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H 8002Housing

Health and Safety - State Building Code

This bill updates the building code to allow four-story residential buildings with up to sixteen units to have a single staircase.

Held for study
Population
Affected
25
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Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the Rhode Island State Building Code regarding residential construction standards. Specifically, it mandates that the building code must allow for the construction of residential buildings up to four stories high containing up to sixteen dwelling units with only a single staircase. However, the bill specifies that these structures must still adhere to the Comprehensive Fire Safety Act and Fire Safety Code regulations unless those requirements are explicitly waived or varied by the appropriate state agency. Essentially, it permits "single-stair" mid-rise apartment buildings, provided fire safety standards are met or waived.

For younger readers

When people build big apartment buildings, they usually have to put in two sets of stairs so people can get out safely if there is a fire. This new law says that for certain buildings that are four stories tall (about as high as four houses stacked up) and have up to sixteen families living there, the builders are allowed to use just one set of stairs. However, the builders still have to follow strict rules to make sure the building is safe from fire so that everyone is protected.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Real Estate DevelopersArchitects and BuildersTenants and RentersFire DepartmentsBuilding Inspectors
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • facilitates the construction of "missing middle" housing, increasing density and housing supply which helps address the housing affordability crisis affecting lower-income residents.
  • Allows for better floor plan designs that can accommodate family-sized units (3+ bedrooms) and cross-ventilation, improving the quality of life for tenants compared to traditional double-loaded corridor buildings.
  • Promotes compact, walkable urban development patterns that reduce reliance on automobiles and suburban sprawl, aligning with environmental and community welfare goals.
  • Reduces the number of escape routes during a fire, which could disproportionately endanger low-income tenants who often live in older or lower-cost multi-family housing developments.
  • May encourage developers to cut corners on safety features to maximize profits, potentially relying on the bare minimum legal requirements for egress.
  • Could create accessibility challenges for elderly or disabled residents if the single staircase becomes blocked or unusable during an emergency or maintenance issue.
For Conservatives
  • Reduces government red tape and regulatory burdens on property owners and developers, allowing for more flexibility in how private property is developed.
  • Lowers construction costs by eliminating the mandate for a second stairwell, which consumes valuable square footage, thereby increasing the efficiency and profitability of real estate investments.
  • Stimulates the construction sector and economic growth by removing barriers to entry for small-scale developers who wish to build mid-sized residential projects.
  • Undermines long-standing safety standards, potentially putting lives at risk and creating a burden on local fire departments that may not be equipped for single-egress rescues.
  • Creates potential legal ambiguities between building codes and fire codes, which could lead to litigation and a lack of clarity in the rule of law regarding liability.
  • May lead to higher insurance premiums for property owners due to increased risk factors, indirectly impacting the economic viability of such projects.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-100.1.5 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows: 23-27.3-100.1.5. Building code — Adoption and promulgation by committee.

(a) The state building code standards committee has the authority to adopt, promulgate, and administer a state building code, which shall include:

(1) Provisions and amendments as necessary to resolve conflicts between fire safety codes and building codes, as provided for in § 23-28.01-6; and

(2) A rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures.

(b) The building code may be promulgated in several sections, with a section applicable to: (1) One-, two (2)-, three (3)-, and four (4)-family dwellings using the International Residential Code from the International Code Council (“ICC”) and any amendments thereto adopted by the state building code standards committee; (2) To multiple dwellings with more than four (4) residential units, and hotels and motels and other commercial structures using the Commercial International Building Code from the ICC and any amendments thereto adopted by the state building code standards committee; and (3) To general building construction; to plumbing; and to electrical.

(c) The building code shall incorporate minimum standards for the location, design, construction, and installation of wells that are appurtenances to a building in applicable sections. For purposes of this chapter, “appurtenance” includes the installation, alteration, or repair of wells connected to a structure consistent with chapter 13.2 of title 46.

(d) The building code and the sections thereof shall be reasonably consistent with recognized and accepted standards adopted by national model code organizations and recognized authorities. To the extent that any state or local building codes, statutes, or ordinances are inconsistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III, Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities, 42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq., and its regulations and standards, they are hereby repealed. The state building code standards committee is hereby directed to adopt rules and regulations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Titles II and III (28 C.F.R. Part 35 and 28 C.F.R. Part 36, as amended), as soon as possible, but no later than February 15, 2012, to take effect on or before March 15, 2012. The state building code standards committee is hereby authorized and directed to update those rules and regulations consistent with the future revisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Standards.

(e) Notwithstanding any provisions of the building code to the contrary, the building code shall allow for the construction of residential buildings up to four (4) stories and sixteen (16) dwelling units, with a single staircase; provided that, any applicable provisions and requirements of chapter 28.01 of title 23 (comprehensive fire safety act) and chapter 28.1 of the title 23 (fire safety code--general provisions) and associated regulations incorporated or adopted thereunder shall govern the design and construction of the same unless otherwise waived or varied by the appropriate state agency. (e)(f) All electrical work done in the state shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC). The state building code standards committee shall adopt the latest edition of the NEC, including any amendments to the NEC by the committee. The adoption of the NEC by the commission shall be completed so that it will take effect on the first day of July of the year the edition is dated.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.