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.