By Crabb H.B. No. 1353
74R4561 CAG-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the bonding or insurance requirements of a political
1-3 subdivision for the issuance of certain plumbing permits.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 15, The Plumbing License Law (Article
1-6 6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
1-7 follows:
1-8 Sec. 15. LOCAL <MUNICIPAL> RULES AND REGULATIONS. (a)
1-9 Every city in this state of more than five thousand (5,000)
1-10 inhabitants shall, and any city or town of this state may, by
1-11 ordinance or by-law, prescribe rules and regulations for the
1-12 materials, construction, alteration and inspection of all pipes,
1-13 faucets, tanks, valves and other fixtures by and through which a
1-14 supply of water, gas or sewage is used or carried; and provided
1-15 that they shall not be placed in any building therein except in
1-16 accordance with such rules and regulations; and shall further
1-17 provide that no plumbing shall be done except in case of repairing
1-18 of leaks, without a permit being first issued therefor upon such
1-19 terms and conditions as such city or town shall prescribe; provided
1-20 that no such ordinance, by-law, rule or regulation prescribed by
1-21 any such city or town shall be inconsistent with this Act, or any
1-22 rule or regulation adopted or prescribed by the State Board of
1-23 Plumbing Examiners.
1-24 (b) A political subdivision that requires a master plumber
2-1 to have a bond before the master plumber may be issued a permit by
2-2 the subdivision shall also accept, instead of a bond, a certificate
2-3 of insurance that meets the requirements of Subsection (c) of this
2-4 section.
2-5 (c) A certificate of insurance must:
2-6 (1) be written by a company licensed to do business in
2-7 this state;
2-8 (2) provide for commercial general liability insurance
2-9 for the master plumber for claims for property damage or bodily
2-10 injury, regardless of whether the claim arises from a negligence
2-11 claim or on a contract claim; and
2-12 (3) be in a coverage amount of not less than $300,000
2-13 for all claims arising in any one-year period.
2-14 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
2-15 applies only to a permit issued to a master plumber by a political
2-16 subdivision on or after the effective date of this Act. A permit
2-17 issued before September 1, 1995, is governed by the law as it
2-18 existed before the effective date of this Act, and the former law
2-19 is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.