BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1127
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 13, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 1127 (Solorio) - As Amended: April 29, 2009
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:7-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires all school modernization projects, on or
after July 1, 2010, that are structural in nature and are a part
of a multistory building or building with exits that open to an
enclosed hallway to include an automatic fire detection, alarm,
and sprinkler system approved by the State Fire Marshall (SFM).
Specifically, this bill:
Authorizes the State Allocation Board (SAB) to waive this
requirement, if the cost of the automatic sprinkler system is
greater than 20% of the replacement cost of the building. This
measure further requires the SAB to adopt regulations to
implement this waiver.
FISCAL EFFECT
Annual state school construction modernization costs of $50
million to require all school modernization projects to include
an automatic fire detection, alarm, and sprinkler system, as
specified. This assumes approximately 100 projects are approved
annually.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . This bill attempts to address a long standing issue
regarding fire safety and public schools. Since 1998, the
Legislature has considered several bills to require automatic
fire detection systems in schools and these measures were
unsuccessful. These measures were the result of a terrible
fire in 1997 in East Palo Alto and a time when schools were
required to only have hand pull fire alarms.
AB 1127
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The author sites recent statistics by the National Fire
Protection Association, which indicate that from 2002-2005,
6,560 structure fires occurred nationally on educational
properties. These fires cause, on average, 95 civilian
injuries and $99 million in direct property damage each year.
According to the SFM there were a total of 1,101 education
system structure fires between 2000-2008. The estimated
property losses associated with these fires is $48.4 million.
2)AB 575 (O'Connell), Chapter 725, Statutes of 2001 required an
automatic fire detection and alarm system consisting of only
smoke or heat detectors be installed in school facility
modernization projects that have an estimated total cost in
excess of $200,000. It also required a new school facility
construction project to contain automatic fire detection and
alarm systems that consist of smoke or heat detectors, or a
combination thereof, as determined by the SFM. The law also
specified that an alarm in both modernization and new
construction projects, upon activation, alert all occupants
and transmit the alarm signal to an approved supervising
station.
Chapter 725 also required the SAB to adjust new construction
grants as necessary to accommodate 50% of the increased costs
due to automatic fire detection, alarm, and sprinkler system
requirements. Likewise, statute requires the SAB to adjust
modernization grants to accommodate 80% of the increased
costs. The SAB meets these requirements by providing school
districts with a supplemental grant, as shown in the table
below.
--------------------------------------------------------------
| | New |Modernizatio|
| |Construction| n |
| | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Fire Detection/Alarm | $11 | $114 |
|System - Elementary | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Fire Detection/Alarm | $15 | $114 |
|System - Middle | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
AB 1127
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|Automatic Fire Detection/Alarm | $25 | $114 |
|System - High | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Fire Detection/Alarm | $48 | $318 |
|System - Special Day Class (severe) | | |
| | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Fire Detection/Alarm | $33 | $213 |
|System - Special Day Class | | |
|(non-severe) | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Sprinkler System - | $158 | |
|Elementary | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Sprinkler System - Middle | $188 | |
| | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Sprinkler System - High | $194 | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Sprinkler System - | $497 | |
|Special Day Class (severe) | | |
|------------------------------------+------------+------------|
|Automatic Sprinkler System - | $334 | |
|Special Day Class (non-severe) | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------
The School Modernization Program provides state funds on a
60/40 basis for improvements to educationally enhance school
facilities. Projects eligible under this program include such
modifications as air conditioning, plumbing, lighting, and
electrical systems. Site acquisition may not be included in
modernization applications. According to the SAB, as of March
2009, there is approximately $200 million available for
modernization projects from Proposition 1D (passed by the
voters in 2006).
3)Previous legislation . AB 2343 (Nation), similar to this
measure, was vetoed in September 2004 with the following
message:
"This is an issue that is best resolved by locally elected
school boards who are in the best position to determine the
structural planning of their schools and the safety needs of
their students. Existing law already provides that new school
construction projects include automated fire detection, alarm,
AB 1127
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and sprinkler systems and school modernization projects must
include automated fire detection and alarm systems. Therefore,
since current law does not prohibit a local school district
from adding sprinkler systems to their modernization projects
if they choose, I believe this decision is best left to local
districts on a case-by-case basis depending upon the needs of
their schools."
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081