AB 835: State Fire Marshal: building standards: single-exit, single stairway apartment houses: report.

Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, establishes the California Building Standards Commission within the Department of General Services. Existing law requires the commission to approve and adopt building standards and to codify those standards in the California Building Standards Code. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to research and develop, and authorizes the State Fire Marshal to propose to the California Building Standards Commission, mandatory building standards for fire resistance based on occupancy risk categories in very high, high, and moderate California fire severity zones, as provided.

This bill would require the State Fire Marshal to research standards for single-exit, single stairway apartment houses, with more than 2 dwelling units, in buildings above 3 stories and provide a report to specified legislative committees and to the California Building Standards Commission by January 1, 2026. The bill would require this report to address fire and life safety or emergency activities in single-exit, single stairway apartment houses, with more than 2 dwelling units, in buildings above 3 stories. The bill would repeal the above-mentioned provisions on January 1, 2028.