Bill > H2386

This bill aims to clarify and strengthen the fire protection regulations for buildings and structures in Massachusetts. Key provisions include: 1. Explicitly applying the state's fire safety code to all buildings and structures, including those owned or controlled by the Commonwealth and its subdivisions, and giving the State Fire Marshal authority to enforce the code in state-owned buildings. 2. Exempting fire protection and life safety systems from the general building code requirements, and placing their regulation under the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations. 3. Renaming references to the "state building code" as the "state fire code" throughout the relevant chapters of Massachusetts law. 4. Expanding the authority of the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations to provide adequate standards for the design, installation, and maintenance of fire protection and life safety systems in buildings. The bill would take effect on January 1, 2017 and would not apply to any building that received a permit prior to that date.