Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1078
By Senator McClain
9-00503A-25 20251078__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to fire prevention; amending s.
3 553.7932, F.S.; defining the term “alteration”;
4 revising the definition of the term “fire alarm system
5 project”; requiring a local enforcement agency to
6 issue a permit for a fire alarm system project or fire
7 sprinkler system project within a specified time
8 period; authorizing work to commence immediately;
9 requiring an inspection required by the local
10 enforcement agency of a fire alarm system project or
11 fire sprinkler system project within a specified time
12 period; requiring that certain plans and
13 specifications be available for an onsite plans review
14 during an inspection; requiring a contractor to
15 provide additional documentation, if necessary, within
16 a specified timeframe; prohibiting a local enforcement
17 agency from requiring additional plans reviews or
18 documentation outside the scope of the permitted work;
19 requiring permit fees to be reduced by a certain
20 percentage if a local government fails to meet certain
21 deadlines; providing exceptions; requiring local
22 enforcement agencies to establish a simplified
23 permitting process by a specified date; amending s.
24 633.202, F.S.; specifying a condition under which a
25 local amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention Code is
26 immediately rescinded; providing disciplinary action
27 under certain circumstances; amending s. 633.312,
28 F.S.; requiring that a uniform summary inspection
29 report include the total number of deficiencies found
30 during the inspection of a fire protection system or
31 hydrant; deleting the requirement for a brief summary
32 of such deficiencies; deleting an exception from
33 submitting certain information within a detailed
34 inspection report; providing an effective date.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Present paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection
39 (1) of section 553.7932, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
40 paragraphs (b) through (e), respectively, present paragraph (c)
41 of subsection (1), subsections (3) and (4), and paragraphs (a)
42 and (b) of subsection (5) are amended, and new paragraph (a) of
43 subsection (1) and subsections (6) and (7) are added to that
44 section, to read:
45 553.7932 Simplified permitting processes.—
46 (1) As used in this section, the term:
47 (a) “Alteration” means to add, install, relocate, replace,
48 or remove.
49 (d)(c) “Fire alarm system project” means a fire alarm
50 system alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices
51 and notification devices;, or the installation or replacement of
52 a fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control
53 panel in an existing commercial, residential, apartment,
54 cooperative, or condominium building; or the replacement of an
55 existing fire alarm panel using the same make and model as the
56 existing panel.
57 (3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a
58 fire alarm system project or fire sprinkler system project in
59 person or electronically within 2 business days after submission
60 of a completed application. A contractor may commence work
61 authorized by the permit immediately after submission of a
62 completed application.
63 (4) If a local enforcement agency requires an inspection,
64 the a local enforcement agency must provide such inspection
65 within 24 hours after such inspection is requested, require at
66 least one inspection of a fire alarm system project or fire
67 sprinkler system project to ensure compliance with applicable
68 codes and standards. If a fire alarm system project or fire
69 sprinkler system project fails an inspection, the contractor
70 must take corrective action as necessary to pass inspection.
71 (5)(a) For a fire alarm system project, a contractor must
72 keep a copy of the plans and specifications at the fire alarm
73 system project worksite and make such plans and specifications
74 available to the inspector for an onsite plans review at each
75 inspection. If the local enforcement agency determines that it
76 needs additional documentation, the contractor must provide such
77 documentation in paper or electronic form to the local
78 enforcement agency within 4 business days after the inspection.
79 The local enforcement agency may not require additional plans
80 reviews or documentation of areas or devices outside the scope
81 of permitted work.
82 (b) For a fire sprinkler system project to alter an
83 existing fire protection system, a contractor must keep a copy
84 of the plans and specifications at the fire sprinkler system
85 project worksite and make such plans and specifications
86 available to the inspector at each inspection. If the local
87 enforcement agency determines that it needs additional
88 documentation, the contractor must provide such documentation in
89 paper or electronic form to the local enforcement agency within
90 4 business days after the inspection. The local enforcement
91 agency may not require additional plans reviews or documentation
92 of areas or devices outside the scope of permitted work.
93 (6) A local government that fails to meet a deadline under
94 this section must reduce the permit fee by 10 percent for each
95 business day after such failure, unless the parties agree in
96 writing to a reasonable extension of time, the delay is caused
97 by the applicant, or the delay is attributable to a force
98 majeure or other extraordinary circumstances. Each 10 percent
99 reduction shall be based on the original amount of the permit
100 fee, unless the parties agree to an extension of time.
101 (7) By October 1, 2025, a local enforcement agency must
102 establish a simplified permitting process that complies with
103 this section.
104 Section 2. Subsection (10) of section 633.202, Florida
105 Statutes, is amended to read:
106 633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code.—
107 (10)(a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter,
108 if a county or a municipality within that county adopts an
109 ordinance providing for a local amendment to the Florida Fire
110 Prevention Code and that amendment provides a higher level of
111 protection to the public than the level specified in the Florida
112 Fire Prevention Code, the local amendment becomes effective
113 without approval of the State Fire Marshal and is not rescinded
114 pursuant to this section, provided that the ordinance meets one
115 or more of the following criteria:
116 1.(a) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a fire
117 service facilities and operation plan that outlines goals and
118 objectives for related equipment, personnel, and capital
119 improvement needs of the local authority related to the specific
120 amendment for the next 5 years;
121 2.(b) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a
122 provision requiring proportionate reduction in, or rebate or
123 waivers of, impact or other fees or assessments levied on
124 buildings that are built or modified in compliance with the more
125 stringent firesafety standards required by the local amendment;
126 or
127 3.(c) The local authority has adopted, by ordinance, a
128 growth management plan that requires buildings and structures to
129 be equipped with more stringent firesafety requirements required
130 by the local amendment when these firesafety requirements are
131 used as the basis for planning infrastructure development, uses,
132 or housing densities.
133 (b) If a county or municipality fails to adhere to the
134 requirements of this section when adopting an ordinance for a
135 local amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention Code, the local
136 amendment is rescinded immediately. If a county or municipality
137 continues to enforce an ordinance that has been rescinded, the
138 local fire marshal is subject to disciplinary action under s.
139 633.106.
140 (c) Except as provided in s. 633.206, the local appeals
141 process shall be the venue if there is a dispute between parties
142 affected by the provisions of the more stringent local
143 firesafety amendment adopted as part of the Florida Fire
144 Prevention Code pursuant to the authority in this subsection.
145 Local amendments adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be
146 deemed local or regional variations and published as such in the
147 Florida Fire Prevention Code. The act of publishing locally
148 adopted firesafety amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention
149 Code may not be construed to mean that the State Fire Marshal
150 approves or denies the authenticity or appropriateness of the
151 locally adopted firesafety provision, and the burden of
152 protecting the local firesafety amendment remains solely with
153 the adopting local governmental authority.
154 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section
155 633.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
156 633.312 Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydrants,
157 and fire protection systems.—
158 (3)
159 (b) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules to implement a
160 uniform summary inspection report and submission procedures to
161 be used by all third-party vendors and local authorities having
162 jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a uniform summary
163 inspection report must record the address at which where the
164 fire protection system or hydrant is located, the company and
165 person conducting the inspection and their license number, the
166 date of the inspection, and the fire protection system or
167 hydrant inspection status, including the total number of
168 deficiencies found a brief summary of each deficiency, critical
169 deficiency, noncritical deficiency, or impairment found. A
170 contractor’s detailed inspection report is not required to
171 follow the uniform summary inspection report format. The State
172 Fire Marshal shall establish by rule a submission procedure for
173 each means provided under paragraph (a) by which a local
174 authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary
175 inspection reports. Each of the submission procedures must allow
176 a contractor to attach additional documents with the submission
177 of a uniform summary inspection report, including a physical
178 copy of the contractor’s detailed inspection report. A
179 submission procedure may not require a contractor to submit
180 information contained within the detailed inspection report
181 unless the information is required to be included in the uniform
182 summary inspection report.
183 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.