| 4 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 414 |
|---|
| 6 | 5 | | By Davis |
|---|
| 7 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | | |
|---|
| 9 | 8 | | HB0414 |
|---|
| 10 | 9 | | 001018 |
|---|
| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
|---|
| 12 | 11 | | |
|---|
| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 |
|---|
| 14 | 13 | | and Title 68, Chapter 120, relative to places of |
|---|
| 15 | 14 | | worship used for educational purposes. |
|---|
| 16 | 15 | | |
|---|
| 17 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
|---|
| 18 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-120-101, is amended by adding |
|---|
| 19 | 18 | | the following as a new subsection: |
|---|
| 20 | 19 | | (l) |
|---|
| 21 | 20 | | (1) For purposes of this subsection (l), "place of worship" means a |
|---|
| 22 | 21 | | structure primarily used for religious worship and associated activities. |
|---|
| 23 | 22 | | (2) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary: |
|---|
| 24 | 23 | | (A) An existing place of worship may be used for educational |
|---|
| 25 | 24 | | purposes without reclassification of the building's occupancy type; |
|---|
| 26 | 25 | | provided that: |
|---|
| 27 | 26 | | (i) The building complies with the safety upgrade |
|---|
| 28 | 27 | | requirements specified in subdivision (l)(3); and |
|---|
| 29 | 28 | | (ii) The educational use does not exceed the existing |
|---|
| 30 | 29 | | occupancy load as determined by the local fire marshal. |
|---|
| 31 | 30 | | (3) An existing place of worship used for educational purposes must |
|---|
| 32 | 31 | | meet the following fire safety upgrade requirements: |
|---|
| 33 | 32 | | (A) Smoke detectors must be: |
|---|
| 34 | 33 | | (i) Installed in all classrooms, corridors, and common |
|---|
| 35 | 34 | | areas; |
|---|
| 36 | 35 | | (ii) Interconnected to activate simultaneously; and |
|---|
| 37 | 36 | | |
|---|
| 38 | 37 | | |
|---|
| 39 | 38 | | - 2 - 001018 |
|---|
| 40 | 39 | | |
|---|
| 41 | 40 | | (iii) Hardwired to the building's electrical system with |
|---|
| 42 | 41 | | battery backup; |
|---|
| 43 | 42 | | (B) Audible alarms must meet or exceed the decibel levels |
|---|
| 44 | 43 | | required by the building and fire safety codes adopted by the state fire |
|---|
| 45 | 44 | | marshal; |
|---|
| 46 | 45 | | (C) Strobe alarms must be installed in classrooms, assembly |
|---|
| 47 | 46 | | areas, and common areas to ensure alerting of hearing-impaired |
|---|
| 48 | 47 | | individuals; |
|---|
| 49 | 48 | | (D) Emergency exits must be clearly marked, unobstructed, and |
|---|
| 50 | 49 | | in compliance with applicable state and local egress standards; and |
|---|
| 51 | 50 | | (E) Fire extinguishers must be provided and maintained as |
|---|
| 52 | 51 | | required by local fire codes, with at least one (1) extinguisher on each |
|---|
| 53 | 52 | | floor and in each high-risk area such as a kitchen. |
|---|
| 54 | 53 | | (4) A place of worship used for educational purposes that complies with |
|---|
| 55 | 54 | | this subsection (l) is exempt from requirements for automatic fire sprinkler |
|---|
| 56 | 55 | | systems. |
|---|
| 57 | 56 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
|---|