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69th Legislature 2025 SB 331.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – SB 331
1 SENATE BILL NO. 331
2 INTRODUCED BY J. TREBAS, D. ZOLNIKOV, D. HARVEY, G. LAMMERS, K. ZOLNIKOV, L. BREWSTER, G.
3 NIKOLAKAKOS, C. POPE
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING STATE BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS;
6 REQUIRING THAT ALL STATE BUILDINGS HAVE AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLER OR FIRE SUPPRESSION
7 SYSTEMS INSTALLED; AND AMENDING SECTION 50-60-203, MCA.”
8
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
10
11 Section 50-60-203, MCA, is amended to read:
12 "50-60-203. (1) (a) The department shall adopt
13 rules relating to the construction of, the installation of equipment in, and standards for materials to be used in all
14 buildings or classes of buildings, including provisions dealing with safety, accessibility to persons with
15 disabilities, sanitation, and conservation of energy. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is of
16 significant public interest for purposes of 2-3-103.
17 (b) Rules concerning the conservation of energy must conform to the policy established in 50-60-
18 801 and to relevant policies developed under the provisions of Title 90, chapter 4, part 10.
19 (2) The department may adopt by reference nationally recognized building codes in whole or in
20 part, except as provided in subsections (5) and (6), and may adopt rules more stringent than those contained in
21 national codes.
22 (3) The rules, when adopted as provided in parts 1 through 4, constitute the "state building code"
23 and are acceptable for the buildings to which they are applicable.
24 (4) The department shall adopt rules that permit the installation of below-grade liquefied petroleum
25 gas-burning appliances.
26 (5) The department may not include in the state building code:
27 (a) a requirement for the installation of a fire sprinkler system in a single-family dwelling or a
28 residential building that contains no more than two dwelling units; or ****
69th Legislature 2025 SB 331.1
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1 (b) a requirement that buildings be constructed to have solar panels or wiring, batteries, or other
2 equipment for solar panels or electric vehicles.
3 (6) The department may not include in the state building code a prohibition of or limitation on the
4 use of electric, natural gas, propane, or other energy source.
5 (7) (a) The department shall, by rule, adopt by reference the most recently published edition of the
6 national fire protection association's publication NFPA 99C for the installation of medical gas piping systems.
7 The department may, by rule, issue plumbing permits for medical gas piping systems and require inspections of
8 medical gas piping systems.
9 (b) A state, county, city, or town building code compliance officer shall, as part of any inspection,
10 request proof of a medical gas piping installation endorsement from any person who is required to hold an
11 endorsement or who, in the inspector's judgment, appears to be involved with onsite medical gas piping activity.
12 The inspector shall report any instance of endorsement violation to the inspector's employing agency, and the
13 employing agency shall report the violation to the board of plumbers.
14 (8) The department may not prohibit or limit in the state building code the use of refrigerants listed
15 as acceptable for use by the United States environmental protection agency pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 7671k as
16 safe alternatives to class I and class II ozone-depleting substances. Any equipment containing the alternative
17 refrigerant must be installed in accordance with applicable safety standards and use conditions as determined
18 by the environmental protection agency.
19 (9) (a) The department shall permit a place of religious worship to use its building space to
20 accommodate temporary overnight visitors for the purpose of religious retreats, ministry programs, overnight
21 events, and emergency or catastrophic occurrences or to provide shelter or to accommodate displaced persons
22 due to hardship or inclement weather, provided that:
23 (i) a place of religious worship may not accommodate overnight visitors in the aggregate for more
24 than 75 days in a calendar year unless the governor has declared a state of emergency pursuant to 10-3-303 or
25 exigent circumstances exist;
26 (ii) a place of religious worship acting in accordance with this subsection (9) may not charge for
27 the temporary accommodation of overnight visitors; and
28 (iii) a place of religious worship that temporarily accommodates overnight visitors as provided in ****
69th Legislature 2025 SB 331.1
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1 this subsection (9) has one of the following:
2 (A) an automatic fire sprinkler system in the area used for temporary overnight accommodations
3 that is monitored by a third party; or
4 (B) a hard-wired, stand-alone fire and smoke alarm in the area used for temporary overnight
5 accommodations in addition to an exit door or window opening directly to a public way, exit court, or yard area.
6 (b) The use of places of religious worship that offer temporary overnight accommodations as
7 allowed in subsection (9)(a) is not a change in occupancy, purpose, or use.
8 (c) A place of religious worship is not in violation of the state building code for the sole reason that
9 the place of religious worship hosts temporary overnight visitors as allowed in subsection (9)(a).
10 (10) The department shall include in the state building code a requirement that any building owned
11 or operated by the state must have an automatic fire sprinkler or fire suppression system installed.
12 (10)(11)As used in this section, "place of religious worship" means a building or portion of a building
13 that is intended for the performance of religious services classified as assembly group A-3 by the International
14 Building Code as it read on January 1, 2023."
15 - END -