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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 530 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2310
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
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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 enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/10/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 530 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2310
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2310) of
Marjorie C. Decker relative to automatic sprinklers in certain older high rise buildings. Public
Safety and Homeland Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2441 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 26A ½ of Chapter 148 of the General Laws, as appearing in the
22020 Official Edition, is hereby amended in the first paragraph by striking out the following
3words: “provided, further, that sprinklers shall not be required to be installed in buildings where
4construction has commenced prior to January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-five and which
5have been submitted to the provisions of chapter one hundred and eighty-three A;” and inserting
6in place thereof the following words:-
7 any building where construction has commenced prior to January 1, 1975 and which have
8been submitted to the provisions of chapter 183A shall comply with the following schedule for
9the installation of automatic sprinklers: - one-third of the gross square footage of the building or
10structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March 30, 2026; two-thirds of the gross 2 of 2
11square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March
1230, 2029; and the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with
13automatic sprinklers by March 30, 2033; provided, however, that the owner of said building or
14structure may apply to the board of appeals of the fire safety commission for an extension or a
15waiver of the provisions of this section as provided for in section 201 of chapter 6. Any building
16or structure subject to the provisions of this section shall have the option of complying with the
17following schedule: the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped
18with automatic sprinklers by March 30, 2029; provided, however, that under said option the
19owner of said building or structure shall be deemed to have waived his right to any such
20extension of time.