{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-126.3.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-126.3.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-126.3.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-126.3.html"}],"law_id":83484,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83484,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-126.3","catch_line":"Fire suppression systems required in hospitals","history":"1995, c. 631; 1997, c. 552.","full_text":"After January 1, 1998, the Commissioner shall not issue a license to or renew the license of any hospital, regardless of when such facility was constructed, unless the hospital is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which complies with the regulations of the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\tThe Commissioner may, at his discretion, extend the time for compliance with this section for any hospital that can demonstrate (i) its inability to comply, if such hospital submits, prior to January 1, 1998, a plan for compliance by a date certain which shall be no later than July 1, 1998, or (ii) that construction is underway for a new facility to house the services currently located in the noncomplying facility and that such construction will be completed and the noncomplying facility relocated by December 31, 1998.\n\t\tThe provisions of Article 1.1 (\u00a7 32.1-102.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of this title shall not apply to expenditures required solely for compliance with this section.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section and \u00a7 36-99.9:1, &#8220;automatic sprinkler system&#8221; means a device for suppressing fire in patient rooms and other areas of the hospital customarily used for patient care.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":299190,"text":"After January 1, 1998, the Commissioner shall not issue a license to or renew the license of any hospital, regardless of when such facility was constructed, unless the hospital is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which complies with the regulations of the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\tThe Commissioner may, at his discretion, extend the time for compliance with this section for any hospital that can demonstrate (i) its inability to comply, if such hospital submits, prior to January 1, 1998, a plan for compliance by a date certain which shall be no later than July 1, 1998, or (ii) that construction is underway for a new facility to house the services currently located in the noncomplying facility and that such construction will be completed and the noncomplying facility relocated by December 31, 1998.\n\t\tThe provisions of Article 1.1 (\u00a7 32.1-102.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of this title shall not apply to expenditures required solely for compliance with this section.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section and \u00a7 36-99.9:1, &#8220;automatic sprinkler system&#8221; means a device for suppressing fire in patient rooms and other areas of the hospital customarily used for patient care.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12729,"edition_id":1,"name":"Hospital and Nursing Home Licensure and Inspection","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12728,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":202857,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12729,"identifier":"1","token":"32.1\/5\/1","url":"\/32.1\/5\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12728,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Medical Care Facilities and Services","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":202855,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12728,"identifier":"5","token":"32.1\/5","url":"\/32.1\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80727,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-123","catch_line":"(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions","url":"\/32.1-123\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-123","metadata":false},{"id":75042,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-124","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/32.1-124\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-124","metadata":false},{"id":58545,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125","catch_line":"Establishment or operation of hospitals and nursing homes prohibited without license or certification; licenses not transferable","url":"\/32.1-125\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125","metadata":false},{"id":63548,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.01","catch_line":"Failing to report; penalty","url":"\/32.1-125.01\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.01","metadata":false},{"id":59071,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.1","catch_line":"Inspection of hospitals by state agencies generally","url":"\/32.1-125.1\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.1","metadata":false},{"id":78537,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.2","catch_line":"Disclosure of other providers of services","url":"\/32.1-125.2\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.2","metadata":false},{"id":58917,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.3","catch_line":"Bed capacity and licensure in hospitals designated as critical access hospitals; designation as rural hospital","url":"\/32.1-125.3\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.3","metadata":false},{"id":55275,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.4","catch_line":"Retaliation or discrimination against complainants","url":"\/32.1-125.4\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.4","metadata":false},{"id":70129,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.5","catch_line":"Confidentiality of complainant's identity","url":"\/32.1-125.5\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.5","metadata":false},{"id":60850,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-126","catch_line":"Commissioner to inspect and to issue licenses to or assure compliance with certification requirements for hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities; 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The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?951+ful+CHAP0631\">631<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0552\">552<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":71368,"section_number":"36-99.9:1","catch_line":"Standards for fire suppression systems in hospitals","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-99.9_1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":77111,"section_number":"32.1-102.1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-102.1\/"},{"id":71368,"section_number":"36-99.9:1","catch_line":"Standards for fire suppression systems in hospitals","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-99.9_1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":202915,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83484,"identifier":"32.1-126.3","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-126.3","url":"\/32.1-126.3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-126.3\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-126.3","dublin_core":{"Title":"Fire suppression systems required in hospitals","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-126.3","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>After January 1, 1998, the <span class=\"dictionary\">Commissioner<\/span> shall not <span class=\"dictionary\">issue<\/span> a license to or renew the license of any <span class=\"dictionary\">hospital<\/span>, regardless of when such facility was constructed, unless the <span class=\"dictionary\">hospital<\/span> is equipped with an <span class=\"dictionary\">automatic sprinkler system<\/span> which complies with the regulations of the <span class=\"dictionary\">Board<\/span> of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\tThe <span class=\"dictionary\">Commissioner<\/span> may, at his discretion, extend the time for compliance with this section for any <span class=\"dictionary\">hospital<\/span> that can demonstrate (i) its inability to comply, if such <span class=\"dictionary\">hospital<\/span> submits, prior to January 1, 1998, a plan for compliance by a date certain which shall be no later than July 1, 1998, or (ii) that construction is underway for a new facility to house the services currently located in the noncomplying facility and that such construction will be completed and the noncomplying facility relocated by December 31, 1998.\n\t\tThe provisions of Article 1.1 (\u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Definitions\" href=\"\/32.1-102.1\/\">32.1-102.1<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 4 of this title shall not apply to expenditures required solely for compliance with this section.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section and \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Standards for fire suppression systems in hospitals\" href=\"\/36-99.9_1\/\">36-99.9:1<\/a>, &#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">automatic sprinkler system<\/span>&#8221; means a device for suppressing fire in patient rooms and other areas of the <span class=\"dictionary\">hospital<\/span> customarily used for patient care.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS REQUIRED IN HOSPITALS (\u00a7 32.1-126.3)\n\nAfter January 1, 1998, the Commissioner shall not issue a license to or renew\nthe license of any hospital, regardless of when such facility was constructed,\nunless the hospital is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which\ncomplies with the regulations of the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\tThe Commissioner may, at his discretion, extend the time for compliance with\nthis section for any hospital that can demonstrate (i) its inability to comply,\nif such hospital submits, prior to January 1, 1998, a plan for compliance by a\ndate certain which shall be no later than July 1, 1998, or (ii) that\nconstruction is underway for a new facility to house the services currently\nlocated in the noncomplying facility and that such construction will be\ncompleted and the noncomplying facility relocated by December 31, 1998.\n\t\tThe provisions of Article 1.1 (\u00a7 32.1-102.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of this\ntitle shall not apply to expenditures required solely for compliance with this\nsection.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this section and \u00a7 36-99.9:1, &#8220;automatic sprinkler\nsystem&#8221; means a device for suppressing fire in patient rooms and other\nareas of the hospital customarily used for patient care.\n\nHISTORY: 1995, c. 631; 1997, c. 552.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}