Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 201 of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1986 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the seventh paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Decisions on appeal shall be made by the members of the appeals board conducting the public hearing. Every decision shall require the concurrence of a majority of those members holding the public hearing but in no case a vote for an appeal shall be less than three members voting in the affirmative, and the appeals board shall state in writing its findings of fact, its conclusions, reasons for its decision and indicate the vote of each such member participating in said decision. A majority of the members of the appeals board shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business, but a lesser number may adjourn from time to time.

SECTION 2. Section 26A 1/2 of chapter 148 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth and fifth paragraphs and inserting in place thereof the following two paragraphs:-

Any building or structure subject to the provisions of this section shall comply with the following schedule for the installation of automatic sprinklers:- one-third of the gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, nineteen hundred and ninety-one; two-thirds of the gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, nineteen hundred and ninety-four; and the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, nineteen hundred and ninety-eight; provided, however, that the owner of said building or structure may apply to the board of appeals of the fire safety commission for an extension or a waiver of the provisions of this section as provided for in section two hundred and one of chapter six.

Any building or structure subject to the provisions of this section shall have the option of complying with the following schedule: the entire gross square footage of the building or structure shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by March thirtieth, nineteen hundred and ninety-four; provided, however, that under said option the owner of said building or structure shall be deemed to have waived his right to any such extension of time.