HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has sent to Gov. Tom Corbett a bill to repeal the state's fire sprinkler mandate for most new homes.
The legislation, House Bill 377, would remove a requirement from the Uniform Construction Code that all newly constructed one- and two-family homes have a fire sprinkler system installed.
The House gave final approval to the bill by a vote of 129-68 Wednesday. The Senate had passed an amended version on Tuesday.
Those who support the repeal claim sprinkler systems increase the cost of building a new home by up to $15,000. They said the added costs discouraged many families from building, and stalled the construction industry as the housing market was trying to recover from the recession.
Opponents said the cost of installation was much lower, and well worth the lives saved by fire sprinklers.
