| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 1715 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the requirements for a smoke detector in multifamily |
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| 6 | 6 | | and other residential units. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. This bill is enacted to honor the memory of |
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| 9 | 9 | | Sephra Burks. |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 2. Section 92.254, Property Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) A smoke detector must be: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) designed to detect both the visible and invisible |
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| 15 | 15 | | products of combustion; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) designed with an alarm audible to a person in the |
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| 17 | 17 | | bedrooms it serves; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (3) powered by battery, alternating current, or other |
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| 19 | 19 | | power source as required by local ordinance; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (4) tested and listed for use as a smoke detector by |
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| 21 | 21 | | Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual Research |
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| 22 | 22 | | Corporation, or United States Testing Company, Inc.; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (5) in good working order. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (a-1) If requested by a tenant as an accommodation for a |
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| 25 | 25 | | person with a hearing-impairment disability or as required by law |
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| 26 | 26 | | as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a |
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| 27 | 27 | | hearing-impairment disability, a smoke detector must, in addition |
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| 28 | 28 | | to complying with Subsection (a), be capable of alerting a |
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| 29 | 29 | | hearing-impaired person in the bedrooms it serves. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010. |
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| 31 | 31 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 32 | 32 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 33 | 33 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1715 passed the Senate on |
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| 34 | 34 | | April 17, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 0; and that |
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| 35 | 35 | | the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 2009, by the |
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| 36 | 36 | | following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 37 | 37 | | ______________________________ |
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| 38 | 38 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 39 | 39 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1715 passed the House, with |
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| 40 | 40 | | amendment, on May 20, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 114, |
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| 41 | 41 | | Nays 22, one present not voting. |
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| 42 | 42 | | ______________________________ |
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| 43 | 43 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 44 | 44 | | Approved: |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Date |
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| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Governor |
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