Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-28.6-24. Places of worship

Current as of January 01, 2022 | Updated by FindLaw Staff

(a) The Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review shall establish and maintain a subcategory of assembly occupancies for places of worship and shall, consistent with the provisions of this section, specify code requirements applicable to the subcategory. Every place of worship as defined in § 23-28.1-5 shall comply with the requirements for places of worship by the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review and administered by the state fire marshal. In establishing and maintaining this subcategory, the board shall give due consideration to the historic level of use as well as to occupant load and shall provide for separate calculation of occupant loads for sanctuaries and gathering halls and for distinct requirements for the different areas of the place of worship.

(b) Newly constructed places of worship shall comply with the applicable requirements for new occupancies.

(c) Existing places of worship shall comply with requirements established by the Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, pursuant to this subsection.

(1) The Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review shall adopt reasonable requirements for fire safety in existing places of worship by July 1, 2007, which standards shall allow for the continued occupancy and use of the place of worship without undue hardship, with due consideration for the historic use and operation of the place of worship, unless such continued use and occupancy would constitute a serious threat to life. Such requirements shall provide that the place of worship shall have:

(i) Adequate egress, including exits, exit signs, and emergency lighting;

(ii) Adequate systems for discovery of fire and smoke and for altering occupants promptly and effectively; and

(iii) Adequate fire extinguishers.

(2) Existing places of worship shall not be subject to requirements for places of assembly to install sprinklers in the sanctuary or in other areas unless the state fire marshal, or official in the office of the state fire marshal designated by the state fire marshal in the capacity of the authority having jurisdiction, shall determine: (i) that in the absence of sprinklers, there would be a serious threat to life as a result of conditions specific to those areas in the place of worship; or (ii) that the kitchen of the place of worship is used for cooking food for more than two (2) hours per week as an annual average, in which case a requirement may be imposed for automatic fire suppression system in the kitchen. The code requirements applicable to the place of worship shall be deemed satisfactory purposes of the use of the place of worship or areas thereof by community members and groups and nonprofit organizations; provided, however, that the use of the place of worship or a portion thereof for an occupancy for a commercial purpose or for the regular conduct of an activity or function that requires licensure by the state may be subject to code requirements for that occupancy.

(d) The Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review shall establish a timetable for existing places of worship to comply with the requirements adopted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, which compliance timetable shall commence not sooner than January 1, 2008 and may extend beyond July 1, 2008.

(e) The Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review and the state fire marshal shall in establishing, interpreting, administering and enforcing code requirements pertaining to this subcategory satisfy reasonable requirements for life safety in a manner that does not cause disproportionate effort or expense and that allows for continued occupancy as places of worship in buildings and structures where worship is a historic use, provided that any condition that represents a serious threat to life is mitigated by application of appropriate safeguards, and in so doing, shall give due consideration in applying the provisions of this paragraph to occupancies that normally are used by gatherings of less than fifty (50) persons.

Back to chapter list
Previous part of code Next part of code
Back to chapter list

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-28.6-24. Places of worship - last updated January 01, 2022 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-23-health-and-safety/ri-gen-laws-sect-23-28-6-24/

Read this complete Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-28.6-24. Places of worship on Westlaw

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Search all Rhode Island Codes

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About the Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to find an attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

    More Options
    Copied to clipboard