Bill Text: CA SB571 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Fire safety regulations: development projects: ingress and egress route standards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-04-29 - Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. [SB571 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB571-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
January 10, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
January 03, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
March 21, 2023 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 571
| Introduced by Senator Allen (Coauthor: Senator Stern) |
February 15, 2023 |
An act to amend Section 4290 of the Public Resources Code, relating to fire safety.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 571, as amended, Allen.
Fire safety regulations: development projects: ingress and egress route standards.
Existing law establishes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in the Natural Resources Agency and establishes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection within the department. Existing law requires the state board to adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards, as provided.
This bill would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2027, to adopt minimum fire safety standards create, and provide to the Legislature, a report relating to standards for ingress and egress routes for
in new development, as defined, proposed to be constructed in high and very high fire hazard severity zones, as provided. development, as provided. The bill would require the state board to do certain things when creating the report, including provide opportunities for input from the public, as specified. The bill would prohibit the state board from adopting any regulations incorporating the standards described in the report until at least 6 months after completing that report.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 4290 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:4290.
(a) The board shall adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space that are applicable to state responsibility area lands under the authority of the department, and to lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code. These regulations apply to the perimeters and access to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state responsibility areas approved after January 1, 1991, and within lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code after July 1, 2021. The board shall not adopt building standards, as defined in Section 18909 of the Health and Safety Code, under the authority of this section. As an integral part of fire safety standards, the State Fire Marshal has the authority to adopt regulations for roof coverings and openings into the attic areas of buildings specified in Section 13108.5 of the Health and Safety Code. The regulations apply to the placement of mobile homes as defined by National Fire Protection Association standards. These regulations do not apply where an application for a building permit was filed before January 1, 1991, or to parcel or tentative maps or other developments approved before January 1, 1991, if the final map for the tentative map is approved within the time prescribed by the local ordinance. The regulations shall include all of the following:(1) Road standards for fire equipment
access.
(2) Standards for signs identifying streets, roads, and buildings.
(3) Minimum private water supply reserves for emergency fire use.
(4) Fuel breaks and greenbelts.
(b) The board shall, on and after July 1, 2021, periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts near communities to provide greater fire safety for the perimeters to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state
responsibility areas and lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code, after July 1, 2021. These regulations shall include measures to preserve undeveloped ridgelines to reduce fire risk and improve fire protection. The board shall, by regulation, define “ridgeline” for purposes of this subdivision.
(c)(1)On or before January 1, 2027, the board shall adopt minimum fire safety standards relating to ingress and egress routes for new development proposed to be constructed in high and very high fire hazard severity zones, as identified pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code or locally adopted equivalent. The board shall take all of the following into consideration when establishing the regulations:
(A)The size of the development. The regulations may be scaled, and individual ingress and egress routes required in a new development may be tiered, based on the size of the development.
(B)Traffic impact to existing communities.
(C)Points of ignition for potential wildfires.
(2)For purposes of this subdivision, “development” means any residential, commercial, or other development that would require the evacuation of 40 or more vehicles at any given time.
(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2027, the board shall create, and provide to the Legislature, a report relating to standards for ingress and egress routes in new development that would be suitable for subsequent adoption by the board into the state minimum fire safe standards (Articles 1 (commencing with Section 1220) to 5 (commencing with Section 1260), inclusive, of Chapter 7 of Division 1.5 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations). The board shall do all of the following when creating the report:
(A) Provide opportunities for input from the public, including performing outreach to potentially interested parties.
(B) Provide an opportunity for public comment on the proposed standards and publicly respond to those comments in the final report.
(C) Propose standards applicable to state responsibility area lands under the jurisdiction of the department and lands in high and very high fire hazard severity zones as identified pursuant to Section 51178 or 51179 of the Government Code.
(D) Develop standards to facilitate enforcement by the board while avoiding unnecessary duplication of existing applicable requirements.
(E) Propose standards that meet an appropriate minimum standard for new developments of varying size in different locations within the applicable areas. These standards shall include consideration of the traffic impact to existing communities; address the safety needs of vulnerable populations within existing communities; scaling or tiering of the standards with development size, population density, and motor vehicle volume; and other applicable
factors. Proposed standards may include providing two or more ingress and egress routes for new developments that meet designated criteria.
(2) (A) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(B) The requirement for submitting a report to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) is inoperative on January 1, 2031, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(3) Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall not adopt any regulations incorporating the standards described in the report pursuant to paragraph (1) until at least six months after completing that report.
(d) These regulations do not
supersede local regulations
that equal or exceed minimum regulations adopted by the state.
(e) The board may enter into contracts with technical experts to meet the requirements of this section.
