73R5076 JMM-F
By Hilbert, et al. H.B. No. 1426
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of plumbing.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 3, The Plumbing License Law (Article
1-5 6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
1-6 follows:
1-7 Sec. 3. ACTS PERMITTED WITHOUT A LICENSE. The following
1-8 acts, work and conduct shall be expressly permitted without
1-9 license:
1-10 (a) Plumbing work done by a property owner in a
1-11 building owned or occupied by him as his homestead;
1-12 (b) Plumbing work that is not connected to a public
1-13 water system and that is done:
1-14 (1) outside the municipal limits of any
1-15 organized city, town or village in this state and not within 10
1-16 miles of a city, town or village of 50,000 or more inhabitants;<,>
1-17 or
1-18 (2) within a <any such> city, town or village of
1-19 less than <five thousand (>5,000<)> inhabitants that is not within
1-20 10 miles of a city, town or village of 50,000 or more inhabitants,
1-21 unless a license is required by ordinance in the <such> city, town
1-22 or village of less than <five thousand (>5,000<)> inhabitants;
1-23 (c) Plumbing work done by anyone who is regularly
1-24 employed as or acting as a maintenance man or maintenance engineer,
2-1 incidental to and in connection with the business in which he is
2-2 employed or engaged, and who does not engage in the occupation of a
2-3 plumber for the general public; construction, installation and
2-4 maintenance work done upon the premises or equipment of a railroad
2-5 by an employee thereof who does not engage in the occupation of a
2-6 plumber for the general public; and plumbing work done by persons
2-7 engaged by any public service company in the laying, maintenance
2-8 and operation of its service mains or lines to the point of
2-9 measurement and the installation, alteration, adjustment, repair,
2-10 removal and renovation of all types of appurtenances, equipment and
2-11 appliances, including doing all that is necessary to render the
2-12 appliances useable or serviceable; appliance installation and
2-13 service work done by anyone who is an appliance dealer or is
2-14 employed by an appliance dealer, and acting as an appliance
2-15 installation man or appliance service man in connecting appliances
2-16 to existing piping installations; water treatment installations,
2-17 exchanges, services, or repairs. Provided, however, that all work
2-18 and service herein named or referred to shall be subject to
2-19 inspection and approval in accordance with the terms of all local
2-20 valid city or municipal ordinances;
2-21 (d) Plumbing work done by a licensed irrigator or
2-22 licensed installer when working and licensed under Chapter 197,
2-23 Acts of the 66th Legislature, Regular Session, 1979 (Article 8751,
2-24 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes). A person holding a valid license
2-25 from the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners shall not be
2-26 required to be licensed by any other board or agency when
2-27 installing or working on a lawn irrigation system;
3-1 (e) Plumbing work done by an LP Gas installer when
3-2 working and licensed under Chapter 113, Natural Resources Code, as
3-3 amended.
3-4 SECTION 2. Section 15, The Plumbing License Law (Article
3-5 6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
3-6 follows:
3-7 Sec. 15. Municipal Rules And Regulations. Every city or
3-8 town in this state of 5,000 or more <than five thousand (5,000)>
3-9 inhabitants shall, and any city or town of this state of less than
3-10 5,000 inhabitants may, by ordinance or by-law, prescribe rules and
3-11 regulations for the materials, construction, alteration and
3-12 inspection of all pipes, faucets, tanks, valves and other fixtures
3-13 by and through which a supply of water, gas or sewage is used or
3-14 carried; and provided that they shall not be placed in any building
3-15 therein except in accordance with such rules and regulations; and
3-16 shall further provide that no plumbing shall be done except in case
3-17 of repairing of leaks, without a permit being first issued therefor
3-18 upon such terms and conditions as such city or town shall
3-19 prescribe; provided that no such ordinance, by-law, rule or
3-20 regulation prescribed by any such city or town shall be
3-21 inconsistent with this Act, or any rule or regulation adopted or
3-22 prescribed by the State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
3-23 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-2 passage, and it is so enacted.