HBA-NMO H.B. 818 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 818
By: Maxey
Business & Industry
3/2/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, landlords may legally turn off utility services for the purpose
of construction, bona fide repairs, or in case of emergency.  Most
landlords give their tenants sufficient warning prior to bona fide repairs
or construction that would require the turning off of utility services, but
some do not. Tenants who do not receive proper warning may suffer negative
consequences beyond general inconvenience.  H.B. 818 requires landlords to
give notice at least 24 hours before turning off utility services for the
purpose of bona fide repairs or construction.                       

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 92.008(e), (f), and (g), Property Code, to
require a landlord who interrupts utility services for bona fide repairs or
construction to deliver written notice of the impending interruption to
each tenant affected by the interruption not later than 24 hours before the
time that repair or construction work begins. Redesignates existing
Subsections (e)-(g) to Subsections (f)-(h), respectively. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.