AB2322:v95#DOCUMENTBill Start
Assembly Bill
No. 2322
CHAPTER 284
An act to add Section 13108.5.1 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to fire safety.
[
Approved by
Governor
September 13, 2022.
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 13, 2022.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2322, Wood.
California building standards: fire resistance: occupancy risk categories.
Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on specified criteria.
Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code, which is required to be published once every 3 years.
This bill would require the State Fire Marshal, prior to
the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code adopted after January 1, 2023, to research and develop, and would authorize the State Fire Marshal to propose to the California Building Standards Commission, mandatory building standards for fire resistance based on occupancy risk categories in very high, high, and moderate California fire severity zones in state responsibility areas, local
responsibility areas, and in land designated as a Wildland Urban Interface Fire Area by cities and other local agencies under specified provisions of the California Building Standards Code. The bill would require those building standards to apply to nonresidential, critical infrastructure buildings and to include certain fire rating requirements for structures under specified risk categories. The bill also would require the California Building Standards Commission to consider for adoption the building standards proposed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to these provisions.
Digest Key
Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
YES
Local Program:
NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 13108.5.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:13108.5.1.
(a) The State Fire Marshal shall, prior to the next triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) adopted after January 1, 2023, research and develop, and may propose to the California Building Standards Commission, mandatory building standards for fire resistance based on occupancy risk categories in very high, high, and moderate California fire severity zones in state responsibility areas, local responsibility areas, and in land designated as a Wildland Urban Interface Fire Area by cities and other local agencies under the scope of Chapter 7A (Materials and Construction Methods for Exterior Wildfire Exposure) of the California Building Standards Code. The building standards required under this section shall apply to nonresidential,
critical infrastructure buildings and shall include both of the following:(1) Fire rating requirements for structures under Risk Category III and IV as per ASCE 7 in addition to ignition-resistant construction.
(2) For Risk Category III and IV structures, require fire ratings of four hours, three hours, and two hours in very high, high, and moderate severity zones, respectively.
(b) As used in this section, “ASCE 7” means the Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, as adopted by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
(c) The California Building Standards Commission shall consider for adoption the building standards proposed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subdivision (a).