By Armbrister S.B. No. 478 74R4207 PB-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to an exemption of certain fire alarm devices from certain 1-3 license requirements. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 3(b), Article 5.43-2, Insurance Code, is 1-6 amended to read as follows: 1-7 (b) The licensing provisions of this article shall not apply 1-8 to: 1-9 (1) a person or organization in the business of 1-10 building construction that installs electrical wiring and devices 1-11 that may include in part the installation of a fire alarm or 1-12 detection system if: 1-13 (A) the person or organization is a party to a 1-14 contract that provides that the installation will be performed 1-15 under the direct supervision of and certified by a licensed 1-16 employee or agent of a firm registered to install and certify such 1-17 an alarm or detection device and that the registered firm assumes 1-18 full responsibility for the installation of the alarm or detection 1-19 device; and 1-20 (B) the person or organization does not plan, 1-21 certify, lease, sell, service, or maintain fire alarms or detection 1-22 devices or systems; 1-23 (2) a person or organization that owns and installs 1-24 fire detection or fire alarm devices on the person's or 2-1 organization's own property or, if the person or organization does 2-2 not charge for the device or its installation, installs it for the 2-3 protection of the person's or organization's personal property 2-4 located on another's property and does not install the devices as a 2-5 normal business practice on the property of another; 2-6 (3) a person who holds a license or other form of 2-7 permission issued by an incorporated city or town to practice as an 2-8 electrician and who installs fire or smoke detection and alarm 2-9 devices in no building other than a single family or multifamily 2-10 residence if: 2-11 (A) the devices installed are: 2-12 (i) single station detectors; or 2-13 (ii) multiple station detectors capable of 2-14 being connected in such a manner that actuation of one detector 2-15 causes all integral or separate alarms to operate, if the detectors 2-16 are not connected to a control panel or to an outside alarm, do not 2-17 transmit a signal off the premises, and do not use more than 120 2-18 volts; and 2-19 (B) all installations comply with provisions of 2-20 the adopted edition of Household Fire Warning Equipment, National 2-21 Fire Protection Association Standard No. 74; 2-22 (4) a person or organization that sells fire detection 2-23 or fire alarm devices if the sales are exclusively over-the-counter 2-24 or by mail order and if the person or organization does not plan, 2-25 certify, install, service, or maintain this equipment; 2-26 (5) response to a fire alarm or detection device by a 2-27 law enforcement agency or fire department or by a law enforcement 3-1 officer or fireman acting in an official capacity; 3-2 (6) a Texas registered professional engineer acting 3-3 solely in his professional capacity; 3-4 (7) a person or an organization that provides and 3-5 installs at no charge to the property owners or residents a 3-6 battery-powered smoke detector in a single-family or two-family 3-7 residence if: 3-8 (A) the smoke detector bears a label of listing 3-9 or approval by a testing laboratory approved by the State Board of 3-10 Insurance; 3-11 (B) the installation complies with provisions of 3-12 the adopted edition of National Fire Protection Association 3-13 Standard No. 74; 3-14 (C) the installers are knowledgeable in fire 3-15 protection and the proper use of smoke detectors; and 3-16 (D) the detector is a single station 3-17 installation and not a part of or connected to any other detection 3-18 device or system; 3-19 (8) a regular employee of a registered firm who is 3-20 under the direct supervision of a licensee; 3-21 (9) a building owner, the owner's managing agent, or 3-22 their employees who install battery-operated single-station smoke 3-23 detectors or who monitor fire alarm or fire detection devices or 3-24 systems in the owner's building, and in which the monitoring is 3-25 performed at the owner's property and monitored at no charge to the 3-26 occupants of the building, and complies with applicable standards 3-27 of the National Fire Protection Association as may be adopted by 4-1 rule promulgated under this Act, and utilizes equipment approved by 4-2 a testing laboratory approved by the State Board of Insurance for 4-3 fire alarm monitoring; or 4-4 (10) a person employed by a registered firm that sells 4-5 and installs a smoke or heat detector in a single-family or 4-6 two-family residence if: 4-7 (A) the detector bears a label of listing or 4-8 approval by a testing laboratory approved by the State Board of 4-9 Insurance; 4-10 (B) the installation complies with provisions of 4-11 the adopted edition of National Fire Protection Association 4-12 Standard No. 74; 4-13 (C) the installers are knowledgeable in fire 4-14 protection and the proper use and placement of detectors; and 4-15 (D) the detector is a single station 4-16 installation and not a part of or connected to any other detection 4-17 device or system. 4-18 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 4-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-24 passage, and it is so enacted.