Montgomery County's high-rise renters moved a step closer to having smoke escape hoods in their buildings after a council committee voted to advance the mandate.

The Public Safety Committee on Monday, Nov. 9, voted to send the proposed ordinance to the full Montgomery County Council for a final vote, WUSA9 first reported. The bill would require mid- and high-rise apartment complexes to provide smoke escape hoods for residents, including buildings along Bethesda's downtown corridor.

As we reported Nov. 9, the committee had been weighing the proposal amid competing arguments over cost and safety.

Under the bill, apartment buildings five stories or higher would need to purchase, store and maintain smoke escape hoods for 5% to 10% of their occupants, according to WUSA9. The hoods are respirators that filter toxic gases and provide up to 15 minutes of breathable air during an evacuation.

The legislation stems from the February 2023 death of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz, who died of smoke inhalation while trying to escape a fire from her ninth-floor unit at the Arrive Apartments in Silver Spring. The 17-story complex is one of many older buildings in the county not required to be retrofitted with automated sprinkler systems.

Bill 43-26 is sponsored by Councilmember Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4), according to Bethesda Magazine's October coverage. Stewart also sponsored the Melanie Diaz Act of 2024, which required residential leases to include information about renter's insurance, sprinkler systems and emergency evacuation plans.

During testimony before the committee, Melanie's father, Cesar Augusto-Diaz, pleaded with officials and property managers to prioritize safety. He told the committee his daughter had only two minutes to escape and accused property owners of putting profit first.

"This is not about money," Augusto-Diaz said, according to WUSA9. "Like I say, $1.90 a month."

Property owners pushed back. Representatives for apartment complexes argued that outfitting large buildings and replacing expired hoods would create millions of dollars in overhead, according to WUSA9. Landlords claimed the mandate would force rent increases and cuts to resident services.

Charles Nulsen, founder and president of the Bethesda-based Washington Property Company, called the bill "an excessive reaction to a rare event that must be managed by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue," Bethesda Magazine reported in October.

Councilmember Sidney Katz, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, argued the long-term protection outweighs the cost. He noted the hoods only need replacement roughly once a decade and serve buildings exempt from sprinkler retrofits.

The bill heads to the full council for debate and a final vote in the coming weeks.