BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2334

By: Burns

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, contractors may work on some outdoor, underground installation of water, wastewater, and storm drainage lines for commercial buildings, industrial and residential developments, and multi-family housing. However, for some projects on and around private property, licensed plumbers alone are permitted to perform certain work even when the nature of the work itself may not require it. This has raised concerns about the unnecessary burdens on projects and contractors. C.S.H.B. 2334 seeks to lessen these burdens by creating an exemption to the requirement for a person to obtain a plumbing license to perform certain work done within five feet of a qualifying building or structure.

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

C.S.H.B. 2334 amends the Occupations Code to exempt a person from the requirement to obtain a license under the Plumbing License Law in order to perform work consisting of installing, servicing, or repairing service mains or service lines that provide water, sewer, or storm drainage services on private property in an area that extends from a public right-of-way or public easement to not less than five feet from a building or structure. This exemption does not apply to plumbing work performed on private property designated for use as a one-family or two-family dwelling.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2334 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the introduced included work consisting of installing, servicing, or repairing appurtenances, equipment, or appliances that provide the applicable services among the work to which the license exemption applies, the substitute does not. Additionally, the substitute omits a specification included in the introduced that the work to which the exemption applies is plumbing work.