| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to nursing home firesafety; amending s. |
| 3 | 633.022, F.S.; requiring nursing homes to be protected by |
| 4 | certain automatic sprinkler systems; providing a schedule; |
| 5 | authorizing the Division of State Fire Marshal to grant |
| 6 | certain time extensions; authorizing the division to adopt |
| 7 | certain rules; providing for administrative sanctions |
| 8 | under certain circumstances; providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 633.022, |
| 13 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 14 | 633.022 Uniform firesafety standards.--The Legislature |
| 15 | hereby determines that to protect the public health, safety, and |
| 16 | welfare it is necessary to provide for firesafety standards |
| 17 | governing the construction and utilization of certain buildings |
| 18 | and structures. The Legislature further determines that certain |
| 19 | buildings or structures, due to their specialized use or to the |
| 20 | special characteristics of the person utilizing or occupying |
| 21 | these buildings or structures, should be subject to firesafety |
| 22 | standards reflecting these special needs as may be appropriate. |
| 23 | (4)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the |
| 24 | contrary, each nursing home licensed under part II of chapter |
| 25 | 400 shall be protected by an approved, supervised automatic |
| 26 | sprinkler system in accordance with section 9 of National Fire |
| 27 | Protection Association, Inc., Publication 101, 2003 edition, in |
| 28 | accordance with the following schedule: |
| 29 | 1. Each hazardous area, as defined by section 19.3.2.1.5 |
| 30 | of such publication, of each nursing home shall be protected by |
| 31 | an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system by no later |
| 32 | than December 31, 2007. |
| 33 | 2. Each entire nursing home shall be protected by an |
| 34 | approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system by no later than |
| 35 | December 31, 2009. |
| 36 | (b) The division may grant up to two 1-year extensions of |
| 37 | the time limits for compliance in subparagraph (a)2. if the |
| 38 | division determines that the nursing home has been prevented |
| 39 | from complying for reasons beyond its control. |
| 40 | (c) The division is authorized to adopt any rule necessary |
| 41 | for the implementation and enforcement of this subsection. The |
| 42 | division shall enforce this subsection in accordance with the |
| 43 | provisions of this chapter, and any nursing home licensed under |
| 44 | part II of chapter 400 that is in violation of this subsection |
| 45 | may be subject to administrative sanctions by the division |
| 46 | pursuant to this chapter. |
| 47 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |