By West                                                S.B. No. 839
         76R6160 CMR-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to security bars on residential dwellings.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 756, Health and Safety Code, is amended
 1-5     by adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
 1-6                        SUBCHAPTER F. SECURITY BARS 
 1-7           Sec. 756.081.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
 1-8                 (1)  "Bedroom" means an area of a dwelling intended as
 1-9     sleeping quarters.
1-10                 (2)  "Board" means the Texas Board of Health.
1-11                 (3)  "Department" means the Texas Department of Health.
1-12                 (4)  "Residential dwelling" includes a single-family
1-13     home, a duplex, a triplex, an apartment, a motel or hotel, and a
1-14     mobile home.
1-15                 (5)  "Security bars" means burglar bars or other bars
1-16     located on the inside or outside of a door or window of a
1-17     residential dwelling.
1-18           Sec. 756.082.  SECURITY BARS ON RESIDENTIAL DWELLING.  A
1-19     person may not install security bars on a door or window of a
1-20     bedroom in a residential dwelling unless:
1-21                 (1)  the security bars on at least one door or window
1-22     in the bedroom have an interior release mechanism; or
1-23                 (2)  at least one window or door from the bedroom to
1-24     the exterior may be opened for emergency escape or rescue.
 2-1           Sec. 756.083.  LABELING REQUIREMENT.  A person may not sell
 2-2     security bars or offer security bars for sale in this state unless
 2-3     the security bars or their packaging are labeled in accordance with
 2-4     rules adopted by the state fire marshal.  The required label must
 2-5     state the requirements of Section 756.082.
 2-6           Sec. 756.084.  TESTING.  (a)  To qualify for use under
 2-7     Section 756.082(1), an interior release mechanism must be tested
 2-8     and shown to be effective by  the state fire marshal or by a
 2-9     testing laboratory under conditions and procedures approved by the
2-10     state fire marshal.
2-11           (b)  The state fire marshal shall adopt rules to implement
2-12     this section.
2-13           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-14           (b)  The state fire marshal shall adopt the rules required by
2-15     Sections 756.083 and 756.084, Health and Safety Code, as added by
2-16     this Act, not later than December 15, 1999.
2-17           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
2-18     to security bars installed, sold, or offered for sale on or after
2-19     January 1, 2000.  Security bars installed, sold, or offered for
2-20     sale before that date are governed by the law in effect on the date
2-21     the security bars were installed, sold, or offered for sale, and
2-22     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.