AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In 2009, legislation was passed to prohibit anyone except fire inspectors certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection from conducting fire safety inspections at home health care and day care facilities. This requirement is having the unintended consequence of leaving these facilities without inspections because there are not enough commission-certified inspectors.
Additionally, this certification requires a 152-hour training course that costs $1,000, a testing fee of $85, and a certification fee of $85. This is especially burdensome on volunteer firefighters in rural areas who were allowed to conduct these inspections prior to 2009.
S.B. 1506 will help ensure that home health care and day care facilities are inspected and inspected properly by expanding the list of certifying entities from which an individual may obtain certification.
As proposed, S.B. 1506 amends current law relating to fire safety inspections.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 419.909(a), Government Code, to authorize that a fire safety inspection required by a state or local law, rule, regulation, or ordinance be conducted by an individual certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, the National Fire Protection Association, the International Code Council, or any other state agency with authority over fire safety inspections, rather than authorizing only an individual certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection as a fire inspector to conduct a fire safety inspection required by a state or local law, rule, regulation, or ordinance.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.