STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1306

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 153

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 153 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE INSTALLATION OF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS OR APPLICATION OF CERTIFIED FIRE-RETARDANT COATINGS IN NEWLY CONSTRUCTED ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS TO BE REQUIRED UNDER THE STATE BUILDING CODE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the State Building Code Council to adopt the requirement that automatic fire sprinklers be installed or certified fire- retardant coatings be applied in new one- and two-family residential dwellings constructed throughout the State after January 1, 2012.

     Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the State Fire Council, City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, and Kaua‘i Fire Department.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from NoFire Technologies, Inc.

     Your Committees find that fire sprinklers are a reliable method of protecting residents and homes from the dangers of fire.  Although automatic fire sprinklers are a proven life-saving system, they are often expensive to install even in new buildings. 

Your Committees further find that fire-retardant coatings that are applied to the interior of dwellings maintain their fire-retardant qualities and effectiveness for many years without further application.  Fire-retardant coatings have a cost advantage over fire sprinklers in that they are much cheaper, which could be a major attraction to the homeowner.

     Your Committees believe that homeowners should have the option of selecting automatic sprinklers or fire-retardant coatings.  A selection of either fire prevention method is far better than nothing to protect the public from a residential fire.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language requesting the State Building Code Council to adopt requirements relating to automatic fire sprinklers and fire-retardant coatings;

     (2)  Requesting that developers and homebuilders consider either the installation of automatic sprinklers or application of certified fire-retardant coatings in newly constructed one- and two-family residential dwellings, depending on the preference of the homeowner; and

     (3)  Amending the title of the measure accordingly.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 153, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 153, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Water, Land, and Housing,

____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair