Northeast CO Alliance on the Hill

Every family deserves to feel safe when they travel. You book a hotel room assuming the basics are covered, a lock on the door, a working smoke alarm, and yes, protection from carbon monoxide! But right now in the United States, that last one isn’t guaranteed. Whether your hotel room has a carbon monoxide alarm depends entirely on which state you’re in and what policies that particular property follows. It’s a patchwork system, and it leaves travelers vulnerable in ways many people may never realize.

That’s why the Safe Stay Act has become such an important piece of legislation. On March 19, 2026, during Fire Service Day on the Hill, members of the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association (NCOAA), the Northeast CO Alliance (NECOA), the John Wesley Heathco Legacy Foundation, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) gathered with other safety partners in Washington, D.C. to push for change. Their message was simple:

No traveler should be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning because of inconsistent laws.

Hotels and motels host millions of guests every year, and most assume safety standards are uniform. But today, CO alarm requirements vary widely. Some states mandate alarms. Others don’t. Some rely on voluntary policies. And families crossing state lines have no idea whether the room they’re checking into is protected.

The Safe Stay Act aims to fix that with a straightforward, bipartisan update. It would amend the Fire Prevention Act of 1974 to require carbon monoxide alarms in all hotels and motels nationwide. No complicated mandates. No sweeping overhaul. Just a simple, life‑saving baseline that ensures every lodging facility meets the same minimum safety standard.

A national requirement would eliminate confusion, reduce preventable poisonings, support first responders, and bring older properties up to modern expectations. Most importantly, it would finally align the law with what travelers already assume: that basic safety doesn’t change from one state to the next.

Every family deserves a safe place to stay. The Safe Stay Act brings us one step closer to making that a reality.

Learn more about carbon monoxide risks and why national action is needed now.