School facilities: automatic fire sprinkler system.

Existing law, the Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act of 1998, requires the State Allocation Board to allocate to applicant school districts prescribed per-unhoused-pupil state funding for construction and modernization of school facilities, including hardship funding and supplemental funding for site development and acquisition. Existing law requires all modernization projects that have an estimated total cost in excess of $200,000 submitted to the Division of the State Architect, including hardship applications, that require the approval of the Department of General Services to include an automatic fire detection and alarm system approved by the State Fire Marshal. The automatic fire detection and alarm system is required to consist of smoke or heat detectors, or a combination of smoke and heat detectors, installed in the school building. Existing law requires the board to adjust the per-pupil grant amount as necessary to accommodate 80% of the increased costs due to the automatic fire detection and alarm system. This bill would require, on and after July 1, 2010, that certain modernization projects have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed throughout the school building in accordance with building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal. The bill would require the board to adopt regulations to implement this requirement and would authorize the board to waive the requirement if the cost of the automatic sprinkler system is greater than 20% of the replacement cost of the building. The bill would require the board also to adjust the per-pupil grant amount as necessary to accommodate 80% of the increased costs due to the automatic fire sprinkler system.