BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3625

By: Walle

Business & Industry

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires a landlord to provide written notice to a tenant indicating whether they are or are not aware that the dwelling in question is in a 100-year floodplain. There are concerns that the notification unintentionally applies to short-term leases and to temporary tenancies that occur when a buyer occupies the property before closing or a seller does so after closing. H.B. 3625 seeks to address these concerns by providing for an exemption from the notice requirement in those circumstances.

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. 3625 amends the Property Code to exempt a landlord from the requirement to provide a certain notice to a tenant indicating whether the landlord is or is not aware that the dwelling is located in a 100-year floodplain for a tenant under a lease with a term of less than 30 days or under a temporary residential tenancy created by a contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a specific term not greater than 90 days. The bill's provisions apply only to a lease agreement entered into or renewed on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.