Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2644 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1047 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2644
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Daniel J. Hunt
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to fire protection.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Daniel J. Hunt13th Suffolk1/14/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1047 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2644
18	18	By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2644) of Daniel
19	19	J. Hunt relative to clarifying the standards for requiring the installation of automatic sprinkler
20	20	systems in rehabilitated buildings. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2290 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to fire protection.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 148 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out in its
32	32	2entirety section 26I and inserting in its place the following new section:
33	33	3 Section 26I. In a city, town or district which accepts the provisions of this section, any
34	34	4building hereafter constructed or which undergoes a major alteration or modification and is
35	35	5occupied in whole or in part for residential purposes and containing not less than four dwelling
36	36	6units including, but not limited to, lodging houses, boarding houses, fraternity houses,
37	37	7dormitories, apartments, townhouses, condominiums, hotels, motels and group residences, shall
38	38	8be equipped with an approved system of automatic sprinklers in accordance with the provisions
39	39	9of the State Building Code. In the event that adequate water supply is not available, the head of
40	40	10the fire department shall permit the installation of an alternative or modified fire suppression 2 of 2
41	41	11system as prescribed by the State Building Code in lieu of automatic sprinklers. Owners of
42	42	12buildings with approved and properly maintained installations may be eligible for a reduction on
43	43	13fire insurance. The head of the fire department shall enforce the provisions of this section.
44	44	14 Whoever is aggrieved by the fire department’s interpretation, order, requirement,
45	45	15direction or failure to act under the provisions of this section, may within forty-five days after the
46	46	16service of notice thereof, appeal from such interpretation, order, requirement, direction or failure
47	47	17to act to the automatic sprinkler appeals board as provided in section two hundred and one of
48	48	18chapter six. The board may grant a reasonable waiver from the provisions of this section, or may
49	49	19allow the installation of a reasonable alternative, modified or partial system of automatic
50	50	20sprinklers based upon the characteristics of the building or for those buildings that have
51	51	21architectural or historical significance.
52	52	22 SECTION 2.Nothing in this act shall be construed as limiting the State Building Code
53	53	23from requiring more stringent requirements for installation of automatic sprinklers in residential
54	54	24buildings.
55	55	25 SECTION 3. The provisions of section one shall not apply to construction projects
56	56	26approved by permit within one year prior to the effective date of this act.