HB 1575 2023
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hb1575-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public safety emergency 2
communications systems; amending s. 633.202, F.S.; 3
requiring a qualified third party to make a specified 4
certification before a local authority having 5
jurisdiction may require an assessment of the need for 6
or the installation of a two -way radio communications 7
enhancement system in certain buildings; specifying 8
the length of time such certification is valid; 9
limiting the number of times, under certain 10
circumstances, that the local authority having 11
jurisdiction may require a specified assessment; 12
prohibiting the local authority having jurisdiction 13
from withholding a certificate of occupancy under 14
certain circumstances and fr om requiring the 15
installation of a specified system within a certain 16
time period after completion of a specified report; 17
providing an effective date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Subsection (18) of section 633.202, Florida 22
Statutes, is amended to read: 23
633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code. — 24
(18)(a) The authority having jurisdiction shall determine 25
HB 1575 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
the minimum radio signal strength for fire department 26
communications in all new and existing buildings. 27
(b) Two-way radio communication enhancement systems or 28
equivalent systems may be used to comply with the minimum radio 29
signal strength requirements. However, two -way radio 30
communication enhancement systems or equivalent systems are not 31
required in apartment buildings 75 feet or less in height that 32
are constructed using wood framing, provided that the building 33
has less than 150 dwelling units and that all dwelling units 34
discharge to the exterior or to a corridor that leads directly 35
to an exit as defined by the Florida Building Code. Evidence of 36
wood frame construction shall be shown by the owner providing 37
building permit documentation which identifies the construction 38
type as wood frame. 39
(c) Before a local authority having jurisdiction may 40
require an assessment of the need for or the installation of a 41
two-way radio communications enhancement system in a new or 42
existing building, a qualified third party must certify that the 43
jurisdiction's public safety emergency communications system 44
meets or exceeds the minim um radio coverage design criteria for 45
emergency services communications systems in the current edition 46
of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221: 47
Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency 48
Services Communications Systems . Such certification is valid 49
until the next triennial adoption of the Florida Fire Prevention 50
HB 1575 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Code which incorporates any changes made to NFPA 1221. 51
(d) If a jurisdiction has a valid radio coverage design 52
certification under paragraph (c), the local aut hority having 53
jurisdiction may only require an assessment of a new or existing 54
building's interior radio coverage and signal strength in such 55
building once every 3 years for high -rise buildings or once 56
every 5 years for any other buildings in order to dete rmine the 57
need for a two-way radio communications enhancement system. 58
(e)1. If an assessment of a new building's interior radio 59
coverage and signal strength determines that installation of a 60
two-way radio communications enhancement system is required, th e 61
local authority having jurisdiction may not withhold the 62
issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the building if the 63
registered architect or professional engineer who designed the 64
building determines, in his or her professional judgment, that a 65
two-way radio communications enhancement system is not necessary 66
in order for the building to meet the minimum standards for 67
interior radio coverage and signal strength. 68
2. The local authority having jurisdiction may not require 69
the installation of a two -way radio communications enhancement 70
system until at least 90 days after the building's interior 71
radio coverage and signal strength assessment report is 72
completed. 73
(f) Existing high-rise buildings as defined by the Florida 74
Building Code are not required to co mply with minimum radio 75
HB 1575 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
strength for fire department communications and two -way radio 76
communication enhancement systems as required by the Florida 77
Fire Prevention Code until January 1, 2025. However, by January 78
1, 2024, an existing high -rise building that is not in 79
compliance with the requirements for minimum radio strength for 80
fire department communications must apply for an appropriate 81
permit for the required installation with the local government 82
agency having jurisdiction and must demonstrate that the 83
building will become compliant by January 1, 2025. Existing 84
high-rise apartment buildings are not required to comply until 85
January 1, 2025. However, existing high -rise apartment buildings 86
are required to apply for the appropriate permit for the 87
required communications installation by January 1, 2024. 88
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 89