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H2644 • 2025

An Act relative to fire protection

An Act relative to fire protection

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Daniel J. Hunt
Last action
2025-10-09
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to fire protection

An Act relative to fire protection By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to fire protection By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2644) of Daniel J.
  • Hunt relative to clarifying the standards for requiring the installation of automatic sprinkler systems in rehabilitated buildings.
  • Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-09 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting

  2. 2025-10-09 House

    Rules suspended

  3. 2025-10-09 House

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  4. 2025-09-22 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  5. 2025-06-05 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/11/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

  7. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to fire protection
By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2644) of Daniel J. Hunt relative to clarifying the standards for requiring the installation of automatic sprinkler systems in rehabilitated buildings. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2644

SECTION 1. Chapter 148 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out in its entirety section 26I and inserting in its place the following new section:

Section 26I. In a city, town or district which accepts the provisions of this section, any building hereafter constructed or which undergoes a major alteration or modification and is occupied in whole or in part for residential purposes and containing not less than four dwelling units including, but not limited to, lodging houses, boarding houses, fraternity houses, dormitories, apartments, townhouses, condominiums, hotels, motels and group residences, shall be equipped with an approved system of automatic sprinklers in accordance with the provisions of the State Building Code.

In the event that adequate water supply is not available, the head of the fire department shall permit the installation of an alternative or modified fire suppression system as prescribed by the State Building Code in lieu of automatic sprinklers.

Owners of buildings with approved and properly maintained installations may be eligible for a reduction on fire insurance.

The head of the fire department shall enforce the provisions of this section.

Whoever is aggrieved by the fire department’s interpretation, order, requirement, direction or failure to act under the provisions of this section, may within forty-five days after the service of notice thereof, appeal from such interpretation, order, requirement, direction or failure to act to the automatic sprinkler appeals board as provided in section two hundred and one of chapter six.

The board may grant a reasonable waiver from the provisions of this section, or may allow the installation of a reasonable alternative, modified or partial system of automatic sprinklers based upon the characteristics of the building or for those buildings that have architectural or historical significance.

SECTION 2.Nothing in this act shall be construed as limiting the State Building Code from requiring more stringent requirements for installation of automatic sprinklers in residential buildings.

SECTION 3. The provisions of section one shall not apply to construction projects approved by permit within one year prior to the effective date of this act.

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