Bill > HB2535

This bill, known as the Commercial Data Center Public Safety Act, requires facilities that use a significant amount of electricity (25 megawatts or greater) for data processing, storage, or transmission, referred to as "large load users," to submit specific safety information to local fire officials as a condition of occupancy. Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, these large load users must provide an "emergency operations floor plan," which details the layout of the facility and the location of critical safety features like emergency power shutoffs and fire suppression systems, and a "generalized infrastructure inventory," a non-proprietary summary of potentially hazardous physical assets such as batteries and cooling agents. These submissions must be updated annually, or within 30 days of any significant changes to the facility, such as a substantial increase in power load or changes to battery chemistry. The information submitted is considered confidential security information and is exempt from public disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law to protect facility safety, with access limited to building code officials, fire officials, emergency responders, and law enforcement. Failure to comply can result in compliance orders, civil penalties of up to $10,000 for the first offense and daily penalties thereafter, and potentially the suspension or revocation of the certificate of occupancy.