases the membership of the state fire marshal’s advisory
committee to include two individuals suggested by DESPP’s Fire
and Explosion Investigation Unit (§ 5);
3. allows the DESPP commissioner to issue official interpretations
of the State Fire Prevention Code, instead of only the state fire
marshal being able to do so (§ 5);
4. requires nonresident owners and certain federally contracted
providers of rental real property in municipalities with 25,000 or
more people to provide their identifying information to the town,
and landlords to comply (§§ 6 & 7);
5. increases potential fines for subsequent violations of (a) the State
Building Code, State Fire Prevention Code, or Fire Safety Code or
(b) ignoring a building inspector’s written order (§§ 8-10);
6. modifies penalties for people who create fire hazards that 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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endanger life or property (§ 11);
7. requires the State Building Code to be amended to (a) specifically
allow the installation of elevators of a certain size in residential
buildings with six or fewer floors and less than 25 residential
units and (b) define certain terms related to temporary
agricultural structures (§ 12);
8. tasks the State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards
Committee (CSC) with creating and sharing a model ordinance
with stricter energy-efficiency requirements than the State
Building Code that supersede the code’s comparable
requirements for municipalities that adopt the ordinance (§ 13);
and
9. requires age-restricted privately owned multifamily housing
projects to have their elevators inspected at least once every 12
months by a Department of Administrative Services (DAS)
elevator inspector (§ 14).
The bill also makes minor, technical, and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2025, except the provisions on
DESPP’s regulations and the state fire marshal are effective upon
passage.
§§ 1-4 — DESPP’S REGULATIONS FOR EXPLOSIVES,
FIREWORKS, PYROTECHNICS, AND ROCKETS
Existing law gives the DESPP commissioner regulatory authority
over the use of explosives and blasting agents; fireworks; indoor
pyrotechnics, sparklers, and fountains for special effects; supervised
special effect displays with pyrotechnics or flame producing devices;
and rockets propelled by rocket motors.
The bill requires that the regulations concerning the use of these
products be consistent with the State Fire Prevention Code. It also
specifies that the commissioner has exclusive jurisdiction over them all,
instead of only explosives and blasting agents as under current law. 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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§ 5 — STATE FIRE MARSHAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The bill expands the membership of the state fire marshal’s advisory
committee from 9 to 11 members by including two individuals from a
list DESPP’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit submits to the state
fire marshal. By law, this committee coordinates with the state fire
marshal on the State Fire Prevention Code’s adoption and
administration.
Currently, the committee consists of two individuals from a list of
Codes and Standards Committee members that committee submits and
the other seven represent local fire marshals, deputy fire marshals, and
fire inspectors, selected from a list provided by the Connecticut Fire
Marshals Association. By law, unchanged by the bill, the state fire
marshal appoints the members to the committee.
§ 5 — STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE INTERPRETATION
The bill allows the DESPP commissioner, instead of only the state fire
marshal, to issue official interpretations of the State Fire Prevention
Code, upon request.
Correspondingly, the bill requires the commissioner to jointly
compile, index, and publish the code interpretations with the state fire
marshal, instead of the fire marshal doing this on her own. By law, these
interpretations must be published at least quarterly.
§§ 6 & 7 — NONRESIDENT OWNERS OR LANDLORDS OF RENTAL
REAL PROPERTY
The bill requires municipalities with a population of at least 25,000
based on the most recent decennial census (“covered municipalities,”
for this bill analysis) to require certain residential property owners and
landlords to report specified information to the municipality, such as
their current residential address. Existing law allows, but does not
require, all municipalities to do so.
The bill also requires the reports to covered municipalities to include
other identifying information for the owner, landlord, or agent in charge
of the building. Under current law, this requirement applies only to 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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certain individuals associated with a business entity that owns rental
property.
Additionally, under the bill, violators commit a violation punishable
by a $250 to $1,000 fine, rather than an infraction.
The bill adds complying with the modified reporting requirement to
the law’s list of landlord responsibilities. Under existing law, (1) rental
agreements cannot allow landlords to receive rent payments for any
period during which the landlord is noncompliant with these
responsibilities (CGS § 47a-4a) and (2) a tenant who claims that the
landlord failed to perform his or her legal duties may generally bring an
action in Superior Court to seek relief (CGS § 47a-14h).
Municipal Landlord Identification Requirements
Current law allows municipalities to require nonresident property
owners and landlords renting to federal Housing Choice Voucher
program participants (also known as “project-based housing providers”
or PBHPs) to report certain information to the tax assessor or another
designated municipal officer. This information must include the
following:
1. the owner’s or PBHP’s current residential address, if they are an
individual, or
2. the current residential address of (a) the agent in charge of the
building and (b) each person who exercises day-to-day financial
or operational control of the property (the “controlling
participants”), if the owner or PBHP is a business entity that
owns rental property in the state.
For business entities, this report must also include identifying
information for the controlling participants.
Identifying Information and Nonresident Owners
Current law does not define “identifying information,” but under the
bill it is proof of a person’s name, birth date, current residential address,
and driver’s license number or other government-issued identification 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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number. The bill also defines nonresident owner, which is a person (or
entity) who does not live at the residential rental property and is either
(1) an owner or (2) a controlling participant.
Covered Municipalities
Under the bill, covered municipalities must require nonresident
property owners and PBHPs to report the information described above
to them. For these municipalities, the bill also expands the reporting
requirement to include accurate identifying information for the
nonresident owner, PBHP, or agent in charge. Under current law,
reports provided to a tax assessor on or after October 1, 2023, are exempt
from disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. The bill
makes these reports exempt regardless of when they were provided.
Violations of Reporting Requirement
Under the bill, a person who violates the reporting requirement
discussed above commits a violation punishable by a $250 to $1,000 fine,
rather than an infraction as under current law. (Infractions are
punishable by fines, usually set by Superior Court judges, of between
$35 and $90, plus a $20 or $35 surcharge and an additional fee based on
the amount of the fine.)
Existing law also allows municipalities to adopt an ordinance setting
a civil penalty for violations of the reporting requirement. The penalty
cannot exceed $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent
violations. Anyone who is assessed a civil penalty may appeal to the
Superior Court (CGS § 47a-6b).
§§ 8-11 — BUILDING CODE AND FIRE-RELATED VIOLATIONS
Increased Fines for Repeat Code or Building Inspector Order
Violations
Under current law, violations of the State Building Code, State Fire
Prevention Code, and Fire Safety Code are punishable by a fine of $200
to $1,000, up to six months in prison, or both. The same penalties apply
for violating a building inspector’s written order to provide exit facilities
or to repair, alter, or remove part of a building. 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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The bill increases the possible fine for subsequent violations to $500
to $2,000, while keeping the same maximum prison term.
As under existing law, fire code-related violations may also be subject
to a fine of $50 per day for each day the violation continues.
Increased Penalties for Fire Hazards
Under current law, anyone who (1) stores combustible materials in a
way that poses an increased fire risk to people or property; (2) creates
an environment that poses a fire risk or would interfere with people
exiting a premise in the case of a fire; or (3) violates any laws on fire
prevention or safety can be fined up to $100, imprisoned up to three
months, or both, and fined an additional $50 for each day the conditions
remain at the premises.
Under the bill, first-time violators can be fined up to $250 but are no
longer subject to possible daily fines or imprisonment. Repeat violators
are guilty of a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to
$2,000 and up to 364 days in prison.
§§ 12 & 14 — RESIDENTIAL ELEVATORS
The bill requires the next adopted version of the State Building Code
to explicitly permit the installation of elevators large enough for two
people, including one in a wheelchair, in residential buildings with (1)
six or fewer floors and (2) less than 25 residential units. The bill also
requires the next code revision to define “high tunnels” and “hoop
homes” and classify them as temporary agricultural structures.
Specifically, the state building inspector and CSC, with the DAS
commissioner’s approval, must include these amendments in the next
code update.
Inspections (§ 14)
The bill requires that all privately owned multifamily housing
projects must have their elevators inspected at least once every 12
months by a DAS elevator inspector. Following each inspection, the
inspector must submit a report to the state building inspector that
describes the status of (1) each elevator on the premises and (2) any 2025HB-07119-R000410-BA.DOCX
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ongoing elevator repair, including how long any elevator is expected to
remain inoperable.
A privately owned multifamily housing project is a real property that
is at least 15 stories tall, contains age restricted dwelling units, and is
subject to a mortgage ensured under the National Housing Act (12
U.S.C. § 1701).
§ 13 — MODEL ENERGY -EFFICIENCY MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE
The bill requires the state building inspector and the CSC, by July 1,
2026, to create and share a model ordinance with stricter energy-
efficiency requirements than the State Building Code. In developing the
ordinance, the inspector and committee must consider input from the
public and those with interest in the matter. Municipalities can adopt
the ordinance, and if they do, it supersedes the energy efficiency
requirements in the building code.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Safety and Security Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 29 Nay 0 (03/18/2025)