| 1 | 1 | | 81R3559 AJA-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Coleman H.B. No. 2956 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the regulation of solar energy panels by a property |
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| 8 | 8 | | owners' association. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 202, Property Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Section 202.010 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 202.010. REGULATION OF SOLAR ENERGY PANELS. (a) In |
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| 13 | 13 | | this section, "solar energy panel" means a panel device or system |
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| 14 | 14 | | designed primarily to: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) collect solar energy, as defined by Section |
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| 16 | 16 | | 2166.403, Government Code; or |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) collect and subsequently use solar energy as |
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| 18 | 18 | | thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a property |
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| 20 | 20 | | owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a |
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| 21 | 21 | | dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner |
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| 22 | 22 | | from installing a solar energy panel. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) A provision that violates Subsection (b) is void. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (d) This section does not prohibit the inclusion or |
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| 25 | 25 | | enforcement of a provision in a dedicatory instrument that |
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| 26 | 26 | | prohibits a solar energy panel that: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) threatens the public health or safety; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) violates a law; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) is located on property owned or maintained by the |
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| 30 | 30 | | property owners' association; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) is located on property owned in common by the |
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| 32 | 32 | | members of the property owners' association; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) is located in an area on the property owner's |
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| 34 | 34 | | property other than: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) on the roof of the home; or |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) in a fenced yard or patio maintained by the |
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| 37 | 37 | | property owner; or |
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| 38 | 38 | | (6) is mounted on a device that is taller or more |
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| 39 | 39 | | visually obtrusive than is necessary for the panel to operate at not |
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| 40 | 40 | | less than 90 percent of its rated efficiency. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. Section 202.010, Property Code, as added by this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act, applies to a provision in a dedicatory instrument without |
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| 43 | 43 | | regard to whether the provision or the dedicatory instrument takes |
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| 44 | 44 | | effect or is renewed before, on, or after the effective date of this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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