Bill > H1542

This bill establishes a special commission to study and potentially legalize single-stair multi-family residential buildings up to six stories tall in Massachusetts. The commission will be comprised of 11 members representing various professional organizations including the Fire Chiefs Association, American Institute of Architects, National Fire Protection Association, Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and housing advocacy groups. The commission's primary task is to produce a building code amendment that would allow single-stair multi-family residential buildings while developing measures to mitigate potential health and safety risks. The study will draw from an existing report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and will include a technical analysis comparing the safety of single-stair buildings to traditional two-staircase buildings, as well as creating an implementation process and timeline. The bill allocates $250,000 from the General Fund to support the development of the study and its recommendations, with the ultimate goal of potentially changing building regulations to allow this type of residential construction.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1542