By Seaman                                             H.B. No. 3578

         75R12028 PB-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to enforcement of building codes affecting certain coastal

 1-3     counties.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  APPLICATION.  This Act applies to each county of

 1-6     this state that:

 1-7                 (1)  has a population of 290,000 or more; and

 1-8                 (2)  includes all or part of an island that borders the

 1-9     Gulf of Mexico.

1-10           SECTION 2.  EXEMPTION.  (a)  Notwithstanding any law to the

1-11     contrary, a building code adopted on or after April 1, 1997, does

1-12     not apply to a county subject to this Act.

1-13           (b)  For purposes of this section, "building code" means any

1-14     new building standard, specification, or guideline adopted by the

1-15     commissioner of insurance on or after April 1, 1997.

1-16           SECTION 3.  EXPIRATION.  This Act expires June 1, 1999.

1-17           SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

1-18     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.