An Act Concerning Revisions To The State Building Code, State Fire Prevention Code And Fire Safety Code.
HB 5401 revises the timing and process for updating Connecticut’s State Building Code, State Fire Prevention Code, and Fire Safety Code. The bill extends the deadline for incorporating new editions of nationally recognized model codes from 18 months to two years after publication, and it creates a temporary pause on required revisions after the 2024 model code publications and before the 2030 model code publications. It also directs the code-adopting officials to continue using these codes to regulate building design, construction, use, fire prevention, and fire safety, while preserving existing requirements related to energy conservation, renewable energy, electric vehicle charging readiness in certain new residential garages, carbon monoxide detection, and smoke detection.
The bill also adds a policy directive that, when considering future building code amendments, state officials should account for Connecticut’s housing shortage and encourage the production of safe housing that can be built at a reasonable cost. In addition, it requires the Commissioner of Administrative Services, in consultation with the relevant code officials, to submit a report by January 1, 2029 on the effects of extending the code revision cycle and any recommendations for further changes.
This act changes state law governing how quickly Connecticut updates its building, fire prevention, and fire safety codes to reflect new national model codes, lengthening the update cycle and temporarily suspending mandatory updates for a defined period. It affects the State Building Inspector, Codes and Standards Committee, State Fire Marshal, and Commissioner of Administrative Services, as well as builders, developers, local fire marshals, and property owners subject to the codes. The bill does not eliminate existing code requirements, but it changes the timetable and policy framework for future revisions and requires a legislative report evaluating the impact of the new cycle.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the relevant committee unanimously and then cleared both chambers with unanimous roll call votes, indicating strong bipartisan agreement. The available record shows no recorded opposition in committee or on the floor.
No major points of contention are reflected in the available materials. The main policy issue embedded in the bill is the tradeoff between keeping building and fire codes current with national model standards and giving the state more time to update codes in a way that may reduce costs and support housing production. Any concern would likely center on whether extending the revision cycle could delay safety, energy, or technology updates, while supporters appear to have emphasized affordability, housing supply, and administrative flexibility.