EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0222*
HOUSE BILL 222
C2, E4 (5lr1479)
ENROLLED BILL
— Environment and Transportation/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Delegate Stein Delegates Stein, Boyce, Holmes, Otto, Ruth, and
Terrasa
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Fuel Gas Piping Systems and Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing 2
for Fuel Gas Piping Systems– Requirements and Prohibitions – Prohibitions 3
and Study 4
FOR the purpose of prohibiting the sale, offer for sale, transfer, or distribution of 5
non–arc–resistant jacketed corrugated stainless steel tubing that does not meet 6
certain qualifications; requiring certain tubing used; establishing a certain civil 7
penalty for a person who uses certain tubing in the construction of fuel gas piping 8
systems in certain buildings to meet certain qualifications; requiring the Maryland 9
Department of Labor and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to study and make 10
recommendations related to preventing the fire hazards associated with commonly 11
used fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping and corrugated stainless steel 12
tubing, in residential and commercial buildings; and generally relating to fuel gas 13
piping systems, gas piping, and corrugated stainless steel tubing. 14 2 HOUSE BILL 222
BY adding to 1
Article – Business Regulation 2
Section 19–108 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2024 Replacement Volume) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6
Article – Public Safety 7
Section 12–206 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Business Regulation 13
19–108. 14
(A) A PERSON MAY NOT SELL , OFFER FOR SALE , TRANSFER, OR DISTRIBUTE 15
NON–ARC–RESISTANT JACKETED CORRUGATED STAINLESS STEEL TUBING THAT: 16
(1) DOES NOT MEET THE RE QUIREMENTS OF THE LC1027 STANDARD 17
DESCRIBED IN THE MOS T RECENT EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FUEL AND GAS 18
CODE ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL; OR 19
(2) HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN TO WITHSTAND AT LEAS T 36 COULOMBS 20
OF ELECTRICAL ARCING CHARGE BY AN ELECTRI CAL ARCING TEST . 21
(B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS SUBJ ECT TO A CIVIL 22
PENALTY NOT EXCEEDIN G $1,000. 23
Article – Public Safety 24
12–206. 25
(a) This section applies to any building that uses fuel gas piping systems not 26
subject to Title 49, Part 192 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 27
(b) [Non–arc–resistant jacketed] ONLY corrugated stainless steel tubing THAT 28
MEETS THE REQUIREMEN TS OF THE LC1027 STANDARD DESCRIBED I N THE MOST 29
RECENT EDITION OF TH E INTERNATIONAL FUEL AND GAS CODE ISSUED BY THE 30
INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL OR HAS BEEN P ROVEN TO WITHSTAND A T LEAST 31 HOUSE BILL 222 3
36 COULOMBS OF ELECTRIC AL ARCING CHARGE BY AN ELECTRICAL ARCING TEST 1
may [not] be used in: 2
(1) the new construction of a customer–owned natural gas or liquefied 3
propane piping system in a building; 4
(2) a natural gas or liquefied propane piping system in a renovated 5
property if the renovation affects more than 50% of the total square footage of the property; 6
or 7
(3) a natural gas or liquefied propane piping system that requires the 8
addition of a new gas line to the gas piping system. 9
(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS SUBJ ECT TO A CIVIL 10
PENALTY NOT EXCEEDIN G $1,000. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 12
(a) The Maryland Department of Labor and the Office of the State Fire Marshal 13
shall conduct a study and make recommendations related to preventing the fire hazards 14
associated with commonly used fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping and 15
corrugated stainless steel tubing, in residential and commercial buildings. 16
(b) In conducting the study and making the recommendations, the Department 17
and the Office shall: 18
(1) study and compare the fire hazard risks of different types of fuel gas 19
piping systems, including gas piping and corrugated stainless steel tubing; 20
(2) study the likelihood of fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping and 21
corrugated stainless steel tubing, causing a fire in a residential or commercial building 22
following a direct or indirect lightning strike; 23
(3) analyze the effectiveness of existing standards and requirements in the 24
State related to fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping and corrugated stainless steel 25
tubing, and identify areas for improvement; 26
(4) analyze and identify the best practices for state and local legislative, 27
regulatory, and building code standards for fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping 28
and corrugated stainless steel tubing; 29
(5) identify potential legislative or regulatory changes in the State to 30
prevent or minimize the fire hazards associated with fuel gas piping systems, including gas 31
piping and corrugated stainless steel tubing, § 12–206 of the Public Safety Article, and if 32
enacted by S.B. 175 or H.B. 222 of 2025, § 19–108 of the Business Regulation Article; 33
4 HOUSE BILL 222
(6) determine what industry standards or requirements are necessary to 1
prevent or minimize the fire hazards associated with fuel gas piping systems, including gas 2
piping and corrugated stainless steel tubing; 3
(7) determine what standards or requirements are necessary, if any, to 4
address aggravating factors that may reasonably contribute to the failure or 5
malfunctioning of fuel gas piping systems, including gas piping and corrugated stainless 6
steel tubing, and create a fire hazard, such as improper installation or grounding; 7
(8) assess the prevalence of non–arc–resistant jacketed corrugated 8
stainless steel tubing in residential and commercial buildings and the fire hazards that this 9
presents; and 10
(9) assess the feasibility of implementing the standards and requirements 11
identified in this study. 12
(c) In carrying out the study, the Department and the Office shall consult with: 13
(1) the State Fire Prevention Commission; 14
(2) the Maryland Department of Labor; 15
(3) local government entities responsible for residential or commercial gas 16
fitting inspections; and 17
(4) (3) manufacturers of fuel gas piping systems and corrugated stainless steel 18
tubing. 19
(d) (1) On or before December 1, 2025, the Department and the Office shall 20
submit an interim report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in 21
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate Committee on 22
Education, Energy, and the Environment and the House Environment and Transportation 23
Committee. 24
(2) On or before September 1, 2026, the Department and the Office shall 25
report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 26
of the State Government Article, the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the 27
Environment and the House Environment and Transportation Committee. 28
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
October 1, 2027 June 1, 2025. 30