STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1936 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 13, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ENGLE- BRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring SUNY and CUNY authorities to install and retrofit dormitory buildings with sprinkler systems The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The board of trustees of the state university of New York, 2 the board of trustees of the city university of New York and the council 3 of governing boards for the independent colleges of New York shall 4 conduct a study concerning the safety of New York state college students 5 in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, laboratories, physical educa- 6 tion facilities, dining facilities, educational facilities and recre- 7 ational facilities. This study shall include information including, but 8 not limited to, the number and percentage of buildings without adequate 9 fire extinguishment equipment including, but not limited to, sprinkler 10 systems, fire extinguishers, fire hoses and smoke alarms. Additionally, 11 an analysis of the cost of retrofitting existing facilities with sprin- 12 kler systems must be provided along with a plan and time schedule for 13 the completion of such retrofitting. A report containing the information 14 required by this section shall be submitted to the governor and the 15 legislature not later than December 1, 2023. 16 § 2. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new 17 subdivision 21 to read as follows: 18 21. Plan for providing fire safety. The board of trustees of the state 19 university of New York shall adopt rules requiring that each institution 20 of the state university, on or before March first, two thousand twenty- 21 four, adopt and implement a plan to cause all buildings under the juris- 22 diction of such institution containing dormitory facilities for student 23 use to be constructed or retrofitted with a system of piping and 24 appurtenances, designed and installed in accordance with generally EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01255-02-1A. 1936 2 1 accepted standards so that heat from a fire will automatically cause 2 water to be discharged over such fire area to extinguish it or prevent 3 its further spread. All retrofitting shall be completed within a three 4 year period from the date any such plan is adopted. 5 § 3. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new 6 subdivision 21 to read as follows: 7 21. The board of trustees of the city university of New York shall 8 adopt rules requiring that each institution of the city university, on 9 or before March first, two thousand twenty-four, adopt and implement a 10 plan to cause all buildings under the jurisdiction of such institution 11 containing dormitory facilities for student use to be constructed or 12 retrofitted with a system of piping and appurtenances, designed and 13 installed in accordance with generally accepted standards so that heat 14 from a fire will automatically cause water to be discharged over such 15 fire area to extinguish it or prevent its further spread. All retrofit- 16 ting shall be completed within a three year period from the date any 17 such plan is adopted. 18 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.