Committee advances bill to expand consumer fireworks sales and bar county bans on private displays

Senator Logan told the committee that Senate Bill 1948 would extend the period during which licensed manufacturers, distributors and retailers may sell consumer fireworks and would prohibit counties from banning private outdoor consumer-fireworks displays for noncommercial purposes, subject to burn bans.

"This is a very, very simple, easy bill that simply expands a time frame for consumer fireworks to be sold," Logan said. The sponsor said the bill targets consumer fireworks and not commercial displays.

Several senators raised safety and zoning concerns, asking whether the bill would remove local guardrails that limit private fireworks use near other properties and whether county zoning or local ordinances could still apply. The sponsor replied that a county burn ban would still prohibit displays and that the bill focuses on consumer fireworks rather than commercial-sized displays.

A senator raised a question about the bill’s reference to the 2006 International Building Code and whether that remains the appropriate code citation; the sponsor, who said he is a licensed building inspector, offered to check and clarify the reference.

The committee voted 8 ayes and 2 nays to advance the bill.