HB 5571: Construction: code; sunset of MCL 125.1504j; provide for on adoption of certain rules by the department. Amends 1972 PA 230 (MCL 125.1501 - 125.1531) by adding sec. 4k. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5570'26 - Michigan

Substitute (S-1) - 3 → House Concurred Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

The House concurred in the Senate substitute for HB 5571 with no substantive policy changes. The only differences are formatting adjustments, including reflowed line breaks, a change in how the bill number is displayed in the header, and removal of the Senate page footer. The actual legal text of Section 4k and the enacting section remains identical.

TECHNICAL

Header reformatted: 'SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 5571' was replaced with 'House BILL NO. 5571' followed by a separate line reading 'Senate substitute for.'

Senate page footer ('Final Page GSS H04884'25 (S-1) j1b9pc') was removed.

Line breaks and spacing throughout the bill body were reflowed, but no words in the operative legal text were added, removed, or altered.

Substitute (H-2) - 2 → Substitute (S-1) - 6 · 3 edits

MINOR

The Senate substitute completely replaced the detailed prescriptive requirements for single interior exit stairways in 5-6 story multiple-family dwellings with a much simpler provision. Instead of setting out specific safety conditions (fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinkler standards, fire department accreditation, etc.), the bill now simply states that existing Section 4j does not apply if the state adopts ICC standards for single-stairway buildings of 4 or more levels. This shifts the approach from direct regulation to deferring to future code adoption decisions.

REQUIREMENT

All detailed safety requirements for single interior exit stairways were removed, including: maximum 4 units per level, 4,000 sq ft floor area limit, 125-foot travel distance limit, restrictions on stairway openings, prohibition on elevators opening into the stairway, manual fire alarm and automatic smoke detection system requirements, smoke detectors in common areas (gathering areas, laundry rooms, mechanical rooms, storage rooms, corridors, stairways, exit passageways), sprinkler installation standards, prohibition on electrical receptacles in stairways, minimum 48-inch stairway width, and fire department accreditation/class rating requirements.

SCOPE

A new simple provision was added stating that Section 4j does not apply if the department incorporates by reference the ICC's publication of single interior exit stairway for a multiple-family dwelling that is 4 or more levels above grade plane into the code.

The threshold for when the ICC standard would override state law changed from '6 or more levels above grade plane' (in the old subsection 4k(2)) to '4 or more levels above grade plane,' broadening the range of buildings affected by the deferral to ICC standards.

As Passed by the Senate → Substitute (H-2) · 9 edits

MAJOR

The House substitute completely rewrites Section 4k from a brief one-sentence carve-out into a detailed set of safety conditions that must all be met before a 5- or 6-story apartment building can have only one interior exit stairway. The Senate version simply said the rule wouldn't apply if the state adopted certain ICC standards; the House version instead lays out specific fire safety, structural, and emergency service requirements as prerequisites for allowing a single stairway in these buildings.

SCOPE

The exception threshold changed from '4 or more levels above grade plane' to '6 or more levels above grade plane,' meaning the new detailed conditions now apply to buildings with 5 or 6 stories (more than 4 but not more than 6 levels).

REQUIREMENT

Added condition that each level must have no more than 4 units and a net floor area of no more than 4,000 square feet.

Added requirement that exit access travel distance from the most remote point on any level must not exceed 125 feet along the natural unobstructed path of egress travel.

Added restrictions on openings to the stairway enclosure: only openings for exit access from occupied spaces, egress from the enclosure, and exterior openings are permitted. Elevators may not open into the enclosure.

Added requirement for a manual fire alarm system, automatic smoke detection system, and occupant notification system, all installed per the building code.

Added requirement for smoke detectors in common areas including gathering areas, laundry rooms, mechanical equipment rooms, storage rooms, interior corridors, interior exit stairways, and exit passageways.

Added requirement that automatic sprinkler locations in the stairway must comply with combustible stairway requirements under NFPA 25 (2025 edition), regardless of the stairway's construction type.

Added prohibition on electrical receptacles in the interior exit stairway and a minimum stairway width of 48 inches.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement that the building must be located in a city or township served by a fire department, fire district, or fire authority that is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (or was previously accredited), has a Class 1 or 2 ISO Public Protection Classification rating, and meets the aerial apparatus requirements for that class rating.

As Passed by the House → As Passed by the Senate · 3 edits · Jun 16, 2026

MINOR

The Senate replaced the House's detailed set of safety conditions allowing 5-6 story apartment buildings to have a single exit stairway with a much simpler provision that defers to whether the state building department adopts the International Code Council's standard for single-stairway buildings. The House version specified exact requirements (unit limits, travel distances, fire alarm systems, sprinkler rules, fire department accreditation), while the Senate version removes all of those specifics and instead makes the rule contingent on a future administrative action by the department.

Scope change

The bill shifted from a prescriptive approach (specifying exact safety conditions for 5-6 story buildings to use one stairway) to a conditional approach (deferring to whether the department adopts the ICC standard, and expanding the potential height threshold from max 6 stories to 4 or more stories).

REQUIREMENT

All detailed safety conditions for single-stairway buildings were removed, including limits on units per level (max 4), floor area (max 4,000 sq ft), travel distance (max 125 feet), fire alarm and smoke detection system requirements, sprinkler installation standards, stairway width minimums (48 inches), and fire department accreditation/rating requirements.

SCOPE

The threshold changed from 'more than 4 but not more than 6 levels above grade plane' (House) to '4 or more levels above grade plane' (Senate), potentially covering taller buildings if the ICC standard is adopted.

ENFORCEMENT

The House version created an immediate, self-contained exception with specific conditions. The Senate version makes the rule conditional on the building department incorporating the ICC's single interior exit stairway standard by reference into state code, meaning the provision has no effect until that administrative action occurs.

House Introduced Bill → As Passed by the House · 5 edits · Jun 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from section 4j to 4k and its scope was narrowed by removing the alternative provision for buildings with an occupiable roof. A new minimum stairway width of 48 inches was added, a mechanism was included to update referenced standards over time, and a new override clause was added that automatically disables the section if the state adopts ICC standards for single-stairway buildings of 6 or more stories.

SCOPE

The bill no longer applies to buildings with an occupiable roof. The original allowed a single stairway for buildings with 5-6 levels above grade OR buildings with an occupiable roof and 4-5 levels above grade. The revised version only covers buildings with 5-6 levels above grade, removing the occupiable roof alternative entirely.

A new subsection (2) provides that this section does not apply if the department incorporates by reference the International Code Council's publication allowing a single interior exit stairway for multiple-family dwellings of 6 or more levels above grade plane. This effectively creates an automatic override if the state adopts ICC standards for taller buildings.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added that the interior exit stairway must be at least 48 inches wide.

ENFORCEMENT

A mechanism was added requiring the department to take notice of and adopt rules incorporating any revisions to referenced standards (such as NFPA sprinkler standards) after the bill's effective date.

TECHNICAL

The section was renumbered from 4j to 4k, likely reflecting a change in the overall structure of the act.

Construction: code; sunset of MCL 125.1504j; provide for on adoption of certain rules by the department. Amends 1972 PA 230 (MCL 125.1501 - 125.1531) by adding sec. 4k. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5570'26

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