HB 1153 – AS INTRODUCED

2012 SESSION

12-2376

05/03

HOUSE BILL 1153

AN ACT relative to fire protection of floors in certain detached dwellings.

SPONSORS: Rep. Spainhower, Straf 2

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes minimum fire protection standards for floors of detached single and 2-family dwellings.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

12-2376

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve

AN ACT relative to fire protection of floors in certain detached dwellings.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; State Building Code; Fire Protection of Floors in Certain Detached Dwellings. Amend RSA 155-A by inserting after section 3-a the following new section:

155-A:3-b Code Requirements; Fire Protection of Floors in Certain Detached Dwellings.

I. Notwithstanding any provision of the state building code or state fire code to the contrary, the following fire protection requirements shall apply to the floors of detached single and 2-family dwellings built or substantially rehabilitated after January 1, 2013. Floor assemblies shall be protected by at least 1/2 inch gypsum wallboard membrane or equivalent, on the underside of the floor framing membrane with all penetrations sealed with a fire rated sealant.

II. The requirements of paragraph I shall not apply to any of the following:

(a) A floor assembly located directly over a space protected by automatic fire sprinkler systems in accordance with NFPA 13D multipurpose system which supplies the domestic water for both the fire sprinklers and the plumbing fixtures.

(b) A floor assembly located directly over a crawl space not intended for storage or fuel-fired appliances.

(c) A portion of a floor assembly which complies with the following:

(1) The aggregate area of the unprotected portions shall not exceed 80 square feet per story.

(2) Fire blocking in accordance with the adopted residential building code shall be installed along the perimeter of the unprotected portion to separate the unprotected portion from the remainder of the floor assembly.

III. For purposes of this section, “substantially rehabilitated” has the same meaning as in RSA 153:1, XI.

IV. The requirements of this section shall be enforced as provided in RSA 155-A:7.

V. Any ordinance or bylaw enacted by a city, town, village district, or precinct, or any rule or regulation adopted for licensure by a governmental agency which contains more stringent requirements than the provisions of this section shall not be made void by this section and shall remain in full force and effect.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2013.