By Smith                                              H.B. No. 1110
         76R3775 SMJ-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the requirements for notice of violations of certain
 1-3     municipal ordinances.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 342.006(a) and (b), Health and Safety
 1-6     Code, are amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  If the owner of property in the municipality does not
 1-8     comply with a municipal ordinance or requirement under this chapter
 1-9     within seven [10] days of notice of a violation, the municipality
1-10     may:
1-11                 (1)  do the work or make the improvements required; and
1-12                 (2)  pay for the work done or improvements made and
1-13     charge the expenses to the owner of the property.
1-14           (b)  The notice must be given:
1-15                 (1)  personally to the owner in writing;
1-16                 (2)  by letter addressed to the owner at the owner's
1-17     post office address; or
1-18                 (3)  if personal service cannot be obtained or the
1-19     owner's post office address is unknown:
1-20                       (A)  by publication at least twice within seven
1-21     [10] consecutive days;
1-22                       (B)  by posting the notice on or near the front
1-23     door of each building on the property to which the violation
1-24     relates; or
 2-1                       (C)  by posting the notice on a placard attached
 2-2     to a stake driven into the ground on the property to which the
 2-3     violation relates, if the property contains no buildings.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-5           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a
 2-6     notice of a violation of a municipal ordinance or requirement under
 2-7     Section 342.006, Health and Safety Code, that is given on or after
 2-8     the effective date of this Act.  A notice that is given before the
 2-9     effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
2-10     immediately before the effective date, and that law is continued in
2-11     effect for the purpose of enforcing the ordinance or requirement.
2-12           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.