By: West S.B. No. 839 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to security bars on residential dwellings. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Chapter 756, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-4 by adding Subchapter F to read as follows: 1-5 SUBCHAPTER F. SECURITY BARS 1-6 Sec. 756.081. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-7 (1) "Bedroom" means an area of a dwelling intended as 1-8 sleeping quarters. 1-9 (2) "Board" means the Texas Board of Health. 1-10 (3) "Department" means the Texas Department of Health. 1-11 (4) "Residential dwelling" includes a single-family 1-12 home, a duplex, a triplex, an apartment, a motel or hotel, and a 1-13 mobile home. 1-14 (5) "Security bars" means burglar bars or other bars 1-15 located on the inside or outside of a door or window of a 1-16 residential dwelling. 1-17 Sec. 756.082. SECURITY BARS ON RESIDENTIAL DWELLING. A 1-18 person may not install security bars on a door or window of a 1-19 bedroom in a residential dwelling unless: 1-20 (1) the security bars on at least one door or window 1-21 in the bedroom have an interior release mechanism; or 1-22 (2) at least one window or door from the bedroom to 1-23 the exterior may be opened for emergency escape or rescue. 1-24 Sec. 756.083. LABELING REQUIREMENT. A person may not sell 2-1 security bars or offer security bars for sale in this state unless 2-2 the security bars or their packaging are labeled in accordance with 2-3 rules adopted by the state fire marshal. The required label must 2-4 state the requirements of Section 756.082. 2-5 Sec. 756.084. TESTING. (a) To qualify for use under 2-6 Section 756.082(1), an interior release mechanism must be tested 2-7 and shown to be effective by the state fire marshal or by a testing 2-8 laboratory under conditions and procedures approved by the state 2-9 fire marshal. 2-10 (b) The state fire marshal shall adopt rules to implement 2-11 this section. 2-12 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-13 (b) The state fire marshal shall adopt the rules required by 2-14 Sections 756.083 and 756.084, Health and Safety Code, as added by 2-15 this Act, not later than December 15, 1999. 2-16 SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only 2-17 to security bars installed, sold, or offered for sale on or after 2-18 January 1, 2000. Security bars installed, sold, or offered for 2-19 sale before that date are governed by the law in effect on the date 2-20 the security bars were installed, sold, or offered for sale, and 2-21 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-22 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.