An Act to Reduce Certain Costs Associated with Residential
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2224
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Amends: 10 MRSA §9722

Legislative Document
No. 2224
S.P. 907
In Senate, February 26, 2026
An Act to Reduce Certain Costs Associated with Residential 
Construction
Reported by Senator CURRY of Waldo for the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and 
Economic Development pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 64, section 2.
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, ¶B-1, as amended by PL 2025, c. 46, §§1 to 3, 
is further amended by amending subparagraph (4) to read:
(4)  That buildings used to house livestock, store harvested crops or cultivate crops 
are not subject to the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code.  The exemption 
in this subparagraph does not include the cultivation of cannabis regulated under 
Title 22 or 28‑B; and
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, ¶B-1, as amended by PL 2025, c. 46, §§1 to 3, 
is further amended by enacting a new subparagraph (6) to read:
(6)  That smoke partitions for elevator hoistway doors as required in Chapter 30 of 
the 2021 edition of the International Building Code are not required under the 
Maine Uniform Building Code; and 
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §9722, sub-§6, ¶B-1, as amended by PL 2025, c. 46, §§1 to 3, 
is further amended by enacting a new subparagraph (7) to read:
(7)  That an elevator emergency 2-way communication system that includes both 
visual and audible communication in each elevator car as required in Chapter 30 
of the 2021 edition of the International Building Code is not required under the 
Maine Uniform Building Code. 
Sec. 4.  Office of State Fire Marshal to update standards in accordance with 
National Fire Protection Association standards update.  The Department of Public 
Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal shall update the state-adopted National Fire 
Protection Association standards by adopting the 2025 edition of the National Fire 
Protection Association 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.
Sec. 5.  Office of State Fire Marshal to convene residential fire sprinklers 
working group.  The Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal shall 
convene a working group, referred to in this resolve as "the working group," to study the 
housing and life safety impacts of residential fire sprinklers and explore ways to lower the 
costs associated with the requirement that construction of residential housing include fire 
sprinkler systems. 
1.  The State Fire Marshal or the State Fire Marshal's designee shall invite the 
participation in the working group of the following persons: a representative from the fire 
sprinkler industry; a municipal fire safety officer; a representative from the housing 
development industry; and any additional persons considered necessary by the State Fire 
Marshal to ensure comprehensive stakeholder representation. 
2.  The working group shall:
A.  Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing sprinkler system requirements for 
residential buildings with 3 or more units and the affiliated costs of the sprinkler 
systems; 
B.  Collect and analyze data on the housing and life safety impacts of residential fire 
sprinkler systems, including, but not limited to, the frequency of the presence of 
sprinkler systems in reported house fires and the estimated impact on financial loss and 
life safety impact; 
C.  Explore innovative incentives to reduce the associated costs of installing sprinkler 
systems in residential construction; and 
D.  Develop recommendations for legislative and regulatory changes to reduce the 
costs of installing required residential sprinkler systems. 
3.  The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall provide staff assistance to the working 
group. 
4.  By January 15, 2027, the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall submit a report on 
the working group's findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters.  The 
joint standing committee is authorized to submit legislation based on the report to the 133rd 
Legislature in 2027.
Sec. 6.  Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Office of 
Professional and Occupational Regulation to report on rulemaking.  No later 
than January 15, 2027, the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational 
Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation shall report to 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters 
regarding the status of the adoption of rules for the elevator and tramway safety program 
within the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation pursuant to the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 32, section 15205-A, subsection 2.  The committee is authorized to 
report out legislation related to the report required by this section to the 133rd Legislature 
in 2027.
SUMMARY
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic 
Development pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 64 to implement the recommendations of 
the working group to address regulatory barriers to housing construction.  The bill directs: 
1.  The Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal to update state 
standards to comply with the 2025 edition of the National Fire Protection Association 72: 
National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code; 
2.  The Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a 
working group to study the housing and life safety impacts of residential fire sprinklers and 
explore ways to lower associated costs and to submit a report on the stakeholder group's 
findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters; 
3.  The Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the 
Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to report by January 15, 2027 to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters on the 
status of the adoption of rules for the elevator and tramway safety program. 
The bill also excludes from the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code the 2021 
edition of International Building Code requirements that elevators must have a 2-way 
communication system and smoke partitions. 
The committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill.  By reporting this 
bill out, the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or 
disagrees with any aspect of this bill.  The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole 
purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate 
public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course.  The committee is taking 
this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of the proposals 
contained in the bill.