BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3661

By: Turner, Sylvester

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires Houston and similarly situated municipalities with a population of 1,000,000 or more to adopt water pressure standards sufficient to maintain service to fire hydrants in order to adequately protect public safety in residential areas. However, this law does not specifically require the adoption of a standard for the installation of fire hydrants. 

H.B. 3661 specifically requires the regulatory authority for a public utility, meaning in this context a water and sewer utility, to adopt standards for installation of fire hydrants in addition to the existing requirement to adopt standards for water pressure.

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

H.B. 3661 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the regulatory authority for a water and sewer utility by rule or ordinance to adopt standards for installing fire hydrants adequate to protect public safety in residential areas in a municipality with a population of 1,000,000 or more.  

H.B. 3661 establishes that its provisions take effect either as an amendment to Section 341.0357(b), Health and Safety Code, as added by Chapter 861 (H.B. 1391), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, or as Section 341.0358(b), Health and Safety Code, contingent on passage of the Act of the 81st Legislature, 2009, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in existing codes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.