(Aug. 21, 2026) – The 2026 Kansas Legislature and the governor's office have collaborated to establish a process for the Office of the State Fire Marshal to develop a new statewide fire code after more than two decades under the current code. The Governor's Uniform Fire Code Task Force, appointed pursuant to Executive Order No. 26-04 comprises approximately 23 individuals and will provide an independent, transparent and technically informed review of the proposed Kansas State Fire Prevention Code. The Kansas Hospital Association is among the organizations represented, with Larry Van Der Wege, director, regulatory affairs and preparedness, serving in that role.
The plan is to adopt the 2024 International Fire Code as the basis for the new statewide code. The task force met in early August to review edits and additions to the IFC. Efforts are underway to align the code with Kansas statutes and, where possible, to mirror the codes of communities that have adopted their own fire codes to reduce confusion. The draft of the new state fire code still requires administrative and legislative reviews, including a 60-day public comment period. Final adoption of the new code is expected in mid to late 2027.
Hospitals will continue to receive Life Safety Code surveys primarily per the State Operations Manual - Appendix I, in accordance with the 2012 NFPA 101. The impact of the new code will be determined. Further updates will follow. Reach out to lvanderwege@kha-net.org with questions.
--Larry Van Der Wege