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.