Legislation being circulated by Dem lawmakers would create a $10 million grant program to help Wisconsin landlords with fire prevention.
Sens. LaTonya Johnson and Dora Drake of Milwaukee, along with Reps. Margaret Arney of Wauwatosa, Deb Andraca of Whitefish Bay and Christine Sinicki of Milwaukee, yesterday sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers seeking support for the bill.
They note many state residents live in multi-family homes that don’t have modern fire safety features such as in-unit sprinklers. The lawmakers say their bill “acknowledges the significant cost to property owners” for installations like this, and would help prevent these costs being passed onto residents.
“We have a responsibility to protect the lives and property of residents in these homes,” they wrote.
Wisconsin in 2023 had 9.4 deaths and 29.4 injuries per 1,000 residential structure fires, according to the latest data available from the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Both figures are above the national level, which was 5.8 deaths and 19.7 injuries per 1,000 residential structure fires for the same year.
Under the bill, the state Department of Administration would be required to establish a program to provide grants to landlords to help cover the cost of installing fire prevention and suppression measures in residential buildings. That can include fire sprinklers within the building and adding fire extinguishers to residential units.
The agency would also be directed to establish the application process for the grant program, which would work on a first-come, first-served basis, according to an overview from the Legislative Reference Bureau. Grants would be limited to 50% of the recipient landlord’s costs for the fire safety measures.
The co-sponsorship deadline is Nov. 5.
See the bill text.
