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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 804 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 964 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | John J. Cronin |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act to study single-stair residential buildings. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John J. CroninWorcester and MiddlesexPatricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/19/2025Mike Connolly26th Middlesex2/19/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex3/4/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 804 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 964 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 964) of John J. Cronin, Patricia D. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Jehlen, Mike Connolly and Manny Cruz for legislation to study single-stair residential buildings. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Housing. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act to study single-stair residential buildings. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2commission to study and define conditions under which Single-Stair Multi-Family Residential |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3buildings up to six stories shall be legalized in Massachusetts. The commission shall produce a |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4building code amendment that allows single-stair multi-family residential buildings of up to six |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5stories, including measures for mitigating any adverse health and safety impacts unique to single- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6stair multi-family residential buildings. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7 (b) The commission shall consist of 1 member representing the Fire Chiefs Association |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8of Massachusetts, 2 members of the American Institute of Architects, 1 member who is a |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9practicing fire engineer representing the National Fire Protection Association, 2 members |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10representing the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, 1 member representing the |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter, 1 member representing the Home |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12Builders and Remodelers Association, 1 member representing NAIOP, 1 member representing 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13the Center for Building in North America, 1 member representing a building official employed |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14by a municipality with a Class 1 Fire Department, and 1 member representing Abundant Housing |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15Massachusetts. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16 (c) The study shall build on the report Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17Massachusetts produced by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Boston Indicators, and |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18Utile and shall include, but not be limited to: a technical study into the safety of single-stair |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19residential buildings compared to two-staircase buildings, and a process map and timeline for |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20implementation of the building code amendment. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21 (d) For costs associated with developing the study and its recommendations, $250,000 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22shall be allocated from the General Fund. |
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