BOSTON (AP) -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will propose a fire safety bill Wednesday that would require sprinklers in all nightclubs with an occupancy of more than 50 people.
The bill endorses many of the recommendations of a panel Romney appointed in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed 100 people in neighboring Rhode Island in February.
About one-third of the victims of The Station nightclub fire were from Massachusetts. The blaze, ignited by a rock band's pyrotechnics show, spread thick smoke through the building, trapping patrons as they tried to flee. The club did not have sprinklers.
The Massachusetts bill also would impose penalties of up to 2 1/2 years in prison or a $5,000 fine for allowing dangerous conditions in a building, including blocked exits, poorly maintained fire equipment or too many occupants.
Other provisions include tax incentives for the installation of sprinklers and creation of a commission to study whether the state should establish a mandatory municipal fire inspector program.
