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Committee approves consolidated boiler-inspection law with industry safeguards
Summary
House Bill 799, consolidating boiler statutes under the fire marshal and establishing licensing and shutdown procedures, was amended to protect large chemical-plant operations and reported favorably after stakeholder negotiation.
House Bill 799, a sponsorship-supported effort to consolidate disparate boiler statutes under the State Fire Marshal’s life-safety division, was advanced by the House Commerce Committee after a package of stakeholder-driven amendments.
Randy Haney, representing the Boiler Industry Coalition, said the bill consolidates boiler-related statutes that dated to the early 20th century and creates a single regulatory framework. "For the first time...we will have consolidated all statutes dealing with boilers under the life safety division of the fire marshal," Haney told the committee.
The amendment set (2,366) — negotiated with insurers, chemical-industry operators and contractors — clarified licensing and inspection procedures, required inspectors to follow ASME and national inspection standards, and added language to ensure unsafe orders for shutdown in large plants are coordinated to avoid broader environmental or safety hazards. Rhett Termini, the fire marshal's chief boiler inspector, explained the practical need to orchestrate shutdowns in large facilities and that the agency lacks staff to inspect every boiler annually without industry participation.
After the amendments were adopted, the committee reported HB 799 favorably; sponsors said implementation will rely on collaboration between the fire marshal and accredited industry inspectors.
