Exempting certain agricultural warehouses from automatic fire sprinkler requirements, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4297/1
KP:cdc&skw

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 956
January 29, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives Hurd, Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kreibich, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Spiros, Summerfield and Tittl, cosponsored by Senators James, Marklein and Quinn. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.

An Act to create 101.14 (5) of the statutes; relating to: exempting certain agricultural warehouses from automatic fire sprinkler requirements.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill exempts specified agricultural warehouses used to store any of the following from being required to have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed: 1) liquid bulk fertilizer or liquid bulk pesticide if the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection requires the storage container of the liquid bulk fertilizer or pesticide to be located within a secondary containment structure that complies with rules promulgated by DATCP and 2) dry bulk fertilizer and dry bulk pesticide. The bill defines a “specified agricultural warehouse” as a building designed for the primary purpose of storing agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides, and other crop protection products for distribution to agricultural producers, and the bill applies only to specified agricultural warehouses for which construction is initiated after the bill takes effect. Under the bill, the exemption applies only if the owner of a specified agricultural warehouse notifies the chief of the local fire department that water should not be used to suppress any fire at the warehouse and of any changes to the chemicals stored at the warehouse. Also, the exemption does not apply to an office or store within or attached to the specified agricultural warehouse. Under current law, the Department of Safety and Professional Services may promulgate rules requiring owners of places of employment and public buildings to install fire detection, prevention, or suppression devices.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. 101.14 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
101.14 (5) (a) In this subsection:
1. “Automatic fire sprinkler system” has the meaning given in s. 145.01 (2).
2. “Specified agricultural warehouse” means a building designed for the primary purpose of storing agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides, and other crop protection products for distribution to agricultural producers.
(b) Notwithstanding subs. (1) (a) and (4) (a) and s. 101.02 (15) (j), the department may not require and, notwithstanding s. 101.02 (7) (a) and (7r), no city, village, town, or county may require the installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system in a specified agricultural warehouse for which construction is initiated after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], and that is used to store any of the following:
1. Liquid bulk fertilizer or liquid bulk pesticide if the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection requires the storage container of the liquid bulk fertilizer or liquid bulk pesticide to be located within a secondary containment structure that complies with rules promulgated by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.
2. Dry bulk fertilizer or dry bulk pesticide.
(c) 1. Paragraph (b) does not apply to a specified agricultural warehouse that
contains an office unless there exists from the office a means of egress in case of fire that does not pass through the area where substances described in par. (b) are stored.
2. Paragraph (b) does not apply to an area within a specified agricultural warehouse or to a structure attached to a specified agricultural warehouse that is used as an office or store.
3. Paragraph (b) does not apply to a specified agricultural warehouse unless the owner notifies the chief of the fire department of the city, village, or town in which the warehouse is located that water should not be used to suppress any fire occurring at the warehouse and of the chemicals stored at the warehouse and updates the chief of the fire department of any changes to the chemicals stored at the warehouse.
4. Paragraph (b) does not apply to a specified agricultural warehouse after a change in its use or occupancy results in the specified agricultural warehouse not being used to store the substances described in par. (b) 1. or 2.
(d) This subsection does not prevent the department or a city, village, town, or county from requiring any other fire detection, prevention, or suppression requirement authorized under this chapter other than an automatic fire sprinkler system.
(end)