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SMOKE DETECTORS SHALL BE MANDATORY

JEFFERSON CITY - Rental homes, apartment buildings, hotels and dormitories would have to take more safety precautions under a bill presented to the House Consumer Protection Committee Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Rep.Bill Boucher, D-Kansas City, would require the placement of smoke detectors in houses, dwellings, apartments, hotels, lodging houses, dormitories and mobile homes.

"Many fires occur when people are sleeping," Boucher said.

The bill covers any apartment, house, dorm or hotel constructed or remodeled after January 1, 1998 and would require the seller to have smoke detectors installed at the time of sale.

While local building codes may require smoke detectors, there is no statewide requirement outside of urban areas.

"I'm trying to make it safe for people in Missouri, especially for people that rent property. Many times the landlords don't take care about this," Boucher said. "We don't have enough rules on the books to make sure that people are protected." He added.

Under the bill, a violator would be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars.

Boucher has been proposing similar measure since 1992.

This year, Boucher said it was the first time that nobody testified in opposition to his bill - unlike past years when he said his bill had come under opposition from real estate companies.