Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 936
       
       
        
       By Senator McClain
       
       
       
       
       
       9-00918C-26                                            2026936__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to temporary door locking devices;
    3         creating s. 553.8951, F.S.; defining the term
    4         “temporary door locking device”; authorizing temporary
    5         door locking devices to be installed at any height;
    6         requiring the Florida Building Commission to
    7         incorporate certain standards for temporary door
    8         locking devices into the Florida Building Code;
    9         requiring the use of temporary door locking devices be
   10         integrated into building safety plans, safety drills,
   11         and training programs for a specified purpose;
   12         providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 553.8951, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         553.8951 Temporary door locking devices.—
   19         (1) As used in this section, the term “temporary door
   20  locking device” means a device that prevents a door from opening
   21  and meets all of the following criteria:
   22         (a) Is meant only for temporary use during an emergency
   23  situation.
   24         (b) Can be engaged or removed without opening the door.
   25         (c) Can be engaged and removed from the egress side of the
   26  door without the use of a key and can be removed from the
   27  ingress side of the door with the use of a key or other
   28  credential.
   29         (d) Does not modify the door closer, panic hardware, or
   30  fire exit hardware.
   31         (e) Is not permanently mounted to the door assembly.
   32  However, individual parts of the temporary door locking device,
   33  including, but not limited to, bolts, stops, brackets, or pins,
   34  which do not prevent normal ingress and egress through the door,
   35  may be permanently mounted to the door.
   36         (f) Does not affect the fire rating of the door and
   37  complies with the fire rating standards of the National Fire
   38  Protection Association.
   39         (g) Can be removed with a single operation when engaged.
   40         (2) Notwithstanding any other law or provision, a temporary
   41  door locking device may be installed at any height above the
   42  finished floor.
   43         (3) The Florida Building Commission shall incorporate into
   44  the Florida Building Code pursuant to s. 553.73(1) standards for
   45  temporary door locking devices that meet the requirements of
   46  this section. A temporary door locking device may be used to
   47  secure a fire exit or an entranceway leading to a fire exit if
   48  the temporary door locking device is used only during an
   49  emergency situation and approved by the local enforcement agency
   50  that has jurisdiction over the building in which the device is
   51  installed. A temporary door locking device may be applied only
   52  for a finite period of time during an emergency situation,
   53  including, but not limited to, a shelter-in-place order, an
   54  emergency lockdown, or a safety drill for such emergency
   55  situation.
   56         (4) The use of a temporary door locking device must be
   57  integrated into building safety plans, safety drills, and
   58  training programs so that the employees or staff of the building
   59  in which the device is installed has inservice training on the
   60  use of the temporary door locking device.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.