By Patterson                                    S.B. No. 1672

      75R5494 GJH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to certain standards involving the regulation of air

 1-3     conditioning and refrigeration contractors.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2(10), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

 1-6     Contractor License Law (Article 8861, Vernon's Texas Civil

 1-7     Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

 1-8                 (10)  "Mechanical integrity" means physical

 1-9     installation of products, systems, or equipment in accordance with

1-10     their intended purpose and according to:

1-11                       (A)  the latest edition of [standards at least as

1-12     strict as the standards set forth in] the Uniform Mechanical Code

1-13     published [jointly] by [the International Conference of Building

1-14     Officials and] the International Association of Plumbing and

1-15     Mechanical Officials[, or their successor organizations, or the

1-16     Standard Mechanical Code published by the Southern Building Code

1-17     Congress International, Inc.,] or its successor organization; and

1-18                       (B)  [all other applicable codes; and]

1-19                       [(C)]  the manufacturer's specifications.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Section 3(a), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

1-21     Contractor License Law (Article 8861, Vernon's Texas Civil

1-22     Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

1-23           (a)  The commissioner shall adopt rules for the practice of

1-24     air conditioning and refrigeration contracting consistent with this

 2-1     Act.  The rules [standards prescribed by rule] must conform to the

 2-2     latest edition of [be at least as strict as the standards set forth

 2-3     in] the Uniform Mechanical Code published [jointly] by [the

 2-4     International Conference of Building Officials and] the

 2-5     International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials or

 2-6     its successor organization [or the Standard Mechanical Code

 2-7     published by the Southern Building Code Congress International,

 2-8     Inc., as those codes exist at the time the rules are adopted].  The

 2-9     commissioner shall enforce this Act and may adopt rules relating to

2-10     enforcement requirements.

2-11           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. A

2-12     violation of this Act that occurs before the effective date  of

2-13     this Act is subject to the law in effect at the time the violation

2-14     was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that

2-15     purpose.

2-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.