House committee hears bill to require propane/butane gas detectors with retail sales
February 12, 2025 | House of Representatives, House, Committees, Legislative, Puerto Rico
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The Commission on Consumer Affairs of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives on Thursday held a public hearing on House Bill 244, a proposal by Representative José Ché Pérez Cordero that would amend Article 4 of Law 1822 (the law governing sale, distribution and handling of liquefied petroleum gas) to require that every retail sale include at least one propane- or butane-gas detector designed to alert occupants to hazardous concentrations.
The bill drew testimony from Nino Correa, commissioner of the Emergency Management Agency (Negociado de Manejo de Emergencia), and Ángel Torrales, commissioner of Fire Prevention for the Puerto Rico Fire Corps (Cuerpo de Bomberos de Puerto Rico). Torrales said that, for commercial use, detectors and installations must meet established standards and pass laboratory certification: “todo dispositivo tiene que pasar primero por un una evaluación técnica… [y] cumplir con la NFPA 58 y la NFPA 54” and with UL classification where applicable. He added the Fire Corps evaluates equipment under the International Fire Code (2018 edition) and inspects commercial establishments through the Single Business Portal process.
Committee members emphasized recent incidents around the island. Representative Estrella Martínez Soto presented a multi-year list of explosions and fires linked to gas cylinders and lines — naming incidents in Añasco, Bayamón, Toa Alta, Carolina, Cayey and Arecibo among others — and told the committee these events include at least seven deaths since 2021. Representative José Ché Pérez Cordero, the bill’s author, said the out‑of‑pocket cost for a detector typically ranges from about $45 to $125 and framed the measure as a preventive investment compared with the larger human and emergency-response costs of major incidents.
Witnesses and legislators discussed several technical and implementation points that they said the draft bill should clarify before moving forward: which agency will have authority to verify compliance at the point of sale, how to require or verify a buyer’s receipt as proof of having received a detector, whether the measure should specify detector classifications (for example requiring UL listing or compliance with NFPA guidance), and how the bill would apply to private residences given current legal limits on residential inspections. Torrales and other witnesses repeatedly said the Fire Corps can inspect and certify commercial establishments but lacks statutory authority to require or perform inspections inside private homes.
Torrales described recommended installation practices for gas detectors in residences and explained a technical difference from smoke detection: because liquefied petroleum gas is heavier than air, detectors normally must be installed at low level (floor-to-ceiling placement around 18 inches above the floor) and must be devices that have undergone laboratory testing and certification. He also recommended, when feasible, adding a visible and accessible shutoff (valve) near the appliance to allow occupants to cut flow quickly.
Committee members pressed for more data and written testimony. The committee chair asked the agencies present to submit formal written ponencias (testimony) and supporting documentation to the committee by Friday at 5 p.m.; the chair said those documents will be shared with committee members before further action. No formal vote was taken during the hearing.
The hearing closed after roughly 52 minutes of discussion. Committee members indicated they intend to refine the language of House Bill 244 to specify which agency will verify compliance, whether detectors must meet particular UL or NFPA classifications, and how a point-of-sale receipt or certification mechanism could be enforced or audited. The committee also noted ongoing public-education needs and voluntary inspection options for residents who seek safety checks even though residential inspections are not currently authorized by the Fire Corps.
Next steps: agencies were asked to deliver written testimony by Friday at 5 p.m.; the committee will consider that material when amending the draft and scheduling future action.
The bill drew testimony from Nino Correa, commissioner of the Emergency Management Agency (Negociado de Manejo de Emergencia), and Ángel Torrales, commissioner of Fire Prevention for the Puerto Rico Fire Corps (Cuerpo de Bomberos de Puerto Rico). Torrales said that, for commercial use, detectors and installations must meet established standards and pass laboratory certification: “todo dispositivo tiene que pasar primero por un una evaluación técnica… [y] cumplir con la NFPA 58 y la NFPA 54” and with UL classification where applicable. He added the Fire Corps evaluates equipment under the International Fire Code (2018 edition) and inspects commercial establishments through the Single Business Portal process.
Committee members emphasized recent incidents around the island. Representative Estrella Martínez Soto presented a multi-year list of explosions and fires linked to gas cylinders and lines — naming incidents in Añasco, Bayamón, Toa Alta, Carolina, Cayey and Arecibo among others — and told the committee these events include at least seven deaths since 2021. Representative José Ché Pérez Cordero, the bill’s author, said the out‑of‑pocket cost for a detector typically ranges from about $45 to $125 and framed the measure as a preventive investment compared with the larger human and emergency-response costs of major incidents.
Witnesses and legislators discussed several technical and implementation points that they said the draft bill should clarify before moving forward: which agency will have authority to verify compliance at the point of sale, how to require or verify a buyer’s receipt as proof of having received a detector, whether the measure should specify detector classifications (for example requiring UL listing or compliance with NFPA guidance), and how the bill would apply to private residences given current legal limits on residential inspections. Torrales and other witnesses repeatedly said the Fire Corps can inspect and certify commercial establishments but lacks statutory authority to require or perform inspections inside private homes.
Torrales described recommended installation practices for gas detectors in residences and explained a technical difference from smoke detection: because liquefied petroleum gas is heavier than air, detectors normally must be installed at low level (floor-to-ceiling placement around 18 inches above the floor) and must be devices that have undergone laboratory testing and certification. He also recommended, when feasible, adding a visible and accessible shutoff (valve) near the appliance to allow occupants to cut flow quickly.
Committee members pressed for more data and written testimony. The committee chair asked the agencies present to submit formal written ponencias (testimony) and supporting documentation to the committee by Friday at 5 p.m.; the chair said those documents will be shared with committee members before further action. No formal vote was taken during the hearing.
The hearing closed after roughly 52 minutes of discussion. Committee members indicated they intend to refine the language of House Bill 244 to specify which agency will verify compliance, whether detectors must meet particular UL or NFPA classifications, and how a point-of-sale receipt or certification mechanism could be enforced or audited. The committee also noted ongoing public-education needs and voluntary inspection options for residents who seek safety checks even though residential inspections are not currently authorized by the Fire Corps.
Next steps: agencies were asked to deliver written testimony by Friday at 5 p.m.; the committee will consider that material when amending the draft and scheduling future action.
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