By Lucio                                               S.B. No. 623
         76R3854 KEL-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain requirements applicable to the construction of
 1-3     speculative homes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter X, Chapter 2306, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 2306.514 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 2306.514.  SPECULATIVE HOMES.  (a)  In this section,
 1-8     "speculative home" means a single-family dwelling that is:
 1-9                 (1)  constructed for sale on the open market; and
1-10                 (2)  not constructed for immediate occupancy.
1-11           (b)  If a speculative home is subsidized with state or
1-12     federal money administered by the department, the home must be
1-13     constructed so that:
1-14                 (1)  at least one entrance door, whether located at the
1-15     front, side, or back of the building:
1-16                       (A)  is on an accessible route served by a ramp
1-17     or no-step entrance; and
1-18                       (B)  has a net clear opening of at least 32
1-19     inches;
1-20                 (2)  on the first floor of the building:
1-21                       (A)  each interior door has a net clear opening
1-22     of at least 32 inches, unless the door provides access only to a
1-23     closet of fewer than 15 square feet in area;
1-24                       (B)  each hallway has a width of at least 36
 2-1     inches and is level, with ramped or beveled changes at each door
 2-2     threshold;
 2-3                       (C)  each bathroom wall is reinforced for
 2-4     potential installation of grab bars;
 2-5                       (D)  each electrical panel or breaker box, light
 2-6     switch, or thermostat is not higher than 48 inches above the floor;
 2-7     and
 2-8                       (E)  each electrical plug or other receptacle is
 2-9     at least 15 inches above the floor; and
2-10                 (3)  each breaker box is located inside the building on
2-11     the first floor.
2-12           (c)  A person who builds a home to which this section applies
2-13     may obtain a waiver of the requirement described by Subsection
2-14     (b)(1)(A) if the cost of grading the terrain to meet the
2-15     requirement is prohibitively expensive.  A person must request the
2-16     waiver from the appropriate governmental authority authorized to
2-17     issue building permits or otherwise regulate the construction of
2-18     buildings in the area in which the speculative home is located.
2-19           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-20     to a speculative home for which new construction begins on or after
2-21     the effective date of this Act.  A speculative home for which new
2-22     construction begins before the effective date of this Act is
2-23     covered by the law in effect when the construction began, and the
2-24     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-25           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-26           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.