Senate approves limited change letting some municipalities allow single-exit five‑story multifamily buildings with conditions

The Senate adopted House Bill 12-73 on April 28 after committee amendments and floor debate. The bill requires certain municipalities to modify building codes to allow a five-story multi-family residential building to be served by a single exit under specified technical conditions; sponsors and committee amendments added safeguards including notification to local firefighter organizations, counting occupiable roofs as a story, limiting below-grade levels, and a five-year sunset and review.

In State Veterans and Military Affairs (SVMA) committee, members added four amendments to clarify that local affiliates of firefighter organizations be notified of public hearings on proposed developments covered by the bill, that occupiable roofs count as a story, that only one below-grade/ basement level is permitted, and that nothing in the statute prevents a jurisdiction from applying stricter building or fire-code standards. On the floor, amendment L-21 (requested by professional firefighters) guaranteed aerial apparatus accessibility and added a five-year sunset and review requirement; L-23 ensured jurisdictions could adopt future International Code Council standards if adopted.

Senator Frizzell expressed a strong view favoring local control and said imposing state requirements on municipal building codes was inappropriate, urging a no vote; other senators supported the bill as amended, citing stakeholder work and protections added by amendments. The Senate adopted the amendments and passed the bill; sponsors said the amendments addressed major fire-safety concerns and included review mechanisms.