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Panel debates single-stairwell building bill amid housing and safety arguments
Summary
Senate Bill 213 would allow a single stairwell as the required exit in small, fully-sprinklered apartment buildings (up to six stories, four units per floor) if units have a window or alternate emergency egress; proponents argued it reduces construction costs 6–13% and increases density, while lawmakers pressed sponsors on fire and active-shooter scenarios and asked for supporting studies and interstate comparisons.
Senator Daniel Zolnikoff presented Senate Bill 213 as a measure to lower construction costs and increase housing supply by permitting a single stairwell to serve small multifamily buildings that meet specified safety conditions. "It allows... a building to have a single stairwell serving as an exit for all units if the building meets the following conditions: has no more than 6 stories above the grade plain, no more than 4 dwelling units on 1 floor. It has an automatic sprinkler system, and each unit has at least 1 window or other emergency exit provision," Zolnikoff said.
Proponents from housing, business and policy groups told the committee the change can reduce construction costs and enable more infill housing. Jake Brown of Shelter Whitefish said single-stair designs "improve housing affordability by just reducing those unnecessary costs" and Tanner Avery of the Frontier Institute cited studies suggesting savings "from 6 to 13%" on small apartment projects. Dan Brooks of the Billings Chamber of Commerce and Samuel Hooper of the Institute for Justice also testified in support, pointing to international and out-of-state precedents.
Informational witness Eric Copeland, bureau chief for building and commercial measures at the Department of Labor and Industry, emphasized the bill's limiting conditions and said the language applies only to fully-sprinklered buildings with window or other emergency-exit provisions. Copeland said those built-in features are intended to mitigate risks where a single stairwell is used.
Several lawmakers asked detailed safety questions. One member asked what would happen "if that stairwell is blocked, if that stairwell is filled with fire, if that stairwell is filled with smoke, and we don't have another exit?" The sponsor and witnesses responded that newer buildings with sprinkler systems and modern materials have shown comparable safety outcomes in studies cited by the sponsor (he referenced a recently released Pew report) and that the six-story limit was chosen because fire trucks can reach up to that height.
Representative Joy asked about active-shooter scenarios and whether international comparisons (Zolnikoff cited Singapore and European countries) were relevant; the sponsor acknowledged he had no data on shootings in those countries. Committee members asked for the Pew study and for language from other states that have considered or adopted similar measures (Tennessee in 2024 was referenced), and the sponsor and proponents agreed to provide materials.
Representative Sprunger asked to re-refer the bill for further consideration; the transcript records discussion and requests for supporting documents but no formal committee vote. The hearing captured competing priorities: advocates emphasizing lower costs and increased housing supply under strict safety conditions, and some members expressing concern about worst-case scenarios and how windows or egress provisions would work for elderly or mobility-limited residents.
The committee will review additional materials requested from the sponsor and informational witnesses before further action.
