HBA-NLM S.B. 633 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 633 By: Madla Land & Resource Management 4/28/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Local Government Code only provides for initial fire code inspections of commercial establishments and public buildings located in the unincorporated area of the county. As a result, commercial and public buildings may comply with fire code standards at the initial fire inspection, but may fail to comply after that initial inspection. This bill would authorize subsequent inspections to verify that the commercial and public building is in compliance with the fire code, and would extend the application of the fire code to all buildings that produce income, including single-unit and multi-unit rental property. S.B. 633 authorizes subsequent inspections to verify that a commercial and public building is in compliance with the fire code, and extends the application of the fire code to all buildings that produce income, including single-unit and multi-unit rental property. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is in the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 235.002(a), Local Government Code, to provide that the fire code applies to certain buildings in an unincorporated area of a county, including a commercial establishment, an office building or manufacturing facility, or a building that produces income, including a single-unit or multi-unit rental property. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 235.004, Local Government Code, to require a county, upon adoption of an order by the commissioners court, to periodically inspect a building subject to this chapter to determine whether the building complies with the fire code. Requires the commissioners court by order to establish the interval between initial and subsequent inspections. Requires the owner of the building to request in writing by a certain date that the county conduct an initial inspection of the building for fire code compliance. Authorizes a building inspector to enter a building at a reasonable time and perform a subsequent inspection following an interval prescribed by an order issued under this section. Requires the certificate of compliance to be valid until the next inspection conducted under this section. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.