By Uher                                               H.B. No. 3264
         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 the expansion and operation of eligible inspectors for
 1-3     the windstorm building code.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Article 21.49, Section 6A, Subsection (d),
 1-6     Insurance Code is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  A "qualified inspector" includes a person to be
 1-8     determined by the board to be qualified to perform building
 1-9     inspections because of training or experience. A qualified
1-10     inspector must be approved [and appointed or employed] by the board
1-11     to perform building inspections. The board shall approve inspectors
1-12     employed by municipalities that utilize the Texas Department of
1-13     Insurance's standard windload threshold as adopted by the
1-14     Association of Civil Service Engineers rule 7-93 for purposes of
1-15     determining eligibility for the Texas Windstorm Insurance
1-16     Association's windpool. Before approval by the board, inspectors
1-17     employed by municipalities shall be required to meet all inspection
1-18     and certification requirements utilized by the Texas Department of
1-19     Insurance as defined by the Southern Building Code Congress
1-20     International coastal construction certification. The board may
1-21     charge a reasonable fee not to exceed $200 for the filing of
 2-1     applications and determining the qualifications of persons for
 2-2     approval [appointment] as qualified inspectors.
 2-3           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.