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House Bill 738 |
House Author: Paul |
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Effective: See below |
Senate Sponsor: Nichols |
House Bill 738 amends the Local Government Code to update the International Residential Code and International Building Code that the state adopts as a municipal residential building code and as a municipal commercial building code, respectively, to the versions of the codes as they existed on May 1, 2012. The bill prohibits a municipality from adopting a local amendment to a code unless the municipality holds a public hearing on the amendment before its adoption and the municipality adopts the amendment by ordinance. The bill removes the specification that the International Building Code only applies with respect to buildings for which construction begins on or after January 1, 2006. The bill requires municipalities, before January 1, 2022, to establish rules and take other necessary actions to implement these and related provisions of the bill. That requirement takes effect September 1, 2021.
House Bill 738 prohibits, with certain exceptions, a municipality, county, or emergency services district from enacting an ordinance, bylaw, order, building code, or rule requiring the installation of a fire protection sprinkler system in a new or existing one- or two-family dwelling, but authorizes those entities to adopt such a type of regulation allowing a contractor to offer, for a fee, the installation of such a system in a new one- or two-family dwelling.
Except as otherwise provided, House Bill 738 takes effect January 1, 2022.