By Wise H.B. No. 2475
76R8888 T
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the provision of plumbing services to certain
1-3 economically distressed areas.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 3, The Plumbing License Law, (Title 109A,
1-6 V. A. C. S. Article 6243-101) is amended by adding a new subsection
1-7 (c) and renumbering subsections (c) through (e) as subsections (d)
1-8 through (f) respectively, to read as follows:
1-9 (c) Plumbing work done by an organization providing "Self
1-10 Help" work through a STEP program, certified by the Texas Natural
1-11 Resource Conservation Commission, in a geographic area located in a
1-12 county some part of which is within 150 miles of the international
1-13 border of this state and that:
1-14 (1) has a majority population composed of individuals
1-15 and families of low income and very low income, based on the
1-16 federal Office of Management and Budget poverty index, and meets
1-17 the qualifications of an economically distressed area under Section
1-18 17.921, Water Code; or
1-19 (2) has the physical and economic characteristics of a
1-20 colonia, as determined by the department.
1-21 (d) [(c)] Plumbing work done by anyone who is regularly
1-22 employed as or acting as a maintenance man or maintenance engineer,
1-23 incidental to and in connection with the business in which he is
1-24 employed or engaged, and who does not engage in the occupation of a
2-1 plumber for the general public; construction, installation and
2-2 maintenance work done upon the premises or equipment of a railroad
2-3 by an employee thereof who does not engage in the occupation of a
2-4 plumber for the general public; and plumbing work done by persons
2-5 engaged by any public service company in the laying, maintenance
2-6 and operation of its service mains or lines to the point of
2-7 measurement and the installation, alteration, adjustment, repair,
2-8 removal and renovation of all types of appurtenances, equipment and
2-9 appliances, including doing all that is necessary to render the
2-10 appliances useable or serviceable; appliance installation and
2-11 service work done by anyone who is an appliance dealer or is
2-12 employed by an appliance dealer, and acting as an appliance
2-13 installation man or appliance service man in connecting appliances
2-14 to existing piping installations; water treatment installations,
2-15 exchanges, services, or repairs. Provided, however, that all work
2-16 and service herein named or referred to shall be subject to
2-17 inspection and approval in accordance with the terms of all local
2-18 valid city or municipal ordinances;
2-19 (e) [(d)] Plumbing work done by a licensed irrigator or
2-20 licensed installer when working and licensed under Chapter 197,
2-21 Acts of the 66th Legislature, Regular Session, 1979 (Article 8751,
2-22 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes). A person holding a valid license
2-23 from the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners shall not be
2-24 required to be licensed by any other board or agency when
2-25 installing or working on a lawn irrigation system;
2-26 (f) [(e)] Plumbing work done by an LP Gas installer when
2-27 working and licensed under Chapter 113, Natural Resources Code, as
3-1 amended.
3-2 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-3 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.