It’s official. Philadelphia City Council Bill 220299 – mandating the upgrade of older residential buildings for in-unit automatic sprinklers is dead. The bill has run out of time to have a hearing before the end of the current session, so the bill is officially dead.
While the bill is dead for this session, this does not guarantee that the bill could not be reintroduced in 2024 or beyond. CAI will continue to work with our coalition partners, including the Pennsylvania Apartment Association, to monitor new legislation introduced next year, and connect with Councilmembers and the Mayor to proactively work to keep residents safe across the City of Philadelphia without a costly impact on housing affordability.
This is important not just for CAI members in Philadelphia, but across the Commonwealth and region. Often, what is enacted in one jurisdiction spreads to other jurisdiction.
CAI is grateful for all the members, homeowners especially, who reached out to City Council, attended meetings and protests, sent emails, made phone calls, and responded to media requests. We could not have been able to defeat this legislation without your support. Stay tuned, however. We may need to call on you again in the new year!
CAI’s work is not done though. This was one piece of legislation our Legislative Action Committee has been working on this year. Click here to learn more about other pending legislation in Harrisburg impacting community associations.
