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.