BILL ANALYSIS
By: Leibowitz
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Realtors and builders market homes to veterans and encourage the use of Texas Veterans Land Board financing. Some volume builders, however, will not build homes for disabled veterans. To make the purchasing of a home easier for veterans with special needs, C.S.H.B. 340 amends the Property Code to require the Veterans Land Board and the Texas Residential Construction Commission to make available to the public a list of builders that provide accessible floor plans to persons with mobility-related special needs. The bill also requires the Texas Residential Construction Commission to contact volume builders that do not provide accessible floor plans and encourage them to develop plans accessible for persons with mobility-related special needs.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Residential Construction Commission in SECTION 1 of the bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 340 defines "volume builder" as a builder who registers at least 100 homes a year. This bill requires the Veterans Land Board and the Texas Residential Construction Commission to make available to the public both electronic and hard copy lists of builders that provide accessible floor plans to persons with mobility-related special needs. The list should include, if available, for each listed builder a link to their website and contact information for the builder including the municipalities where the builder provides these services. All volume builders in the state who do not provide accessible floor plans to persons with mobility-related special needs will be contacted by the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) and encouraged to do so. The bill provides that TRCC must certify the builder's floor plans before a volume builder is included on the electronic or hard-copy list. The bill requires TRCC to establish rules, procedures, and fees to certify floor plans.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 340 modifies the original by amending the Property Code, whereas the original amended the Natural Resource Code. The substitute changes the definition of "volume builder" from one that sells at least 100 homes a year to one that registers at least 100 homes a year. The substitutes differs from the original by adding that the Texas Residential Construction Commission must certify the floor plans designed for persons with mobility-related special needs before the builder is included on the electronic or hard-copy list.