BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1715

By: West

Business & Industry

Committee Report (Amended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires a landlord to install smoke detectors in dwelling units, but only those that would alert a hearing person.

S.B. 1715 requires a smoke detector installed in a residential tenancy, in addition to meeting other requirements, to be capable of alerting a hearing-impaired person in the bedrooms it serves, if such capability is requested by a tenant as an accommodation for a person with a hearing-impairment disability or as required by law as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability.

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

S.B. 1715 amends the Property Code to require a smoke detector installed in a residential tenancy, in addition to meeting other requirements, to be capable of alerting a hearing-impaired person in the bedrooms it serves if such capability is requested by a tenant as an accommodation for a person with a hearing-impairment disability or as required by law as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability. The bill is enacted to honor the memory of Sephra Burks.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No. 1

S.B. 1715 is amended to make the effective date of the bill January 1, 2010.