By Representatives Balser of Newton and Harkins of Needham, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2284) of Ruth B. Balser and others for legislation to further regulate the installation of automatic sprinkler systems.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Ruth B. Balser

Lida E. Harkins

William N. Brownsberger

Denise Provost

Kay Khan

Barbara A. L'Italien

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act further regulating the installation of automatic sprinklers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 26G of chapter 148 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph, as so appearing, in its entirety, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:—

Every building or structure, including any additions or major alterations thereto, which total, in the aggregate, more than seventy-five hundred gross square feet in floor area shall be protected throughout with an adequate system of automatic sprinklers in accordance with the provisions of the state building code. No such sprinkler system shall be required unless sufficient water and water pressure exists. For purposes of this section, the gross square feet of a building or structure shall include the sum total of the combined floor areas for all floor levels, basements, sub-basements and additions, in the aggregate, measured from the outside walls, irrespective of the existence of interior fire resistive walls, floors and ceilings. This section shall not apply to buildings used for agricultural purposes as defined in section one A of chapter one hundred and twenty-eight.

SECTION 2. The second paragraph of said section 26G of said chapter 148, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 16 and 17, in two places, the words “or additions” and inserting in place thereof the words:— or structures.

SECTION 3. The second paragraph of said section 26G of said chapter 148, as so appearing, is further amended by striking out the third sentence in its entirety.

SECTION 4. This act shall apply to construction of buildings, structures or additions or major modifications thereto which total in the aggregate more than seventy-five hundred gross square feet approved by permit after July 1, 2008.