H.B. No. 2447
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the sale and advertisement of portable fire
  extinguishers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 797 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 797. PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
         Sec. 797.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "NFPA" means the National Fire Protection
  Association.
               (2)  "Portable fire extinguisher" means a device that
  contains liquid, powder, or gases for suppressing or extinguishing
  fires.
         Sec. 797.002.  PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. A person may
  not use the term "portable fire extinguisher" or "fire
  extinguisher" in the sale or advertisement of an aerosol fire
  suppression device or similar fire suppression device unless the
  device conforms to NFPA Standard 10 (2010), "Standard for Portable
  Fire Extinguishers," or a successor standard adopted by the
  commissioner of insurance that is at least as stringent as the NFPA
  Standard 10, and is specifically listed for that use by a testing
  laboratory approved by the Texas Department of Insurance.
         SECTION 2. Section 6001.001, Insurance Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 6001.001.  PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to
  safeguard lives and property by:
               (1)  regulating:
                     (A)  the leasing, selling, installing, and
  servicing of portable fire extinguishers; and
                     (B)  the planning, certifying, installing, and
  servicing of fixed fire extinguisher systems; and
               (2)  prohibiting portable fire extinguishers, fixed
  fire extinguisher systems, or extinguisher equipment that is not
  [labeled or] listed by a testing laboratory approved by the
  department.
         SECTION 3. Section 6001.156(a), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The licensing provisions of this chapter do not apply
  to:
               (1)  the filling or charging of a portable fire
  extinguisher by the manufacturer before initial sale of the fire
  extinguisher;
               (2)  the servicing by a firm of the firm's portable fire
  extinguishers or fixed systems by  the firm's personnel who are
  specially trained for that servicing;
               (2-a)  the inspection of a firm's portable fire
  extinguisher by a person who is:
                     (A)  specially trained to perform portable fire
  extinguisher inspections; and
                     (B)  under contract with the firm for that
  purpose;
               (3)  the installation of portable fire extinguishers in
  a building by the building owner, the owner's managing agent, or an
  employee of the building owner or the owner's managing agent;
               (4)  the installation or servicing of water sprinkler
  systems installed in compliance with the National Fire Protection
  Association's Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems;
               (5)  a firm that is engaged in the retail or wholesale
  sale of portable fire extinguishers that carry the [an approval
  label or] listing of a testing laboratory approved by the
  department, but that is not engaged in the installation or
  servicing of those extinguishers;
               (6)  a fire department that services portable fire
  extinguishers as a public service without charge, if the members of
  the fire department are trained in the proper servicing of the fire
  extinguishers;
               (7)  a firm that is a party to a contract under which:
                     (A)  the installation of portable fire
  extinguishers or a fixed fire extinguisher system is performed
  under the direct supervision of and certified by a firm
  appropriately registered to install and certify portable
  extinguishers or fixed systems; and
                     (B)  the registered firm assumes full
  responsibility for the installation; or
               (8)  an engineer licensed under Chapter 1001,
  Occupations Code, while acting solely in the engineer's
  professional capacity.
 
         SECTION 4.  (a) Section 797.001, Health and Safety Code, as
  added by this Act, and Section 6001.156(a), Insurance Code, as
  amended by this Act, do not apply to the sale or advertisement of an
  aerosol fire suppression device or similar fire suppression device
  that, on or before September 1, 2013, is:
               (1)  listed for use as a portable fire extinguisher by a
  testing laboratory approved the Texas Department of Insurance,
  other than the National Fire Protection Association; and
               (2)  approved for use as a portable fire extinguisher
  by the Texas Department of Insurance.
         (b)  This section expires September 1, 2015.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2447 was passed by the House on May 7,
  2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 94, Nays 37, 3 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2447 on May 22, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 83, Nays 65,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2447 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 20, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 23, Nays
  8.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor