BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4753

By: Gates

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that during the organizational meeting of the House Committee on Land & Resource Management, a situation was brought to light wherein a municipality required a property owner who had lost an original certificate of occupancy to go through the application process for another certificate of occupancy, including the payment of the application fees, even though the municipality had a record of the original certificate's issuance. C.S.H.B. 4753 seeks to address this issue by providing for a document verifying that a certificate of occupancy was issued to serve as a replacement for an original certificate of occupancy.

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. 4753 amends the Local Government Code to require a municipality to issue a document to the owner of a building verifying that the municipality has issued an original certificate of occupancy for the building if the owner requests the document and the municipality has a record of the original certificate's issuance. The bill prohibits a municipality from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, regulation, or other measure that requires a building owner issued such a document for the building to obtain or display an original certificate of occupancy for the building. The bill requires a municipality to allow the owner of a building to display a document verifying issuance of an original certificate of occupancy in lieu of that original certificate.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 4753 differs from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.