By Merritt H.B. No. 1272 75R5354 PAM-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to termination of a lease if a tenant or occupant is 1-3 convicted of or placed on community supervision for a drug offense. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 91, Property Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Section 91.002 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 91.002. TERMINATION OF LEASE BECAUSE OF DRUG OFFENSE. 1-8 (a) A landlord may terminate a lease if a tenant or occupant of 1-9 the leasehold is convicted of or placed on community supervision 1-10 for an offense relating to the manufacture, delivery, possession, 1-11 or use of a controlled substance under Chapter 481, Health and 1-12 Safety Code. 1-13 (b) The fee owner or an intermediate lessor terminates the 1-14 lease by giving written notice of termination to the tenant or 1-15 occupant within six months after the right to terminate arises 1-16 under this section. The right to possess the property reverts to 1-17 the landlord on the 10th day after the date the notice is given. 1-18 (c) This section applies regardless of a term of the lease 1-19 to the contrary. 1-20 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-21 in regard to an offense committed on or after the effective date of 1-22 this Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed 1-23 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense 1-24 occurs before that date. 2-1 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-6 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-7 passage, and it is so enacted.