Senate Passes Bill to Protect Firefighters, Construction Workers from Deadly Code Violations

Bill carries out key recommendations of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission, formed after the 2014 Back Bay fire

(BOSTON—8/13/2026) The Massachusetts Senate today passed legislation to protect firefighters, construction workers, and the public by strengthening penalties for fire code and building code violations that result in death or serious injury.

Under the bill, people who commit certain fire code or building code violations that cause a death would face a criminal penalty of up to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

The legislation carries out key recommendations of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission. The Legislature formed the commission after the deadly 2014 brownstone fire in Boston's Back Bay, which was caused by unpermitted welding work and killed Boston Fire Lieutenant Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy.

“Lieutenant Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy’s lives were tragically cut short because someone chose to cut a corner,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Absolutely no one should lose a parent, spouse, or loved one because fire code was not followed, and this bill makes clear that we will hold people accountable if they ignore safety rules and put other people in danger. I applaud Senator Brownsberger and Senator Collins for their leadership and thank Chair Rodrigues for shepherding this legislation to the floor.”

“This is about justice,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont). “Carelessness can kill people. Everyone needs to know that there will be consequences when safety rules are recklessly ignored.”

“Reckless actions that needlessly endanger our firefighters and the general public, leading to injuries and even death, deserve serious criminal penalties,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “There’s a real possibility for danger when sparks and flames are used in a building project without the proper care. We’re following the lead of our Walsh-Kennedy Commission, which told us how to achieve a safer future for firefighters, construction workers, and the general public. And we’re doing so in memory of the brave firefighters who were taken from us too soon. Thank you to President Spilka for elevating this topic throughout the session, and thank you to my friends Senator Brownsberger and Senator Collins for their tireless work on this issue, which was borne from Boston’s tragedy in 2014.”

“This legislation is an important step toward setting clear standards for this dangerous work, strengthening accountability, and creating stronger incentives to put safety first,” said Senator Nick Collins (D-South Boston), Co-Chair of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission. “We learned from past tragedies, and we have a responsibility to carry those lessons forward to better protect workers, firefighters, and the neighborhoods where this work is taking place. I was proud to serve on the commission and have direct, informed conversations with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and Boston Firefighters Local 718, and I want to thank my Senate colleagues for helping see this effort through to this important point.”

In cases where a fire code or building code violation causes serious bodily injury, the criminal penalty would include up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The bill also significantly enhances the penalty for violations of the state fire prevention law related to hot work—which includes welding, plasma cutting, and spark-producing construction. It increases the fine for a first offense from $100 to $1,000.

Third and subsequent offenses for hot work violations could be penalized with up to two and a half years in a house of correction and a share of the building project’s total value.

The legislation—S.3251, An Act implementing the recommendations of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission Report—also codifies criteria for the training and certification of people conducting hot work.

Full details of the bill are available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.

This is the second bill that the Senate has passed this session to strengthen safety for first responders and tradespeople conducting hot work. The first bill, which went on to be passed by the House and signed by the Governor, created requirements for consistent tracking and notification of code violations.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means redrafted the bill and reported it to the full Senate with a 16-0 vote on August 10, 2026. All votes at the committee and chamber levels are publicly posted on the Legislature’s website. Following open deliberation and remarks during today’s session, the Senate unanimously passed the bill and sent it back to the House for further consideration.

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