LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 16, 2007

TO:
Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB338 by Van de Putte (Relating to carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors in certain residential dwellings.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require each one-family and two-family dwelling that has a household appliance or heating system that burns fossil fuel to have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed in the dwelling if construction commences after January 1, 2008.  Dwellings constructed before January 1, 2008, must have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed before the owner can sell or transfer ownership of the dwelling.   The same requirements would apply to smoke detectors.
 
The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is required to adopt rules to implement the bill, which would have a workload impact that can be absorbed within existing resources.  HHSC assumes that the agency would have no enforcement or monitoring responsibilities related to sales transactions, nor any compliance enforcement activities.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
332 Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 370 Residential Construction Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission
LBB Staff:
JOB, JRO, PP, MB