Requires the boards of trustees of SUNY and CUNY authorities to adopt rules to require the installing and retrofitting of dormitory buildings with sprinkler systems on or before March first, two thousand twenty-six.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5347
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 2, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring SUNY and
CUNY authorities to install and retrofit dormitory buildings with
sprinkler systems
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The board of trustees of the state university of New York,
2 the board of trustees of the city university of New York and the council
3 of governing boards for the independent colleges of New York shall
4 conduct a study concerning the safety of New York state college students
5 in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, laboratories, physical educa-
6 tion facilities, dining facilities, educational facilities and recre-
7 ational facilities. This study shall include information including, but
8 not limited to, the number and percentage of buildings without adequate
9 fire extinguishment equipment including, but not limited to, sprinkler
10 systems, fire extinguishers, fire hoses and smoke alarms. Additionally,
11 an analysis of the cost of retrofitting existing facilities with sprin-
12 kler systems must be provided along with a plan and time schedule for
13 the completion of such retrofitting. A report containing the information
14 required by this section shall be submitted to the governor and the
15 legislature not later than December 1, 2025.
16 § 2. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
17 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
18 22. Plan for providing fire safety. The board of trustees of the state
19 university of New York shall adopt rules requiring that each institution
20 of the state university, on or before March first, two thousand twenty-
21 six, adopt and implement a plan to cause all buildings under the juris-
22 diction of such institution containing dormitory facilities for student
23 use to be constructed or retrofitted with a system of piping and
24 appurtenances, designed and installed in accordance with generally
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09506-01-3
S. 5347 2
1 accepted standards so that heat from a fire will automatically cause
2 water to be discharged over such fire area to extinguish it or prevent
3 its further spread. All retrofitting shall be completed within a three
4 year period from the date any such plan is adopted.
5 § 3. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
6 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
7 22. The board of trustees of the city university of New York shall
8 adopt rules requiring that each institution of the city university, on
9 or before March first, two thousand twenty-six, adopt and implement a
10 plan to cause all buildings under the jurisdiction of such institution
11 containing dormitory facilities for student use to be constructed or
12 retrofitted with a system of piping and appurtenances, designed and
13 installed in accordance with generally accepted standards so that heat
14 from a fire will automatically cause water to be discharged over such
15 fire area to extinguish it or prevent its further spread. All retrofit-
16 ting shall be completed within a three year period from the date any
17 such plan is adopted.
18 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
