| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to municipal regulation of stairway requirements in |
|
|
certain apartment buildings. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 214, Local Government Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Subchapter I to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER I. SINGLE STAIRWAY IN CERTAIN APARTMENT BUILDINGS |
|
|
Sec. 214.301. PERMITTED REGULATION OF APARTMENT BUILDING |
|
|
STAIRWAY REQUIREMENTS. (a) A municipality may exercise the |
|
|
authority under this section regardless of whether the municipality |
|
|
has adopted local amendments to the International Building Code |
|
|
under Section 214.216(c). |
|
|
(b) A municipality may authorize an apartment building to |
|
|
have a single stairway only if the building: |
|
|
(1) does not have more than six stories above grade |
|
|
plane and is not a high-rise as defined by the International |
|
|
Building Code, as adopted under Section 214.216; |
|
|
(2) does not have more than four dwelling units on any |
|
|
floor; |
|
|
(3) has automatic sprinkler locations in each interior |
|
|
exit stairway, regardless of the type of stairway construction, |
|
|
that comply with the requirements prescribed by National Fire |
|
|
Protection Association Standard 13 for combustible stairways; |
|
|
(4) has: |
|
|
(A) an exterior stairway; or |
|
|
(B) an interior exit stairway for which the |
|
|
doors: |
|
|
(i) into the stairway from the interior of |
|
|
the building swing into the stairway regardless of the occupant |
|
|
load served; and |
|
|
(ii) from the interior exit stairway to the |
|
|
building exterior swing in the direction of exit travel; |
|
|
(5) has interior exit stairway enclosures that: |
|
|
(A) have a fire resistance rating of not less |
|
|
than two hours; and |
|
|
(B) do not contain an elevator opening; |
|
|
(6) has on each floor a corridor from each dwelling |
|
|
unit entry or exit door to an interior exit stairway, including any |
|
|
related exit passageway, that has a fire resistance rating of at |
|
|
least one hour; |
|
|
(7) does not have more than 20 feet between the entry |
|
|
or exit door of a dwelling unit and an exit stairway; |
|
|
(8) does not have more than 125 feet of exit access |
|
|
travel distance; |
|
|
(9) has an exit serving the portion of the building |
|
|
that contains two or more dwelling units that does not discharge |
|
|
through a portion of the building with a different occupancy |
|
|
category, including an accessory parking garage; |
|
|
(10) has an exit that terminates in an egress court for |
|
|
which the court depth does not exceed the court width, unless it is |
|
|
possible to exit the egress court to the public way in either |
|
|
direction; |
|
|
(11) does not have an opening within 10 feet of an |
|
|
unprotected opening into an exit stairway other than a required |
|
|
exit door that has a fire resistance rating of at least one hour; |
|
|
(12) has emergency escape and rescue openings that |
|
|
comply with Section 1031 of the International Building Code as |
|
|
adopted under Section 214.216 on each floor served by a single exit; |
|
|
(13) does not have an electrical receptacle in an |
|
|
interior exit stairway; and |
|
|
(14) has an automatic smoke and fire detection system |
|
|
that activates an occupant notification system that complies with |
|
|
Section 907.5 of the International Building Code as adopted under |
|
|
Section 214.216 installed in each: |
|
|
(A) common space outside of a dwelling unit; |
|
|
(B) laundry room, mechanical equipment room, and |
|
|
storage room; |
|
|
(C) interior corridor serving a dwelling unit; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(D) main floor landing or interior or exterior |
|
|
exit stairway. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |