Connecticut § 29-256f - Amendments to State Building Code and Fire Safety Code re residential occupancies served by single exit stairway and three-unit and four-unit residential buildings.

§ 29-256f. Amendments to State Building Code and Fire Safety Code re residential occupancies served by single exit stairway and three-unit and four-unit residential buildings.

Sec. 29-256f. Amendments to State Building Code and Fire Safety Code re residential occupancies served by single exit stairway and three-unit and four-unit residential buildings. The State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, jointly, with the approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, in accordance with the provisions of section 29-252b, include in the amendments to the State Building Code next adopted after June 6, 2024, and the State Fire Marshal and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, in accordance with section 29-292a, include in the amendments to the Fire Safety Code next adopted after June 6, 2024, provisions that:

(1) Allow additional residential occupancies to be served safely by a single exit stairway, in such a way as to:

(A) Be consistent with safe occupancy and egress;

(B) Consider the experience of the cities of Seattle, New York City and Honolulu in implementing similar provisions;

(C) Apply to municipalities in which the fire service is sufficient to maintain safe occupancy and egress under such additional occupancies, if appropriate;

(D) Promote the inclusion of units with three or more bedrooms in building designs to promote construction of family-sized units, especially on smaller lots; and

(E) Allow additional stories above grade plane to be served by a single exit stairway in a building with an automatic sprinkler system, under such conditions as to ensure safe occupancy and egress. Such conditions may include, but need not be limited to, additional levels of fire and smoke separation and any features necessary to allow for firefighters to ascend a stair as occupants descend; and

(2) Encourage construction of safe three-unit and four-unit residential buildings, which shall:

(A) Be consistent with safe occupancy and egress; and

(B) Include three-unit and four-unit residential buildings in the International Residential Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code, or otherwise provide for requirements for three-unit and four-unit residential buildings in the International Building Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code similar to those for one-unit and two-unit residential buildings in the International Residential Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code, under such conditions as to ensure safe occupancy and egress.

(P.A. 24-151, S. 117.)

History: P.A. 24-151 effective June 6, 2024.