SF 2572

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 06/08/2021 12:10pm

A bill for an act
relating to the State Fire Code; adding fire safety requirements for rural event
venues; requiring inspections by the state fire marshal of rural event venues;
creating a dedicated account in the special revenue fund; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 299F.391, subdivisions 1, 2; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299F.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 299F.391, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

For purposes of this section new text begin , new text end the following definitions deleted text begin shall deleted text end
apply:

(a) "Lodging house" means any building or portion thereof containing not more than
five guest rooms which are used or intended to be used for sleeping purposes by guests and
where rent is paid in money, goods, labor or otherwise.

(b) "Hospital" has the meaning given it in section 144.50.

(c) "Hotel" means any building or portion thereof containing six or more guest rooms
intended or designed to be used, or which are used, rented, hired out to be occupied, or
which are occupied for sleeping purposes by guests, and which is required to be licensed
pursuant to chapter 157.

(d) "Nursing home" has the meaning given it in section 144A.01.

(e) new text begin "Rural event venue" means any publicly or privately owned facility that:
new text end

new text begin (1) is a place of public accommodation as defined in section 326B.108, subdivision 1;
new text end

new text begin (2) is designed for occupancy by 100 or more people based on one person per seven
square feet of area;
new text end

new text begin (2) is rented for money or for the exchange of goods or services;
new text end

new text begin (3) was formerly agricultural in nature and is used for the purposes of hosting weddings,
receptions, parties, and similar social events three or more times a year;
new text end

new text begin (4) is accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities;
new text end

new text begin (5) allows alcohol; and
new text end

new text begin (6) is not a lodging house, hospital, hotel, nursing home, school, place of worship, or
property owned or operated by a congressionally chartered veterans service organization.
new text end

new text begin (f) new text end "School" means any public or private school or educational institution.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 299F.391, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Requirements.

All hospitals, nursing homes, schools, lodging houses deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end
hotels new text begin , and rural event venues new text end shall be operated and maintained in compliance with the State
Fire Code as promulgated pursuant to section 326B.02, subdivision 6.

Sec. 3.

new text begin [299F.48] INSPECTIONS OF RURAL EVENT VENUES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin For the purposes of this section, the following definitions
apply:
new text end

new text begin (1) "rural event venue" has the meaning given in section 299F.391, subdivision 1;
new text end

new text begin (2) "new rural event venue" means a building constructed or converted for use after
August 1, 2019; and
new text end

new text begin (3) "existing rural event venue" means a building currently used as a rural event venue.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Fire safety. new text end

new text begin (a) All new and existing rural event venues shall be operated and
maintained in compliance with the State Fire Code except as amended in this subdivision:
new text end

new text begin (1) roads and parking lots shall be provided so that firefighting apparatus are able to get
within 150 feet of all portions of the building for firefighting and rescue purposes;
new text end

new text begin (2) all rooms and spaces shall be furnished with automatic smoke detection connected
to a commercial fire alarm system with audible and visual notification throughout the
building to alert occupants of fire conditions;
new text end

new text begin (3) no open flames are allowed in the building and within 20 feet of the building, except
for flames used for the purposes of reheating or maintaining food temperatures;
new text end

new text begin (4) smoking is prohibited in the building and at any location within 20 feet of the building;
new text end

new text begin (5) interior finishes, decorations, and means of egress features shall comply with the
existing building requirements of the State Fire Code; and
new text end

new text begin (6) an analysis shall be performed by a qualified person to determine the structural
soundness of the building against wind, applied loads, and sound vibration for wedding
receptions and similar social events and the results furnished to the state fire marshal upon
request.
new text end

new text begin (b) The owner or operator of a rural event venue shall furnish copies of the most recent
fire inspection report, upon request, to persons desiring to hold events at the rural event
venue.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Inspections; fees. new text end

new text begin The state fire marshal shall develop a plan to inspect every
rural event venue once every three years. The state fire marshal shall charge the owner of
each rural event venue a triennial inspection fee of 15 cents per square foot for each building
inspected. The fee includes two follow-up inspections or on-site consultations. For each
additional follow-up inspection conducted in the same three-year cycle that is necessary to
bring the rural event venue into compliance with the State Fire Code, the state fire marshal
shall charge the owner a fee of five cents per square foot for each building inspected.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Special account; appropriation. new text end

new text begin Money received by the State Fire Marshal
Division for inspections of rural event venues must be deposited in the state treasury and
credited to a state fire marshal rural event venue inspection account in the special revenue
fund. All money in the state fire marshal rural event venue inspection account is annually
appropriated to the commissioner of public safety to operate and administer the inspections.
new text end