BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1873

By: Dominguez

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Reports indicate that following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, some property owners struggled to find skilled tradespeople to help them rebuild, while others were taken advantage of by fraudulent contractors. H.B. 1873 seeks to help strategize a way to improve the oversight, accountability, and availability of building trade services following disasters by requiring the Texas Division of Emergency Management to consult with appropriate entities and submit a report to the legislature on these matters.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 1873 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), not later than November 1, 2020, to submit a report to members of the legislature on improving the oversight, accountability, and availability of building trade services following disasters that includes the following:

· strategies to increase the availability of tradespeople following a disaster;

· approaches to increase prosecutions of alleged fraud related to building trade services offered following a disaster; and

· methods to encourage performance bond requirements in contracts for building trade services to be performed following a disaster.

The bill requires TDEM to consult with appropriate state entities, including the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, local governments, trade associations, and law enforcement groups in preparing the report. The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2021.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.