Committee releases bill to require emergency‑communications testing after large renovations

The committee released S.B. 259, a bill that would expand the requirement for grid acceptance testing (GAT) of in‑building emergency communications to apply when existing buildings are renovated or modified and the total area exceeds 25,000 square feet.

The current law requires new construction exceeding 25,000 square feet to pass a GAT; the bill would close a loophole for buildings that are substantially renovated. Eric Wagner, director of the Division of Communications, told the committee the change is designed to prevent dead zones that impede police, fire and emergency medical communications and that testing would require retrofits such as bidirectional amplifiers (BDAs) when buildings fail the test.

Wagner said the working threshold for triggering the certificate‑of‑occupancy/GAT requirement is a renovation affecting about 40% of a building’s total occupancy; he estimated a typical BDA installation with antennas would cost roughly $35,000 installed, though costs vary by building type and complexity. Committee members asked whether the bill applies to private commercial buildings and how enforcement and standards would be implemented; Wagner and staff said the requirement applies to renovated buildings of all ownership types and that certificate‑of‑occupancy processes would enforce compliance.

After Q&A the committee voted to release the bill for further consideration.