NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5347

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to higher education
Mar 02, 2023	referred to higher education

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§355 & 6206, Ed L

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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.

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5347

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring SUNY and
CUNY authorities to install and retrofit dormitory buildings with sprin-
kler systems

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation is designed to enhance the fire safety precautions in
the dormitories of the public colleges in this state thus providing a
safer environment for areas where students reside.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill orders a study concerning the fire safety of New
York state college facilities analyzing the number of buildings without
adequate fire extinguishment equipment. The study would also estimate
the cost of retrofitting facilities with sprinkler systems along with a
plan and time schedule for its completion.

Section two requires the SUNY board of trustees to adopt rules requiring
that each institution of the State University of New York adopt and
implement a plan to retrofit all buildings under the jurisdiction of
such institution containing dormitory facilities for students with
sprinklers on or before March 1st , 2026.

Section three requires the CUNY board of trustees to adopt rules requir-
ing that each institution of the City University of New York adopt and
implement a plan to retrofit all buildings under the jurisdiction of
such institution containing dormitory facilities for students with
sprinklers on or before March 1st , 2026.

Section four provides that the bill shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Situations posing a danger to the health and safety of the people of
this state are of great concern. The threat that fire poses can be
greatly diminished when proper fire extinguishing equipment is
installed. The equipment this legislation would require in dormitories
is designed to automatically cause water to be discharged over such a
fire area in order to extinguish the fire or to assist in its contain-
ment when a certain level of heat is detected.

Over the last few years there have been numerous small fires on college
campuses and one very devastating fire in a dormitory that resulted in
the loss of several lives. Comprehensive sprinkler systems, installed in
every dormitory room on every public college campus, will provide a
basic measure of safety for our students at every SUNY and CUNY college.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5347
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               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:
 
   Section 1. The board of trustees of the state university of New  York,
 the board of trustees of the city university of New York and the council
 of  governing  boards  for  the  independent  colleges of New York shall
 conduct a study concerning the safety of New York state college students
 in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, laboratories, physical  educa-
 tion  facilities,  dining  facilities, educational facilities and recre-
 ational facilities. This study shall include information including,  but
 not  limited to, the number and percentage of buildings without adequate
 fire extinguishment equipment including, but not limited  to,  sprinkler
 systems, fire extinguishers, fire hoses and smoke alarms.  Additionally,
 an  analysis of the cost of retrofitting existing facilities with sprin-
 kler systems must be provided along with a plan and  time  schedule  for
 the completion of such retrofitting. A report containing the information
 required  by  this  section  shall  be submitted to the governor and the
 legislature not later than December 1, 2025.
   § 2. Section 355 of the education law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. PLAN FOR PROVIDING FIRE SAFETY. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL ADOPT RULES REQUIRING THAT EACH INSTITUTION
 OF  THE STATE UNIVERSITY, ON OR BEFORE MARCH FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-
 SIX, ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO CAUSE ALL BUILDINGS UNDER THE  JURIS-
 DICTION  OF SUCH INSTITUTION CONTAINING DORMITORY FACILITIES FOR STUDENT
 USE TO BE CONSTRUCTED  OR  RETROFITTED  WITH  A  SYSTEM  OF  PIPING  AND
 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
 
 ACCEPTED STANDARDS SO THAT HEAT FROM A  FIRE  WILL  AUTOMATICALLY  CAUSE
 WATER  TO  BE DISCHARGED OVER SUCH FIRE AREA TO EXTINGUISH IT OR PREVENT
 ITS FURTHER SPREAD. ALL RETROFITTING SHALL BE COMPLETED WITHIN  A  THREE
 YEAR PERIOD FROM THE DATE ANY SUCH PLAN IS ADOPTED.
   §  3.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL
 ADOPT  RULES  REQUIRING THAT EACH INSTITUTION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY, ON
 OR BEFORE MARCH FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, ADOPT  AND  IMPLEMENT  A
 PLAN  TO  CAUSE ALL BUILDINGS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH INSTITUTION
 CONTAINING DORMITORY FACILITIES FOR STUDENT USE  TO  BE  CONSTRUCTED  OR
 RETROFITTED  WITH  A  SYSTEM  OF  PIPING AND APPURTENANCES, DESIGNED AND
 INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS SO  THAT  HEAT
 FROM  A  FIRE  WILL AUTOMATICALLY CAUSE WATER TO BE DISCHARGED OVER SUCH
 FIRE AREA TO EXTINGUISH IT OR PREVENT ITS FURTHER SPREAD. ALL  RETROFIT-
 TING  SHALL  BE  COMPLETED  WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD FROM THE DATE ANY
 SUCH PLAN IS ADOPTED.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S5347

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5347

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Sponsored By

Andrew Gounardes

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5347 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments