By Kuempel H.B. No. 1704
76R6662 DRH-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the approval of certain permit applications by local
1-3 governments.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. FINDINGS; INTENT. (a) The legislature finds
1-6 that the former Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code,
1-7 relating to state and local permits, originally enacted by Section
1-8 1, Chapter 374, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular Session,
1-9 1987, and subsequently amended by Section 3.01, Chapter 4, Acts of
1-10 the 71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, Section 2, Chapter
1-11 118, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, and
1-12 Section 1, Chapter 794, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular
1-13 Session, 1995, was inadvertently repealed by Section 51(b), Chapter
1-14 1041, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997.
1-15 (b) The legislature finds that the repeal of former
1-16 Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code, which became effective
1-17 September 1, 1997, resulted in the reestablishment of
1-18 administrative and legislative practices that often result in
1-19 unnecessary governmental regulatory uncertainty that inhibits the
1-20 economic development of the state and increases the cost of housing
1-21 and other forms of land development and often resulted in the
1-22 repeal of previously approved permits causing decreased property
1-23 and related values, bankruptcies, and failed projects.
1-24 (c) The legislature finds that the restoration of
2-1 requirements relating to the processing and issuance of permits and
2-2 approvals by local governmental regulatory agencies is necessary to
2-3 minimize to the extent possible the effect of the inadvertent
2-4 repeal of the former Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code,
2-5 and to safeguard the general economy and welfare of the state and
2-6 to protect property rights.
2-7 (d) It is the intent of the legislature that no project,
2-8 permit, or series of permits that was protected by former
2-9 Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code, be prejudiced by or
2-10 required or allowed to expire because of the repeal of former
2-11 Subchapter I or an action taken by a regulatory agency after the
2-12 repeal.
2-13 SECTION 2. AMENDMENT. Subtitle C, Title 7, Local Government
2-14 Code, is amended by adding Chapter 245 to read as follows:
2-15 CHAPTER 245. ISSUANCE OF LOCAL PERMITS
2-16 Sec. 245.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
2-17 (1) "Permit" means a license, certificate, approval,
2-18 registration, consent, permit, or other form of authorization
2-19 required by law, rule, regulation, order, or ordinance that a
2-20 person must obtain to perform an action or initiate, continue, or
2-21 complete a project for which the permit is sought.
2-22 (2) "Political subdivision" means a political
2-23 subdivision of the state, including a county, a school district, or
2-24 a municipality.
2-25 (3) "Project" means an endeavor over which a
2-26 regulatory agency exerts its jurisdiction and for which one or more
2-27 permits are required to initiate, continue, or complete the
3-1 endeavor.
3-2 (4) "Regulatory agency" means the governing body of,
3-3 or a bureau, department, division, board, commission, or other
3-4 agency of, a political subdivision acting in its capacity of
3-5 processing, approving, or issuing a permit.
3-6 Sec. 245.002. UNIFORMITY OF REQUIREMENTS. (a) Each
3-7 regulatory agency shall consider the approval, disapproval, or
3-8 conditional approval of an application for a permit solely on the
3-9 basis of any orders, regulations, ordinances, rules, expiration
3-10 dates, or other properly adopted requirements in effect at the time
3-11 the original application for the permit is filed.
3-12 (b) If a series of permits is required for a project, the
3-13 orders, regulations, ordinances, rules, expiration dates, or other
3-14 properly adopted requirements in effect at the time the original
3-15 application for the first permit in that series is filed shall be
3-16 the sole basis for consideration of all subsequent permits required
3-17 for the completion of the project. All permits required for the
3-18 project are considered to be a single series of permits.
3-19 Preliminary plans and related subdivision plats, site plans, and
3-20 all other development permits for land covered by the preliminary
3-21 plans or subdivision plats are considered collectively to be one
3-22 series of permits for a project.
3-23 (c) After an application for a project is filed, a
3-24 regulatory agency may not shorten the duration of any permit
3-25 required for the project.
3-26 (d) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the
3-27 contrary, a permit holder may take advantage of a change to the
4-1 laws, rules, regulations, or ordinances of a regulatory agency that
4-2 enhance or protect the project, including changes that lengthen the
4-3 effective life of the permit after the date the application for the
4-4 permit was made, without forfeiting any rights under this chapter.
4-5 Sec. 245.003. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter
4-6 applies only to a project in progress on or commenced after
4-7 September 1, 1997. For purposes of this chapter:
4-8 (1) a project is in progress on September 1, 1997, if
4-9 50 percent or more of the project was finally platted or if
4-10 substantial infrastructure was installed for the project before
4-11 September 1, 1997, and the project was not complete on that date;
4-12 and
4-13 (2) a project is commenced on or after September 1,
4-14 1997, if, on or after September 1, 1997, an application for the
4-15 first permit for the project is filed with a regulatory agency.
4-16 Sec. 245.004. EXEMPTIONS. This chapter does not apply to:
4-17 (1) a permit that is at least two years old, is issued
4-18 for the construction of a building or structure intended for human
4-19 occupancy or habitation, and is issued under laws, ordinances,
4-20 procedures, rules, or regulations adopting only:
4-21 (A) uniform building, fire, electrical,
4-22 plumbing, or mechanical codes adopted by a recognized national code
4-23 organization; or
4-24 (B) local amendments to those codes enacted
4-25 solely to address imminent threats of destruction of property or
4-26 injury to persons;
4-27 (2) municipal zoning regulations that do not affect
5-1 lot size, lot dimensions, lot coverage, or building size;
5-2 (3) regulations for the location of adult-oriented
5-3 businesses;
5-4 (4) municipal or county ordinances, rules,
5-5 regulations, or other requirements affecting colonias;
5-6 (5) fees imposed in conjunction with development
5-7 permits;
5-8 (6) regulations for annexation;
5-9 (7) regulations for utility connections;
5-10 (8) regulations to prevent imminent destruction of
5-11 property or injury to persons; or
5-12 (9) construction standards for public works located on
5-13 public lands or easements.
5-14 Sec. 245.005. ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER. This chapter may be
5-15 enforced only through mandamus or declaratory or injunctive relief.
5-16 SECTION 3. EFFECT OF PRIOR LAW. (a) The repeal of
5-17 Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code, by Section 51(b),
5-18 Chapter 1041, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,
5-19 and any actions taken by a regulatory agency for the issuance of a
5-20 permit, as those terms are defined by Section 245.001, Local
5-21 Government Code, as added by Section 2 of this Act, after that
5-22 repeal and before the effective date of this Act, shall not cause
5-23 or require the expiration or termination of a project, permit, or
5-24 series of permits to which Section 2 of this Act applies that would
5-25 not have expired or been terminated had that subchapter not been
5-26 repealed. An action by a regulatory agency that violates this
5-27 section is void to the extent necessary to give effect to this
6-1 section.
6-2 (b) This Act does not affect the rights or remedies of any
6-3 person or entity under a final judgment rendered by a court before
6-4 the effective date of this Act, or in any litigation pending in a
6-5 court on the effective date of this Act, involving an
6-6 interpretation of Subchapter I, Chapter 481, Government Code, as it
6-7 existed before its repeal by the 75th Legislature.
6-8 SECTION 4. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
6-9 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-14 passage, and it is so enacted.