Pennsylvania SB 1128: An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in restructuring of electric utility industry, further providing for duties of electric distribution companies.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1384
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1128
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY SCHWANK, BOSCOLA, COSTA, FONTANA, SAVAL, VOGEL,
MILLER AND KANE, JANUARY 12, 2026
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
JANUARY 12, 2026
AN ACT
Requiring the installation and maintenance of fuel gas detectors
in certain buildings; providing for building owner
responsibilities; and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Fuel Gas
Detector Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commercial building." A building used for a business
activity, office, manufacturing, public accommodation, storage,
warehousing or other nonresidential purpose. The term includes a
factory and other building used for an industrial purpose.
"Dwelling." A building that contains one or more dwelling
units that are or will be rented, leased, let or hired out for
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living purposes.
"Fuel gas detector." A device that:
(1) is battery-powered or plugged into an electrical
outlet or hardwired;
(2) incorporates a sensor control component and an alarm
notification that detects elevations in propane, natural gas
or any liquefied petroleum gas;
(3) sounds a warning alarm; and
(4) meets Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1484 or
2075, as applicable, as the standards are published as of the
effective date of this paragraph.
"Residential building." A dwelling, single-family home,
multifamily home, a mixed-use building that contains a dwelling,
manufactured home, dormitory or other residential structure
affiliated with an institution of higher learning, hotel, motel,
inn, hospital, medical facility that houses patients or other
residential structure.
Section 3. Residential buildings.
In accordance with section 7, the owner of a single-family or
multifamily home shall install, upon the transfer of property or
change of occupancy, at least one fuel gas detector in any room
containing an appliance that combusts propane, natural gas or
liquefied petroleum gas if fuel gas detectors are not already
present. An owner of any other residential buildings, with the
exception of dwellings under section 5, shall install fuel gas
detectors in accordance with this act. A fuel gas detector shall
be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements
and the National Fire Protection Association 715 Standard, as
that standard is published as of the effective date of this
section.
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Section 4. Commercial buildings.
The owner of a commercial building shall install, or cause to
be installed, in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements
and the National Fire Protection Association 715 Standard, as
that standard is published as of the effective date of this
section, fuel gas detectors in any room that contains an
appliance that combusts propane, natural gas or liquefied
petroleum gas, or in other areas that could be susceptible to a
propane, natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas leak, if fuel
gas detectors are not already present.
Section 5. Dwellings.
The following requirements apply to a dwelling:
(1) At the time of each occupancy, the landlord shall
provide fuel gas detectors in accordance with section 3, if
fuel gas detectors are not already present. Each fuel gas
detector must be in working condition. After notification in
writing by the tenant of any deficiency in a fuel gas
detector, the landlord shall repair or replace the fuel gas
detector. If the landlord did not know and had not been
notified of the need to repair or replace a fuel gas
detector, the landlord's failure to repair or replace the
fuel gas detector may not be considered evidence of
negligence in a subsequent civil action arising from death,
property loss or personal injury.
(2) The tenant shall keep the fuel gas detector
connected to the electrical service in the building or, if
battery-operated, keep charged batteries in the fuel gas
detector, and shall test the fuel gas detector periodically
and refrain from disabling the fuel gas detector.
Section 6. Municipal enforcement.
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A municipality shall enforce this act, have the right to
inspect buildings and levy penalties for violations of this act.
Section 7. Transfer of building.
(a) Duties.--An owner of a residential building shall
install fuel gas detectors in accordance with section 3 in the
acquired building within 30 days of acquisition or occupancy of
the building, whichever is later, if fuel gas detectors are not
already present. If fuel gas detectors in accordance
with section