1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 880 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2386
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Edward R. Philips
_________________
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 relative to fire protection systems for buildings and structures.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/11/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 880 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2386
By Representative Philips of Sharon, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2386) of
Edward R. Philips and Vanna Howard relative to fire protection systems for buildings and
structures. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2510 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act relative to fire protection systems for buildings and structures.
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 4 of Chapter 22D, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting,
2in line 80, after the word “code”, the following paragraph:-
3 “The provisions of the fire safety code shall apply to all buildings and structures, other
4than the State House, including buildings and structures owned, operated, or controlled by the
5Commonwealth, its agencies, departments, boards, commissions, or political subdivisions. The
6State Fire Marshal or his/her designee shall enforce the State Fire Code in all state owned or
7controlled buildings.” 2 of 5
8 SECTION 2. Subsection (a) of Section 94 of Chapter 143 of the Massachusetts General
9Laws, as so appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following
10sentence to the second paragraph:-
11 This shall not include standards for fire protection or life safety systems, as defined in
12Section 1 of Chapter 148, installed in new or substantially modified buildings in accordance with
13regulations prescribed by the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations.
14 SECTION 3. Section 95 of Chapter 143 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as so
15appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in subsection (a), in line 5, the words:- and fire
16prevention.
17 SECTION 4. Section 96 of Chapter 143 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as so
18appearing, is hereby amended by inserting in line 3, between the words “demolition” and
19“promulgated”, the following words:- or fire prevention.
20 SECTION 5. Section 1 of Chapter 148 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as so
21appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, between the definitions
22of “Division” and “Head of the Fire Department”, the new definition:-
23 Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems, any equipment or system relating to fire
24protection, fire detection, fire warning, fire suppression or carbon monoxide alarms installed in
25any occupancy defined in 780 CMR or as otherwise defined by the Board of Fire Prevention
26Regulations through regulation. 3 of 5
27 SECTION 6. Section 1 of Chapter 148 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as so
28appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after the definition of
29Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems, the following definition:-
30 Fire Safety Code, the comprehensive regulations promulgated by the Board of Fire
31Prevention Regulations pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of Chapter 22D of the General
32Laws and pursuant to this chapter.
33 SECTION 7. Section 26A of Chapter 148 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as so
34appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out in lines 3 and 4, the
35words “state building code”, and substituting in place thereof the following words:- state fire
36code.
37 SECTION 8. Section 26A of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking
38out, in lines 12 and 13, the words “board of appeals as provided in the state building code and
39section twenty-three of chapter twenty-three B”, and substituting in place thereof the following
40words:- Fire Prevention Regulations Appeals Board as provided in Chapter 22D, section 5.
41 SECTION 9. Section 26A of Chapter 148 , as so appearing, is hereby amended by
42striking out, in lines 3 and 4, the words “state building code” and substituting in place thereof the
43following words:- state fire code
44 SECTION 10. Section 26B of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
45striking out, in lines 4 and 5, the words “state building code” and substituting in place thereof the
46following words:- state fire code. 4 of 5
47 SECTION 11. Section 26B of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby further amended
48by striking out, in lines 13 and 14, the words the “board of appeals as provided in the state
49building code and section twenty-three of chapter twenty-three B”, and substituting in place
50thereof the following words:- Fire Prevention Regulations Appeals Board as provided in Chapter
5122D, section 5
52 SECTION 12. Subsection (d) of Section 26F½ of Chapter 148 , as so appearing, is hereby
53amended by striking out, in lines 25-28, the first sentence of the subsection.
54 SECTION 13. Section 26G of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
55striking out, in line 5, the words “state building code” and substituting in place thereof the
56following words:- state fire code.
57 SECTION 14. Section 26G½ of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
58striking out in lines 6, 7, 19 and 24 the words “state building code” and substituting in place
59thereof the following words:- state fire code
60 SECTION 15. Section 26H of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
61striking out, in line 4, the words “state building code” and substituting in place thereof the
62following words:- state fire code.
63 SECTION 16. Section 26I of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
64striking out, in line 9, the words “state building code” and substituting in place thereof the
65following words:- state fire code.
66 SECTION 17. Section 26I of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is further amended by adding
67the following sentence at the end of the section: 5 of 5
68 Whomever is aggrieved by the head of the fire departments interpretation, order,
69requirement, direction, or failure to act under the provisions of this section, may, within forty-
70five days after the service of notice thereof, appeal from such interpretation, order, requirement,
71direction, or failure to act to the automatic sprinkler appeals board as provided in Section 201 of
72Chapter 6.
73 SECTION 18. Section 28 of Chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding,
74after subsection (3), the following new subsection:
75 (4) to provide adequate standards for the design, installation, or maintenance of fire
76protection and life safety systems in buildings or structures.
77 SECTION 19. The provisions of this act shall take effect on January 1, 2017. The
78provisions of this act shall not apply to any building or structure which was issued a building
79permit prior to January 1, 2017.