PRINTER'S NO. 775
No. 726 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY FLECK, MARMION, HEISER, TADDONIO, COHEN, KUKOVICH,
WARGO, NOYE, LETTERMAN, COCHRAN, PRATT, MRKONIC, HALUSKA,
PISTELLA, BROWN, WOGAN, JOHNSON, MICHLOVIC, MACKOWSKI, GEIST,
McCALL, SALVATORE, FRAZIER, SAURMAN, VAN HORNE, MICOZZIE,
DAVIES, HORGOS, GRABOWSKI, BLAUM, FISCHER, DAWIDA, SPITZ AND
PETRARCA, MARCH 9, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE, MARCH 9, 1981
AN ACT
1 Requiring the installation and maintenance of smoke detectors in
2 hotels and motels; conferring powers and imposing duties on
3 the Department of Labor and Industry and local fire
4 departments and fire companies.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. The person in charge of each hotel or motel shall
8 cause to be installed in each room provided for guests a home
9 type smoke detector approved by Underwriters Laboratories. Such
10 smoke detectors shall be battery operated, and shall be equipped
11 with a light of sufficient illumination that a person can see
12 the direction to the nearest fire exit. The person in charge of
13 each hotel or motel shall designate employees to test each smoke
14 detector at least once each month and who shall keep a record of
15 such inspection, noting the date of inspection, the location of
16 the smoke detector and any remarks concerning the operational
17 integrity of the smoke detector. Such records may be inspected
1 at any time by the Department of Labor and Industry. Each guest
2 room shall have a sign affixed to the inside of the door, midway
3 between the floor and ceiling indicating the direction to the
4 nearest fire exit.
5 Section 2. Each hallway shall be equipped with a commercial
6 type smoke detector approved by Underwriters Laboratories and
7 which shall be equipped with a standby power source and with a
8 light of sufficient illumination that a person can see
9 directions to the nearest fire exit. Such smoke detectors shall
10 be inspected and labeled annually by the fire department or fire
11 company which protects the area in which the hotel or motel is
12 located. Such fire department or fire company may charge a fee
13 to the hotel or motel which shall be equal to the reasonable
14 cost of making the inspection and labeling.
15 Section 3. When this act becomes operative as to any hotel
16 or motel the person in charge thereof shall cause to be
17 prominently displayed a notice to patrons that this facility is
18 equipped with smoke detectors, commencing on the first day on
19 which the system becomes operational and ceasing on the last day
20 of the sixtieth month after enactment.
21 Section 4. It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of
22 a hotel or motel or for any other person acting on behalf of any
23 hotel or motel, as to which this act has become operative to
24 apply for any building permit, occupancy permit or financial
25 assistance from any State or local authority, unless such hotel
26 or motel is in full compliance with this act as determined by
27 the Department of Labor and Industry.
28 Section 5. This act shall become effective immediately but
29 shall not become operative to any hotel or motel having 49 or
30 less guest rooms until 24 months after final enactment, nor to
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1 any hotel having 50 to 149 guest rooms until 18 months after
2 final enactment, nor to any hotel or motel having 150 or more
3 guest rooms until 12 months after final enactment.
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