BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3526

By: Raymond

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under municipal law, a solar pergola can be classified as a permanent structure. This is an issue as a municipal building code can hinder the optimal construction of a solar pergola for energy production. C.S.H.B. 3526 seeks to address this issue by prohibiting a municipality from applying a municipal building code to the construction of a solar pergola.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3526 amends the Local Government Code to prohibit a municipality from applying a municipal building code to the construction of a solar pergola. The bill applies only to such a construction on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3526 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute omits a provision in the introduced that prohibits a county from applying a building code to the construction of a solar pergola.