Connecticut HB 5401: AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE, STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE AND FIRE SAFETY CODE.

Bill Text

Substitute House Bill No. 5401 
 
Public Act No. 26-58 
 
 
AN  ACT  CONCERNING  REVISIONS  TO  THE  STATE  BUILDING 
CODE, STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE AND FIRE SAFETY CODE. 
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  Subsection  (a)  of  section  29-252  of  the  general  statutes  is 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 
1, 2026): 
(a)  (1)  The  State  Building  Inspector  and  the  Codes  and  Standards 
Committee  shall,  jointly,  with  the  approval  of  the  Commissioner  of 
Administrative  Services  and  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
section 29-252b, adopt and administer a State Building Code based on a 
nationally recognized model building code for the purpose of regulating 
the design, construction and use of buildings or structures to be erected 
and the alteration of buildings or structures already erected and make 
such amendments thereto as they, from time to time, deem necessary or 
desirable. Such amendments shall be limited to administrative matters, 
geotechnical and weather-related portions of said code, amendments to 
said  code  necessitated  by  a  provision  of  the  general  statutes  and  any 
other  matter  which,  based  on  substantial  evidence,  necessitates  an 
amendment  to  said  code.  The [code] State  Building  Code shall  be 
revised as deemed necessary to incorporate any subsequent revisions to 
the nationally recognized model building code not later than [eighteen 

Substitute House Bill No. 5401 
 
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months] two  years following  the  date  of  first  publication  of  such 
subsequent revisions to the nationally recognized model building code, 
provided no revisions to the State Building Code shall be required after 
the first publication of revisions to the 2024 nationally recognized model 
code and prior to the first publication of revisions to the 2030 nationally 
recognized model code. The purpose of [said] the State Building Code 
shall  also  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  promoting  and  ensuring  that 
such  buildings  and  structures  are  designed  and  constructed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  conserve  energy  and,  wherever  practicable,  facilitate  the 
use  of  renewable  energy  resources,  including  provisions  for  electric 
circuits  capable  of  supporting  electric  vehicle  charging  in  any  newly 
constructed  residential  garage  in  any  code  adopted  after  July  8,  2013. 
[Said] The  State Building  Code  includes  any  code,  rule  or  regulation 
incorporated   therein   by   reference.   As   used   in   this   subsection, 
"geotechnical"   means   any   geological   condition,   such   as   soil   and 
subsurface soil condition, which may affect the structural characteristics 
of a building or structure. 
(2) In adopting amendments to the State Building Code pursuant to 
subdivision  (1)  of  this  subsection,  the  State  Building  Inspector,  the 
Codes    and    Standards    Committee    and    the Commissioner    of 
Administrative Services shall consider that the housing shortage in the 
state  compromises  the  safety  of  residents  who  cannot  afford  a  safe 
home,   and   any   such   amendments   shall   encourage   production   of 
buildings  that  include  safe  housing  and   can  be  constructed  at  a 
reasonable cost. 
Sec.  2.  Subsection  (a)  of  section  29-291a  of  the  general  statutes  is 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 
1, 2026): 
(a)   The   State   Fire   Marshal,   in   coordination   with   the   advisory 
committee  established  under  subsection  (b)  of  this  section  and  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  section  29-291e,  shall  adopt  and 

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administer   a   State   Fire   Prevention   Code   based   on   a   nationally 
recognized  fire  code.  The [code] State  Fire  Prevention  Code shall  be 
used to enhance the enforcement capabilities of local fire marshals and 
for the purposes of prevention of fire and other related emergencies. The 
[code] State Fire Prevention Code shall be revised as deemed necessary 
to incorporate any subsequent revisions to the nationally recognized fire 
code  not  later  than [eighteen  months] two  years following  the  date  of 
first publication of such revisions, provided no revisions to the State Fire 
Prevention  Code  shall  be  required  after  the  first  publication  of  the 
revisions to the 2024 nationally recognized fire code and prior to the first 
publication of the revisions to the 2030 nationally recognized fire code. 
The [code] State  Fire  Prevention  Code shall  include  provisions  for  oil 
burners, flammable and combustible liquids, gas equipment and piping, 
liquefied  gas  and  liquefied  natural  gas,  hazardous  chemicals,  and 
processes  and  activities