2026-09-10 · Massachusetts · Legislation · Did not pass

What happened. Two Massachusetts fire-protection bills that would have landed six-figure costs on condominium associations both stopped short, and one of them stopped eight days from the finish line.

H.2586: retrofit sprinklers in pre-1975 high rises — sent to study

H.2586, An Act enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings, filed by Representative Marjorie C. Decker, would have mandated retrofit installation of automatic sprinklers in high-rise buildings constructed before 1975, on a phased compliance schedule rather than an immediate mandate.¹

It was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, heard on 5 June 2025, and disposed of by study order H.5254 on 19 March 2026.

We could not retrieve the phase-in year table or the height and square-footage thresholds from the bill text; those specifics are unverified.

H.2644: sprinkler standards for rehabilitated buildings — passed the House, then nothing

H.2644, An Act relative to fire protection, filed by Representative Daniel J. Hunt, got further than any other condominium-adjacent bill this session. It was reported favorably in September 2025, ordered to a third reading in October 2025, and read a third time and passed to be engrossed in the House on 23 July 2026 — eight days before formal sessions ended.²

The Senate never took it up. Its companion, S.1655 (Sen. John J. Cronin), has sat in Senate Ways and Means since 17 July 2025.

What H.2644 would do

• Clarify the standards for when automatic sprinkler systems must be installed in rehabilitated buildings
• Reach residential buildings of four or more dwelling units, including apartments, hotels, dormitories and group residences
• Require sprinklering per the State Building Code where a building undergoes major alterations or modifications
• Permit alternative fire suppression systems where adequate water supply is unavailable
• Allow an appeal to the automatic sprinkler appeals board within 45 days, with waivers or alternative systems available based on building characteristics or historical significance
• Apply as a local option — only in cities, towns or districts that vote to accept it

1. H.2586, An Act enhancing the safety of high-rise buildings — bill page and history ↩
2. H.2644, An Act relative to fire protection — bill page and history ↩
3. Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, what changed in the Tenth Edition Massachusetts State Building Code ↩