BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1448 By: Guillen Business & Industry Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not adequately address the authority of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to adopt an alternative method for the approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or a design review agency. H.B. 1448 requires a study regarding the current approval method and alternatives to that method to evaluate whether a different method can be used to ensure that a proposed design, plan, and specification of industrialized housing and buildings satisfy given requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 1 of this bill. ANALYSIS H.B. 1448 amends the Occupations Code to add a temporary provision, set to expire September 1, 2014, requiring the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council to conduct a study to evaluate the current method of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings under provisions of law relating to the council's stamp of approval on such documents and to identify and evaluate methods of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings that are alternatives to the current method. The bill authorizes the study to recommend adoption of an alternative method by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation if the council determines that the method would ensure that the designs, plans, and specifications meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or an approved design review agency and that the method would be more efficient and cost-effective for TDLR or approved design review agencies. The bill requires the council to complete the study not later than September 1, 2012. H.B. 1448 authorizes the commission by rule to adopt another method of indicating that designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by TDLR or an approved design review agency if the study conducted under the bill's provisions recommends that method. The bill makes a conforming change. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2011.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1448
By: Guillen
Business & Industry
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1448
By: Guillen
Business & Industry
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not adequately address the authority of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to adopt an alternative method for the approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or a design review agency. H.B. 1448 requires a study regarding the current approval method and alternatives to that method to evaluate whether a different method can be used to ensure that a proposed design, plan, and specification of industrialized housing and buildings satisfy given requirements.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1448 amends the Occupations Code to add a temporary provision, set to expire September 1, 2014, requiring the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council to conduct a study to evaluate the current method of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings under provisions of law relating to the council's stamp of approval on such documents and to identify and evaluate methods of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings that are alternatives to the current method. The bill authorizes the study to recommend adoption of an alternative method by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation if the council determines that the method would ensure that the designs, plans, and specifications meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or an approved design review agency and that the method would be more efficient and cost-effective for TDLR or approved design review agencies. The bill requires the council to complete the study not later than September 1, 2012. H.B. 1448 authorizes the commission by rule to adopt another method of indicating that designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by TDLR or an approved design review agency if the study conducted under the bill's provisions recommends that method. The bill makes a conforming change.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2011.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law does not adequately address the authority of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to adopt an alternative method for the approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or a design review agency. H.B. 1448 requires a study regarding the current approval method and alternatives to that method to evaluate whether a different method can be used to ensure that a proposed design, plan, and specification of industrialized housing and buildings satisfy given requirements.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1448 amends the Occupations Code to add a temporary provision, set to expire September 1, 2014, requiring the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council to conduct a study to evaluate the current method of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings under provisions of law relating to the council's stamp of approval on such documents and to identify and evaluate methods of indicating approval of designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings that are alternatives to the current method. The bill authorizes the study to recommend adoption of an alternative method by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation if the council determines that the method would ensure that the designs, plans, and specifications meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or an approved design review agency and that the method would be more efficient and cost-effective for TDLR or approved design review agencies. The bill requires the council to complete the study not later than September 1, 2012.
H.B. 1448 authorizes the commission by rule to adopt another method of indicating that designs, plans, and specifications of industrialized housing and buildings meet or exceed the code standards and requirements under council interpretations and instructions and are approved by TDLR or an approved design review agency if the study conducted under the bill's provisions recommends that method. The bill makes a conforming change.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2011.