An Act to Establish Minimum Safety Standards for the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1179
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Sponsors: MACIAS
Amends: 25 MRSA §2452

Legislative Document
No. 1179
H.P. 784
House of Representatives, March 20, 2025
An Act to Establish Minimum Safety Standards for the 
Construction and Use of Temporary Emergency Shelters
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MACIAS of Topsham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ARCHER of Saco, ARFORD of Brunswick, WEBB of 
Durham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2452, first ¶, as repealed and replaced by PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. 
A, §25, is amended to read:
The Commissioner of Public Safety shall adopt and may amend rules governing the 
safety to life from fire in or around all buildings or other structures, including temporary 
emergency shelters, and mass outdoor gatherings, as defined in Title 22, section 1601, 
subsection 2, within the commissioner's jurisdiction. Automatic sprinkler systems may not 
be required in existing noncommercial places of assembly. Noncommercial places of 
assembly include those facilities used for such purposes as deliberation, worship, 
entertainment, amusement or awaiting transportation that have a capacity of 100 to 300 
persons.  Automatic sprinkler systems may not be required in existing commercial places 
of assembly that are open for no more than 50 days per calendar year.  "Commercial places 
of assembly" includes bars with live entertainment, dance halls, nightclubs, assembly halls 
with large open areas in which patrons stand or sit, commonly referred to as "festival 
seating," and restaurants.  For the purposes of this section, "temporary emergency shelter" 
means a structure or mobile unit designed for short-term habitation during an emergency 
and includes, but is not limited to, mobile homes, modular units and other nonpermanent 
structures.  Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules, except that 
rules pertaining to fire sprinklers are major substantive rules, both of which are defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 2.  Rules for temporary emergency shelters.  In consultation with the 
Technical Building Codes and Standards Board established pursuant to the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 10, section 9722, the Commissioner of Public Safety shall adopt rules 
governing life and fire safety and other safety protections for temporary emergency shelters 
pursuant to Title 25, section 2452.  The rules must include, but are not limited to:
1.  Fire code standards for the design and construction of temporary emergency 
shelters, including ventilation requirements, electrical safety and emergency exits; 
2.  Required fire prevention equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; 
and
3.  Standard tenant fire safety rules regulating the use of open flames. 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commissioner of Public Safety, in consultation with the 
Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Technical Building Codes 
and Standards Board, to establish rules governing life and fire safety for temporary 
emergency shelters.