By Burnam                                             H.B. No. 1365
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to security bars on residential dwellings.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 765, Health and Safety Code, is amended
 1-5     by adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
 1-6                        SUBCHAPTER F.  SECURITY BARS
 1-7           Sec. 756.081.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
 1-8                 (1)  "Bedroom means an area of a dwelling intended as
 1-9     sleeping quarters.
1-10                 (2)  "Board" means the Texas Board of Health.
1-11                 (3)  "Department" means the Texas Department of Health.
1-12                 (4)  "Residential dwelling" includes a single-family
1-13     home, a duplex, a triplex, an apartment, a motel or hotel, and a
1-14     mobile home.
1-15                 (5)  "Security bars" means burglar bars or other bars
1-16     on the inside or outside of a door or window of a residential
1-17     dwelling.
1-18           SECTION 765.082.  SECURITY BARS ON RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS.  A
1-19     person may not install security bars on a door or window of a
1-20     bedroom in a residential dwelling unless:
1-21                 (1)  the security bars on at least one door or window
 2-1     have an interior release mechanism; or
 2-2                 (2)  at least one window or door from the bedroom to
 2-3     the exterior may be opened for emergency escape or rescue.
 2-4           SECTION 765.083  LABELING REQUIREMENT.  A person may not sell
 2-5     security bars or offer security bars for sale in this state unless
 2-6     the security bars or their packaging are labeled in accordance with
 2-7     rules adopted by the state fire marshal.  The required label must
 2-8     state the requirements of SECTION 756.082.
 2-9           SECTION 756.084.  TESTING.  (a)  To qualify for use under
2-10     Section 756.082(1), an interior release mechanism must be tested
2-11     and shown to be effective by the state fire marshal or by a testing
2-12     laboratory under conditions and procedures approved by the state
2-13     fire marshal.
2-14           (b)  The state fire marshall shall adopt rules to implement
2-15     this section.
2-16           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-17           (b)  The state fire marshal shall adopt the rules required by
2-18     Sections 756.083 and 756.084, Health and Safety Code, as added by
2-19     this Act, not later than December 15, 1999.
2-20           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-21     to security bars installed, sold or offered for sale on or after
2-22     January 1, 2000.  Security bars installed, sold, or offered for
2-23     sale before that date governed by the law in effect on the date the
2-24     security bars were installed, sold, or offered for sale, and the
2-25     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 3-1           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.