BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                             H.B. 281

                                                                                                                                             By: Hope

                                                                                                                                    County Affairs

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Under current law Texas fire codes apply only to apartment complexes within a city; however, these codes are not extended into the unincorporated areas of a county.

 

The purpose of H.B. 281 is to ensure the same safety standards are extended to citizens who live outside of the city.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 233.062(a), Local Government Code, by adding to the list of buildings to which the fire code in an unincorporated area of the county applies, a multifamily residential dwelling consisting of four or more units.

 

SECTION 2.  States that this Act only applies to multifamily residential dwellings on which construction begins on or after the date a fire code applicable to multifamily residential dwellings is adopted under this Act.  For the purpose of this section, construction begins on the date the ground is broken, or if no ground is broken, on the date that the first materials are added to the original property.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective Date

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.