By Maxey                                        H.B. No. 2493

      75R8612 JRD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to accessibility by persons with mobility impairments to

 1-3     buildings leased by or built for the state.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 5, Article 9102, Revised Statutes, is

 1-6     amended by adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows:

 1-7           (g)  The standards and specifications adopted by the

 1-8     commissioner under this article that apply specifically to a

 1-9     building or facility occupied by a state agency involved in

1-10     extending direct services to persons with mobility impairments also

1-11     apply to a building or facility that is occupied by the Texas

1-12     Workforce Commission or by any agency that is considered to be a

1-13     health and human services agency under Chapter 531, Government

1-14     Code. The standards and specifications adopted by the commissioner

1-15     under this article that apply to a building or facility occupied by

1-16     other state agencies must require that at least 10 percent of the

1-17     employee parking spaces and at least 10 percent of the visitor

1-18     parking spaces for the building or facility are accessible to and

1-19     reserved for employees or visitors with mobility impairments.

1-20           (h)  Notwithstanding other provisions of this article, the

1-21     commissioner shall require complete compliance with the standards

1-22     and specifications prescribed or referenced by Subsection (g) of

1-23     this section.  The department and the General Services Commission

1-24     shall ensure that all buildings and facilities leased or built by

 2-1     or for the state comply with those standards. Notwithstanding other

 2-2     provisions of this article, the department shall perform an on-site

 2-3     inspection of all buildings and facilities to be leased by the

 2-4     state before the lease is signed for compliance with the standards

 2-5     and specifications prescribed or referenced by Subsection (g) of

 2-6     this section. The leasing agency or the General Services

 2-7     Commission, as applicable, shall cancel the lease unless, not later

 2-8     than the 60th day after the date the department delivers the

 2-9     results of the inspection to the lessor or the lessor's agent, the

2-10     lessor brings into compliance any condition that the inspection

2-11     finds not to be in compliance with those standards and

2-12     specifications.

2-13           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.