BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

H.B. 3571

87R18762 MWC-D

By: Bonnen (Springer)

 

Business & Commerce

 

5/17/2021

 

Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Property owners' associations are a desirable and sometimes necessary amenity to homeownership. However, even well-intentioned property owners' associations can lose sight of the rights of the private property owners they exist to represent. As technology continues to advance and evolve, more and more homeowners are utilizing security devices, oftentimes to protect areas of their property with a poor line of sight. Unfortunately, there are reports of some property owners' associations preventing property owners from installing security measures such as fences, motion detectors, and security cameras. The bill seeks to ensure that Texans are able to adequately protect their homes by prohibiting a property owners' association from preventing a property owner from building or installing security measures.

 

H.B. 3571 amends current law relating to the regulation of security measures by a property owners' association.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 202, Property Code, by adding Section 202.023, as follows:

 

Sec. 202.023. SECURITY MEASURES. (a) Prohibits a property owners' association, except as provided by Subsection (b), from adopting or enforcing a restrictive covenant that prevents a property owner from building or installing security measures, including but not limited to a security camera, motion detector, or perimeter fence.

 

(b) Provides that this section does not prohibit a property owners' association from regulating the type of fencing that a property owner is authorized to install.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2021. �