BILL NUMBER: S8005
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring sprinkler
systems to be installed in certain existing buildings
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one titles the bill the "fire safety retrofit act"
Section two amends the executive law by adding section 382-C:
*Provides the definition of a large building and sprinkler system
*Large buildings located in a city of one million or more that do not
currently have a sprinkler system or meets/exceeds the NYS Uniform Fire
Prevention and Building Code must be retrofitted with a sprinkler system
*There must be a compliance plan detailing the scope and timeline.
Buildings will have 5 years to adhere to the bills provisions and exten-
sions may be granted for up to 2 years if hardship is demonstrated
*provides civil penalties
Section three provides the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State and many localities have long-sought to address fire
safety to mitigate death and damage; however, too little progress has
been made to require sprinkler retrofits in many of the buildings that
most need them. Following the Twin Parks fire of 2022, the New York City
Council passed a package of bills aimed at clearly defining the means of
egress in buildings, limiting the types of use of electric space heaters
in buildings and mandating more fire-safety education for tenants and
owners. Each were important pieces of legislation, but individually, and
as a whole, they were woefully inadequate responses to the scale of the
problem that led to the deaths in that fire. In contrast, after the
terrorist attacks of September 11, the City Council passed Local Law 26
of 2004, which did impose a mandate for building retrofits requiring
sprinklers in large office buildings taller than 100 feet within
15.years of the bill's passage. This law has been an effective means to
sprinkler millions of square footage in New York City where thousands of
people work each day. However, the need remains in far too many resi-
dential buildings and schools. New York State commonly leads the nation
in fire deaths, and the sad fact is that the majority of these would
have been prevented if fire-sprinklers were present. It is time for New
York to begin mandating the installation of sprinklers in its,oldo
building stock in order to protect the residents and occupants of these
buildings.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become a law.