Relating to: creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway. (FE)

SB 771 creates a Multifamily Housing Innovation Council within the Department of Safety and Professional Services to develop safety guidelines for apartment buildings. The bill allows local governments to permit multifamily dwellings up to six stories to use a single central staircase (instead of multiple staircases) if they follow a safety guidebook created by the council. The council will establish building specifications meeting National Fire Protection Association standards, develop a model ordinance for local adoption, and recommend code changes to facilitate such housing. This affects developers, local governments, and residents in communities adopting the new guidelines, with the council required to meet monthly until completing its guidebook. The bill does not mandate single-stair buildings but provides a framework for localities to adopt them safely.