What's happening
This bill requires emergency lighting in certain residential (occupancy group J-2) buildings in New York City within 180 days.
Why it matters
Improves safety for residents. By mandating emergency lighting in J-2 residential buildings (such as apartment buildings), the bill aims to enhance visibility during power outages or emergencies, helping residents evacuate safely.
Levels the playing field between building types. The bill requires J-2 buildings to meet the same emergency lighting standards as J-1 buildings (such as hotels), closing a potential safety gap between different types of residential occupancies.
Overrides conflicting codes. The new requirements will take precedence over any existing, potentially less stringent, local codes or standards, ensuring uniformity and clarity for building owners and managers.
Quick compliance timeline. Building owners will have only 180 days to make the necessary upgrades, which could prompt immediate improvements but may also present implementation and cost challenges, especially for older buildings.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Emergency Lighting in Apartments
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2375
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring emergency lighting or illumination in certain residential buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 27-3024.1 to read as follows:
§ 27-3024.1 Emergency lighting or illumination required in occupancy group J-2 buildings. Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this section, emergency lighting or illumination in occupancy group J-2 buildings is required in the same manner and subject to the same terms and conditions as emergency lighting or illumination is required in occupancy group J-1 buildings, in substantial conformance to the provisions of local law number sixteen of the city of New York for the year nineteen hundred eighty-four. The provisions of this section supersede any inconsistent provision of this code, including any appendices thereto and reference standards thereunto appertaining.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07009-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring emergency lighting or illumination in certain residential buildings
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require a certain class of residential buildings in New York city to have emergency lighting in like manner as other residential buildings.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 27-3024.1 to the administrative code of the city of New York that requires buildings classified as J-2 (apartment houses and apartment hotels, to be equipped with emergency lighting). This classification of residential buildings shall conform to J-1 residential buildings which are hotels, motels, lodging houses and rooming houses.
Justification
The blackout of August 2003 wreaked havoc throughout the state but especially in New York city where residential buildings do not have emergency lighting. It is an absolute necessity that all residential apartment buildings are equipped with lighting to assist individuals, young and old alike, to egress safely from their homes.
This legislation will bring into conformity residential apartment buildings with all other types of residential facilities.
Prior legislative history
2009: S.3342 (Duane), Died in Housing 2010: S.3342 (Duane), Died in Housing
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.