What's happening
This bill requires interconnectable smoke detecting devices to be installed in one- and two-family dwellings in New York.
Why it matters
Requires more advanced smoke detectors. By mandating interconnectable smoke detecting devices, the bill ensures that if one alarm goes off in a home, all alarms will sound, improving warning coverage and response time for residents.
Targets one- and two-family homes. This change directly impacts owners and residents of smaller homes, who may not have previously been required to install interconnectable alarms, potentially increasing safety in dwellings less likely to have sophisticated fire systems.
Sets a clear compliance timeline. The law’s requirements take effect in 2028, giving homeowners and builders several years to upgrade existing smoke alarms, which spreads out costs and allows for public education on the new requirements.
Defines technical standards. By specifying that devices must be either battery-operated or hard-wired and must communicate with each other, the bill sets a clear minimum standard that may drive improvements in residential fire safety technology statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Linked Smoke Alarms
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3910
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring interconnectable smoke detecting devices to be installed in certain residential buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Kerry Rose Fitzsimons fire safety act".
§ 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 5-b of section 378 of the executive law, as separately amended by chapters 96 and 506 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows:
a. every one or two-family dwelling [or any] shall have installed an operable interconnectable smoke detecting device or devices. Any dwelling accommodation located in a building owned as a condominium or cooperative in the state used as a residence shall have installed an operable single station smoke detecting alarm device or devices,
§ 3. Section 372 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. "Interconnectable smoke detecting device" or "interconnectable smoke detecting alarm device" means a battery operated or hard-wired smoke detecting alarm device that communicates with other such devices so that when one such device give warnings the other interconnectable smoke detecting alarm devices will also give warnings.
§ 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2028; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07829-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.