By: Gates, Longoria, Clardy, Perez, Cook, H.B. No. 2665
      et al.
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to an interim study of the municipal regulation of
  short-term rental properties and residential amenity rental
  properties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 92, Property Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter J to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER J.  STUDY ON REGULATION OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES
         Sec. 92.361.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Texas Department of
  Licensing and Regulation.
               (2)  "Residential amenity rental property" means a
  feature or facility that is:
                     (A)  part of a residential property, including a
  single-family dwelling or a unit in a condominium, cooperative,
  mixed-use development, or timeshare; and
                     (B)  rented for:
                           (i)  a period of less than 15 hours; and
                           (ii)  a purpose other than providing
  sleeping accommodations to the lessee.
               (3)  "Short-term rental property" means a residential
  property, including a single-family dwelling or a unit in a
  condominium, cooperative, mixed-use development, or timeshare,
  that is rented wholly or partly for a fee for a period not longer
  than 30 consecutive days. The term does not include:
                     (A)  a unit that is used for nonresidential
  purposes, including an educational, health care, retail,
  restaurant, banquet space, or event center purpose or another
  similar use;
                     (B)  a bed and breakfast; or
                     (C)  a commercial lodging establishment,
  including a hotel or motel, that is not taxed as residential
  property under Title 1, Tax Code.
         Sec. 92.362.  ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE.  (a)  The
  department shall establish a task force to study, review, and
  report to the legislature on the impact of municipal ordinances,
  rules, and other measures regulating short-term rental properties
  and residential amenity rental properties.
         (b)  The task force is composed of:
               (1)  two members appointed by the governor;
               (2)  two members of the senate appointed by the
  lieutenant governor;
               (3)  two members of the house of representatives
  appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
               (4)  one representative of the department;
               (5)  one member representing the interests of a large
  urban community;
               (6)  one member representing the interests of a small
  urban community;
               (7)  one member representing the interests of a coastal
  community;
               (8)  one member representing the interests of law
  enforcement; and
               (9)  two members representing the interests of
  neighborhoods.
         Sec. 92.363.  ADMINISTRATIVE ATTACHMENT.  The task force is
  administratively attached to the department.
         Sec. 92.364.  REPORT.  Not later than December 31, 2024, the
  task force shall submit to the legislature a written report that
  includes:
               (1)  a summary of the task force's findings on:
                     (A)  the impact of rental properties and
  residential amenity rental properties on the quality of life in
  communities where those properties are located, including impacts
  on crime, noise, local school enrollments, and other unintended
  consequences;
                     (B)  the ordinances impacting short-term rental
  properties and residential amenity rental properties;
                     (C)  the economic impact of ordinances on
  short-term rental properties and residential amenity rental
  properties;
                     (D)  the remittance of state and local taxes by
  short-term rental property and residential amenity rental property
  owners;
                     (E)  local registration and reporting
  requirements for short-term rental properties and residential
  amenity rental properties;
                     (F)  the economic impact and hidden costs of
  short-term rental properties and residential amenity rental
  properties on communities, including:
                           (i)  responses to resident complaints;
                           (ii)  increased crime;
                           (iii)  inability to fully enforce sex
  offender registry laws;
                           (iv)  lack of affordable housing for local
  workers and others;
                           (v)  decreased school enrollments;
                           (vi)  loss of population-based state and
  federal funding; and
                           (vii)  other unintended consequences;
                     (G)  increased costs to municipalities,
  homeowners' associations, and residents from short-term rental
  properties and residential amenity rental properties in a community
  in which those properties are located and methods to reimburse
  those costs from the state; and
                     (H)  lessons from other municipalities and states
  on successes and failures with short-term rental property and
  residential amenity rental property regulations; and
               (2)  legislative recommendations regarding:
                     (A)  whether there is sufficient justification
  for statewide regulation of short-term rental properties and
  residential amenity rental properties, considering regulation of
  land use has long been entrusted to local governments;
                     (B)  potential benefits and costs of adopting
  statewide regulations of short-term rental properties and
  residential amenity rental properties;
                     (C)  appropriate protection of local health,
  safety, morals, and general welfare regulations;
                     (D)  methods to create greater accountability of
  entities engaged in the business of operating an Internet-based
  platform to facilitate the rental of short-term rental properties
  and residential amenity rental properties, including methods to:
                           (i)  audit and increase the payment of state
  and municipal hotel occupancy taxes; and
                           (ii)  diminish or eliminate disturbances in
  residential neighborhoods;
                     (E)  methods for the state to reimburse
  municipalities for hiring additional code enforcement officers and
  to reimburse homeowners who suffer financial and emotional
  hardships as a result of living near a short-term rental property or
  residential amenity rental property;
                     (F)  the ability of municipalities to adequately
  address the effect of short-term rental properties and residential
  amenity rental properties on neighborhoods, neighbors, and
  families through the enforcement of nuisance regulations and
  criminal citations, with consideration given to the transient
  nature of short-term rental property and residential amenity rental
  property activity;
                     (G)  the ability of municipalities to impose
  reasonable density restrictions on the location and proliferation
  of short-term rental properties and residential amenity rental
  properties to maintain the character of single-family residential
  neighborhoods;
                     (H)  the value of elected municipal officials
  having the ability to adopt specific short-term rental property and
  residential amenity rental property regulations that can
  effectively address a community's particular needs and economic
  conditions;
                     (I)  whether to authorize a neighborhood to
  prohibit short-term rental properties if the municipality in which
  the neighborhood is located has adopted an ordinance that requires
  a higher percentage of property owners to be residents of the
  neighborhood than the deed restrictions for the neighborhood; and
                     (J)  the effect of state preemption on short-term
  rental property and residential amenity rental property
  regulations in other states.
         Sec. 92.365.  EXPIRATION.  This subchapter expires and the
  task force is abolished January 1, 2025.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.