Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB2188 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

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                            83R6251 SCL-F
 By: Smith H.B. No. 2188


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the requirements for elevators, escalators, and related
 equipment; providing penalties.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 754.011, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.011.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter [subchapter]:
 (1)  "Acceptance inspection" means an inspection
 performed at the completion of the initial installation or
 alteration of equipment and in accordance with the applicable ASME
 Code A17.1.
 (2)  "Accident" means an event involving equipment that
 results in death or serious bodily injury to a person.
 (3)  "Alteration" means a change in [or modernization
 of] existing equipment. The term does not include testing,
 maintenance, repair, replacement, or a cosmetic change that does
 not affect the operational safety of the equipment or diminish the
 safety of the equipment below the level required by the ASME Code
 A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1, or ASCE Code 21, as
 applicable, at the time of alteration.
 (4)  "Annual inspection" means an inspection of
 equipment performed in a 12-month period in accordance with the
 applicable ASME Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1, or
 ASCE Code 21. The term includes an acceptance inspection performed
 within that period.
 (5)  "ASCE" means the American Society of Civil
 Engineers.
 (6)  "ASCE Code 21" means the American Society of Civil
 Engineers Code 21 for people movers operated by cables, as it
 existed on January 1, 2004, or any subsequent revision of that code
 adopted after a review by the commission, as required by law.
 (7)  "ASME" means the American Society of Mechanical
 Engineers.
 (8) [(6)]  "ASME Code A17.1" means the American Society
 of Mechanical Engineers Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators
 (Bi-national standard with CSA B44-2007), ASME A17.1/CSA-B44, as it
 existed on January 1, 2004, or any subsequent revision of that code
 adopted after a review by the commission, as required by law.
 (9) [(6-a)     "Executive director" means the executive
 director of the department.
 [(7)]  "ASME Code A17.3" means the 2002 American
 Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Code for Elevators and
 Escalators A17.3.
 (10) [(8)]  "ASME Code A18.1" means the American
 Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Code for Platform Lifts and
 Stairway Chairlifts A18.1, as it existed on January 1, 2004, or any
 subsequent revision of that code adopted after a review by the
 commission, as required by law.
 (11) [(9)]  "Board" means the elevator advisory board.
 (12) [(10)]  "Commission" means the Texas Commission
 of Licensing and Regulation.
 (13) [(12)]  "Contractor" means a person engaged in the
 installation, alteration, testing, repair, or maintenance of
 equipment. The term does not include an employee of a contractor or
 a person engaged in cleaning or any other work performed on
 equipment that does not affect the operational safety of the
 equipment or diminish the safety of the equipment below the level
 required by the ASME Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1,
 or ASCE Code 21, as applicable.
 (14) [(13)]  "Department" means the Texas Department
 of Licensing and Regulation.
 (15) [(14)]  "Equipment" means an elevator, escalator,
 chairlift, platform lift, automated people mover operated by
 cables, or moving sidewalk, or related equipment.
 (16)  "Executive director" means the executive
 director of the department.
 (17) [(15)]  "Industrial facility" means a facility to
 which access is primarily limited to employees or contractors
 working in that facility.
 (18)  "Inspector" means a person engaged in the
 inspection and witnessing of the tests specified in the adopted
 standards of ASME Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1, or
 ASCE Code 21, as applicable, to determine compliance with those
 standards.
 (19)  "Owner" means a person, company, corporation,
 authority, commission, board, governmental entity, institution, or
 other entity that holds title to a building or facility in which
 equipment regulated by this chapter is located.
 (20) [(16)]  "Qualified historic building or facility"
 means a building or facility that is:
 (A)  listed in or eligible for listing in the
 National Register of Historic Places; or
 (B)  designated as a Recorded Texas Historic
 Landmark or State Archeological Landmark.
 (21) [(17)]  "Related equipment" means:
 (A)  automatic equipment that is used to move a
 person in a manner that is similar to that of an elevator, an
 escalator, a chairlift, a platform lift, an automated people mover
 operated by cables, or a moving sidewalk; and
 (B)  hoistways, pits, and machine rooms for
 equipment.
 (22) [(18)]  "Serious bodily injury" means a major
 impairment to bodily function or serious dysfunction of any bodily
 organ or part requiring medical attention.
 (23) [(19)]  "Unit of equipment" means one elevator,
 escalator, chairlift, platform lift, automated people mover
 operated by cables, or moving sidewalk, or related equipment.
 SECTION 2.  Section 754.0111, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.0111.  EXEMPTIONS [EXEMPTION]. (a) This chapter
 [subchapter] does not apply to equipment in a private building for a
 labor union, trade association, private club, or charitable
 organization that has two or fewer floors.
 (b)  This chapter [subchapter] does not apply to an elevator
 located in a single-family dwelling, except as provided by Section
 754.0141.
 (c)  This chapter does not apply to equipment located in a
 building owned and operated by the federal government.
 (d)  This chapter does not apply to equipment in an
 industrial facility, or in a grain silo, radio antenna, bridge
 tower, underground facility, or dam, to which access is limited
 primarily to employees of or working in that facility or structure.
 SECTION 3.  Sections 754.012(a) and (d), Health and Safety
 Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The elevator advisory board is composed of nine members
 appointed by the presiding officer of the commission, with the
 commission's approval, as follows:
 (1)  a representative of the insurance industry or a
 registered [certified] elevator inspector;
 (2)  a representative of equipment constructors;
 (3)  a representative of owners or managers of a
 building having fewer than six stories and having equipment;
 (4)  a representative of owners or managers of a
 building having six stories or more and having equipment;
 (5)  a representative of independent equipment
 maintenance companies;
 (6)  a representative of equipment manufacturers;
 (7)  a licensed or registered engineer or architect;
 (8)  a public member; and
 (9)  a public member with a physical disability.
 (d)  The board shall meet as determined by the executive
 director or by the presiding officer of the commission [at least
 twice each calendar year].
 SECTION 4.  Section 754.013, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.013.  BOARD DUTIES. To protect public safety and to
 identify and correct potential hazards, the board shall advise the
 commission on:
 (1)  the adoption of appropriate standards for the
 installation, maintenance, alteration, operation, testing, and
 inspection of equipment;
 (2)  the status of equipment used by the public in this
 state;
 (3)  sources of information relating to equipment
 safety;
 (4)  public awareness programs related to elevator
 safety, including programs for sellers and buyers of single-family
 dwellings with elevators, chairlifts, or platform lifts; and
 (5)  any other matter considered relevant by the
 commission.
 SECTION 5.  Section 754.014, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (h), (j),
 (k), (l), and (m) and adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows:
 (a)  The commission by rule shall adopt standards for the
 installation, maintenance, alteration, operation, testing, and
 inspection of equipment used by the public in:
 (1)  buildings owned or operated by the state, a
 state-owned institution or agency, or a political subdivision of
 the state; and
 (2)  buildings that contain equipment that is open to
 the general public, including a hotel, motel, apartment house,
 boardinghouse, church, office building, shopping center, or other
 commercial establishment.
 (b)  Standards adopted under [by the] commission rules may
 not contain requirements in addition to the requirements in the
 ASME Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1, or ASCE Code 21.
 The standards must allow alteration of existing equipment if the
 alteration does not diminish the safety of the equipment below the
 level required by this chapter [subchapter] at the time of
 alteration.
 (c)  Standards adopted under [by the] commission rules must
 require equipment to comply with the installation requirements of
 the ASME Code A17.1, ASME Code A18.1, or ASCE Code 21 that was in
 effect and applicable on the date of installation of the equipment.
 (d)  Standards adopted under [by the] commission rules must
 require equipment to comply with the installation requirements of
 the ASME Code A17.3 that contains minimum safety standards for all
 equipment, regardless of the date of installation.
 (e)  The executive director may [shall] grant a delay for
 compliance with the codes and adopted standards [applicable ASME
 Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, or ASME Code A18.1] until a specified
 time if the executive director determines that the noncompliance
 does not constitute a significant threat to passenger or worker
 safety [compliance is not readily achievable, as that phrase is
 defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Section
 12101 et seq.), or regulations adopted under that Act]. The
 accumulated total time of all delays for a specific noncompliant
 condition may not exceed three years, except as determined
 [provided] by [Subsection (f) or as allowed in the discretion of]
 the executive director.
 (h)  The executive director shall grant a waiver of
 compliance if the noncompliance resulted from compliance with a
 municipal equipment construction code at the time of the original
 installation and the noncompliance does not pose imminent and
 significant danger.
 (h-1)  The executive director may grant a waiver of
 compliance with the firefighter's service provisions of the ASME
 Code A17.1 or the ASME Code A17.3 in an elevator that exclusively
 serves a vehicle parking garage in a building that:
 (1)  is used only for parking;
 (2)  is constructed of noncombustible materials; and
 (3)  is not greater than 75 feet in height.
 (j)  One application for a waiver or delay may contain all
 requests related to a unit of equipment. [A delay may not be granted
 indefinitely but must be granted for a specified time not to exceed
 three years.]
 (k)  For purposes of determining the applicable standards
 and codes under this chapter [section], the date of installation or
 alteration of equipment is the date that the owner of the real
 property entered into a contract for the installation or alteration
 of the equipment. If that date cannot be established, the date of
 installation or alteration is the date of issuance of the municipal
 building permit under which the equipment was installed or altered
 or, if a municipal building permit was not issued, the date that
 electrical consumption began for the construction of the building
 in which the equipment was installed.
 (l)  Standards adopted under [by the] commission rules may
 include and be guided by revised versions of ASME Code A17.1, ASME
 Code A18.1, and ASCE Code 21, as appropriate.
 (m)  The executive director may on application of a person
 and in accordance with procedures adopted under [by the] commission
 rules, grant a variance to allow the installation of new technology
 if the new component, system, subsystem, function, or device is
 equivalent or superior to the standards adopted under [by the]
 commission rules.
 SECTION 6.  Sections 754.0141(a), (b), (c), (e), and (f),
 Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  Elevators, chairlifts, or platform lifts installed in a
 single-family dwelling on or after January 1, 2004, must comply
 with the ASME Code A17.1 or A18.1, as applicable, and must be
 inspected by a registered elevator [QEI-1 certified] inspector
 after the installation is complete. The inspector shall provide
 the dwelling owner a copy of the inspection report.
 (b)  The commission shall[, before January 1, 2004,] adopt
 rules containing minimum safety standards that must be used by
 registered elevator [QEI-1 certified] inspectors when inspecting
 elevators, chairlifts, and platform lifts installed in
 single-family dwellings.
 (c)  A municipality may withhold a certificate of occupancy
 for a dwelling or for the installation of the elevator or chairlift
 until the owner provides a copy of the [QEI-1] inspection report to
 the municipality.
 (e)  On completing installation of equipment in a
 single-family dwelling, a contractor shall provide the dwelling
 owner with relevant information, in writing, about use, safety, and
 maintenance of the equipment, including the advisability of having
 the equipment periodically and timely inspected by a registered
 elevator [QEI-1 certified] inspector.
 (f)  An inspection by a registered elevator [QEI-1
 certified] inspector of equipment in a single-family dwelling may
 be performed only at the request and with the consent of the owner.
 The owner of a single-family dwelling is not subject to Section
 754.0231, 754.0232, 754.0233, 754.0234, or 754.0235 [754.022,
 754.023, or 754.024].
 SECTION 7.  Section 754.015, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.015.  RULES. (a) The commission by rule shall
 provide for:
 (1)  an annual inspection and certification of the
 equipment covered by standards adopted under this chapter
 [subchapter];
 (2)  enforcement of those standards;
 (3)  registration, including certification, of
 elevator [qualified] inspectors [and contractors];
 (4)  registration of contractors;
 (5)  the procedures by which a certificate of
 compliance is issued and displayed [the form of inspection
 documents, contractor reports, and certificates of compliance];
 (6) [(5)]  notification to building owners,
 architects, and other building industry professionals regarding
 the necessity of annually inspecting equipment;
 (7) [(6)]  approval of continuing education programs
 for registered elevator [QEI-1 certified] inspectors;
 (8) [(7)]  standards of conduct for individuals who are
 registered under this chapter [subchapter];
 (9) [(8)]  general liability insurance as a condition
 of contractor registration with coverage of not less than:
 (A)  $1 million for each single occurrence of
 bodily injury or death; and
 (B)  $500,000 for each single occurrence of
 property damage;
 (10) [(9)]  the submission and review of plans for the
 installation or alteration of equipment; [and]
 (11) [(10)]  continuing education requirements for
 renewal of contractor registration;
 (12)  maintenance control programs, maintenance,
 repair, and parts manuals, and product-specific inspection,
 testing, and maintenance procedures;
 (13)  the method and manner of reporting accidents and
 reportable conditions to the department; and
 (14)  an owner's designation of an agent for purposes of
 this chapter.
 (b)  The commission by rule may not:
 (1)  require inspections of equipment to be made more
 often than every 12 months, except as provided by Subsection (c); or
 (2)  require persons to post a bond or furnish
 insurance or to have minimum experience or education as a condition
 of certification or registration, except as otherwise provided by
 this chapter[; or
 [(3)     prohibit a QEI-1 certified inspector who is
 registered with the department from inspecting equipment].
 (c)  The commission by rule may require a reinspection or
 recertification of equipment if:
 (1)  the equipment has been altered;
 (2)  the equipment [and] poses a significant threat to
 passenger or worker safety; or
 (3)  [if] an annual inspection report indicates an
 existing violation has continued longer than permitted in a delay
 granted by the executive director.
 (d)  The executive director may charge a reasonable fee as
 set by the commission for:
 (1)  registering or renewing registration of an
 elevator inspector;
 (2)  registering or renewing registration of a
 contractor;
 (3)  applying for a certificate of compliance;
 (4)  filing an inspection report as required by Section
 754.019(a)(3), 30 days or more after the date the report is due, for
 each day the report remains not filed after the date the report is
 due;
 (5)  submitting for review plans for the installation
 or alteration of equipment;
 (6)  reviewing and approving continuing education
 providers and courses for renewal of elevator inspector and
 contractor registrations [registration];
 (7)  applying for a waiver, new technology variance, or
 delay; and
 (8)  attending a continuing education program
 sponsored by the department for registered elevator [QEI-1]
 inspectors.
 (e)  The commission by rule may require inspection reports,
 other documents, and fees to be filed in a manner prescribed by the
 department, including electronically.
 SECTION 8.  Section 754.016, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.016.  INSPECTION REPORTS AND CERTIFICATES OF
 COMPLIANCE. (a) Inspection reports and certificates of compliance
 required under this chapter [subchapter] must cover all equipment
 in a building or structure appurtenant to the building, including a
 parking facility, that are owned by the same person or persons.
 (b)  A registered elevator [An] inspector shall issue [date
 and sign] an inspection report [and shall issue the report] to the
 [building] owner not later than the fifth [10th] calendar day after
 the date of inspection in accordance with the procedures
 established by commission rule.
 (c)  The executive director shall issue [date and sign] a
 certificate of compliance [and shall issue the certificate] to the
 [building] owner. [The certificate of compliance shall state:
 [(1)     that the equipment has been inspected by a
 certified inspector and found by the inspector to be in compliance,
 except for any delays or waivers granted by the executive director
 and stated in the certificate;
 [(2)     the date of the last inspection and the due date
 for the next inspection; and
 [(3)     contact information at the department to report a
 violation of this subchapter.]
 (d)  The commission by rule shall:
 (1)  [specify what information must be contained in a
 certificate of compliance;
 [(2)     describe the procedure by which a certificate of
 compliance is issued;
 [(3)]  require that a certificate of compliance for any
 equipment [related to an elevator] be posted in a publicly visible
 area of the building; and
 (2) [(4)]  determine what constitutes a "publicly
 visible area" under Subdivision (1) [(3)].
 (e)  The department shall prescribe the format and the
 required information contained in the inspection reports, the
 certificates of compliance, and other documents.
 SECTION 9.  The heading to Section 754.017, Health and
 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.017.  REGISTERED ELEVATOR [CERTIFIED] INSPECTORS.
 SECTION 10.  Sections 754.017(a), (b), and (d), Health and
 Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  In order to inspect equipment, an individual must:
 (1)  be registered with the department;
 (2)  attend educational programs approved by the
 department;
 (3)  be certified as an [a QEI-1] inspector in
 accordance with the rules adopted by the commission [by an
 organization accredited by the American Society of Mechanical
 Engineers]; [and]
 (4)  comply with the continuing education requirements
 established by commission rule for registration renewal; and
 (5)  pay all applicable fees.
 (b)  A person assisting a registered elevator [certified]
 inspector and working under the direct, on-site supervision of the
 inspector is not required to be registered [certified].
 (d)  A registered elevator [certified] inspector may not
 inspect equipment if the inspector or the inspector's employer has
 a financial or personal conflict of interest or the appearance of
 impropriety related to the inspection of that equipment [may not be
 required to attend more than seven hours of continuing education
 during each licensing period].
 SECTION 11.  Sections 754.0171(a) and (f), Health and Safety
 Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  A person may not install, repair, alter, test, or
 maintain equipment without registering as a contractor with the
 department as required by this chapter [subchapter].
 (f)  Installation, repair, alteration, testing, and
 maintenance standards for contractors must be consistent with ASME
 Code A17.1, ASME Code A17.3, ASME Code A18.1, and ASCE Code 21.
 SECTION 12.  Section 754.0172, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.0172.  INSPECTION FEE. The amount charged for an
 inspection or the performance of an inspection of equipment under
 this chapter [subchapter] may not be contingent on the existence of
 a maintenance contract between the person performing the inspection
 and any other person.
 SECTION 13.  The heading to Section 754.0174, Health and
 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.0174.  CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR RENEWAL OF ELEVATOR
 INSPECTOR AND CONTRACTOR  REGISTRATIONS.
 SECTION 14.  Section 754.0174, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended by adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b) to
 read as follows:
 (a-1)  Each registered elevator inspector must complete
 continuing education requirements set by commission rule before the
 inspector may renew the inspector's registration.
 (b)  A provider of continuing education under this section
 must:
 (1)  register with the department; and
 (2)  comply with rules adopted by the commission
 relating to continuing education for a registered elevator
 inspector or designated responsible party, as applicable.
 SECTION 15.  Section 754.018, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.018.  POWERS OF MUNICIPALITIES. Subject to Section
 754.014(h), if a municipality operates a program for the
 installation, maintenance, alteration, inspection, testing, or
 certification of equipment, this chapter [subchapter] shall not
 apply to the equipment in that municipality, provided that the
 standards of installation, maintenance, alteration, inspection,
 testing, and certification are at least equivalent to those
 contained in this chapter [subchapter].
 SECTION 16.  The heading to Section 754.019, Health and
 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.019.  DUTIES OF [REAL PROPERTY] OWNERS.
 SECTION 17.  Sections 754.019(a), (b), and (e), Health and
 Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The owner [of real property on which equipment covered
 by this subchapter is located] shall:
 (1)  have the equipment inspected annually by a
 registered elevator [certified] inspector;
 (2)  obtain an inspection report from the inspector
 evidencing that all equipment in a building on the real property was
 inspected in accordance with this chapter [subchapter] and rules
 adopted under this chapter [subchapter];
 (3)  file with the executive director each inspection
 report, and all applicable fees, not later than the 15th calendar
 [60th] day after the date on which an inspection is made under this
 chapter [subchapter];
 (4)  display the certificate of compliance for the
 equipment in a publicly visible area as defined by commission
 rule[:
 [(A)     in a publicly visible area of the building,
 as determined by commission rule under Section 754.016, if the
 certificate relates to an elevator;
 [(B)     in the escalator box if the certificate
 relates to an escalator; or
 [(C)     in a place designated by the executive
 director if the certificate relates to equipment other than an
 elevator or escalator]; and
 (5)  maintain the equipment in compliance with the
 standards and codes adopted under commission rules [display the
 inspection report at the locations designated in Subdivision (4)
 until a certificate of compliance is issued].
 (b)  When an inspection report is filed, the owner shall
 submit to the executive director, as applicable:
 (1)  verification that any deficiencies in the
 registered elevator inspector's report have been remedied or that a
 bona fide contract to remedy the deficiencies has been entered
 into; or
 (2)  any application for delay or waiver of an
 applicable standard.
 (e)  An owner shall report to the department each accident
 involving equipment not later than 24 [72] hours following the
 accident.
 SECTION 18.  Section 754.020, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.020.  CHIEF ELEVATOR INSPECTOR. The executive
 director may appoint a chief elevator inspector to administer the
 equipment inspection and registration program. The chief elevator
 inspector:
 (1)  may not have a financial or commercial interest in
 the manufacture, maintenance, repair, inspection, installation, or
 sale of equipment; and
 (2)  must possess the [a QEI-1] certification or obtain
 the certification required under Section 754.017 within six months
 after becoming chief elevator inspector.
 SECTION 19.  Section 754.021, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.021.  LIST OF REGISTERED ELEVATOR INSPECTORS AND
 CONTRACTORS; PERSONNEL. The executive director shall:
 (1)  compile a list of elevator [certified] inspectors
 and contractors who are registered with the department; and
 (2)  employ personnel who are necessary to enforce this
 chapter [subchapter].
 SECTION 20.  Chapter 754, Health and Safety Code, is amended
 by adding Sections 754.0231, 754.0232, 754.0233, 754.0234, and
 754.0235 to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.0231.  INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS. (a) Except
 as provided by Subsection (b), the department may conduct an
 inspection or investigation of equipment regulated under this
 chapter in accordance with Chapter 51, Occupations Code. The
 department shall be granted access to any location in the building
 that is inaccessible to the public in order to conduct a full
 inspection or investigation of the equipment.
 (b)  If there is good cause for the executive director to
 believe that equipment on the property poses an imminent and
 significant danger or that an accident involving equipment occurred
 on the property, the executive director or the executive director's
 designee may at any time enter the property to inspect the equipment
 or investigate the danger or accident. The executive director or
 the executive director's designee must be granted access to any
 location in the building that is inaccessible to the public in order
 to conduct a full inspection or investigation.
 Sec. 754.0232.  REGISTRATION PROCEEDINGS. (a) The
 commission or executive director may deny, suspend, or revoke a
 registration under this chapter and may assess an administrative
 penalty for:
 (1)  obtaining registration by fraud or false
 representation;
 (2)  falsifying a report submitted to the executive
 director; or
 (3)  violating this chapter or a rule adopted under
 this chapter.
 (b)  Proceedings for the denial, suspension, or revocation
 of a registration and appeals from these proceedings are governed
 by Chapter 2001, Government Code.
 Sec. 754.0233.  INJUNCTIVE RELIEF; CIVIL PENALTY. (a) The
 attorney general or the executive director may institute an action
 for injunctive relief to prevent or restrain a violation or
 threatened violation of this chapter or a rule adopted under this
 chapter.
 (b)  The attorney general or the executive director may
 institute an action to collect a civil penalty from a person that
 appears to be violating or threatening to violate this chapter or a
 rule adopted under this chapter. A civil penalty assessed under
 this subsection may not exceed $5,000 per day for each violation.
 (c)  An action filed under this section must be filed in a
 district court in Travis County.
 (d)  The attorney general and the department may recover
 reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining injunctive relief or
 civil penalties under this section, including court costs,
 reasonable attorney's fees, investigative costs, witness fees, and
 deposition expenses.
 Sec. 754.0234.  EMERGENCY ORDERS. (a) The executive
 director may issue an emergency order as necessary to enforce this
 chapter if the executive director determines that an emergency
 exists requiring immediate action to protect the public health and
 safety.
 (b)  The executive director shall issue an emergency order in
 accordance with Chapter 51, Occupations Code.
 Sec. 754.0235.  ORDERS TO DISCONNECT POWER TO OR LOCK OUT
 EQUIPMENT. (a)  An emergency order issued in accordance with
 Section 754.0234 may also direct an owner to disconnect power to or
 lock out equipment if:
 (1)  the department determines imminent and
 significant danger to passenger or worker safety exists if action
 is not taken immediately; or
 (2)  an annual inspection has not been performed in
 more than two years.
 (b)  If an emergency order to disconnect power or lock out
 equipment is issued, the owner may have the power reconnected or the
 equipment unlocked only if a registered elevator inspector or
 contractor or a department representative verifies in writing to
 the department that the imminent and significant danger has been
 removed by repair, replacement, or other means.
 (c)  If an emergency order to disconnect power or lock out
 equipment is issued and the owner later notifies the department
 that the imminent and significant danger no longer exists, the
 executive director or the executive director's designee shall,
 after the requirements of Subsection (b) are satisfied, issue
 written permission to reconnect power or unlock the equipment and
 notify the owner.
 SECTION 21.  Section 754.025, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 754.025.  APPLICATION OF CERTAIN LAW. [(a) Chapter 53,
 Occupations Code, applies to a registration under this subchapter.
 [(b)]  Sections 51.401 and 51.404, Occupations Code, do not
 apply to this chapter, except those sections do apply to Sections
 754.017 and 754.0171 [subchapter].
 SECTION 22.  The following provisions of the Health and
 Safety Code are repealed:
 (1)  Subchapter A, Chapter 754;
 (2)  the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 754;
 (3)  Section 754.014(i);
 (4)  Sections 754.0171(d) and (e); and
 (5)  Sections 754.022, 754.023, and 754.024.
 SECTION 23.  (a)  The Texas Commission of Licensing and
 Regulation shall adopt rules implementing Chapter 754, Health and
 Safety Code, as amended by this Act, not later than January 1, 2014.
 (b)  Sections 754.016(b) and 754.019(a)(3), Health and
 Safety Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an inspection
 initiated on or after January 1, 2014.
 (c)  The repeal by this Act of Subchapter A, Chapter 754,
 Health and Safety Code, and Section 754.024, Health and Safety
 Code, does not apply to an offense committed under Section 754.003
 or 754.024, Health and Safety Code, before the effective date of the
 repeal. An offense committed before the effective date of the
 repeal is governed by Section 754.003 or 754.024, Health and Safety
 Code, as it existed on the date the offense was committed, and the
 former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of
 this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of
 the repeal if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
 SECTION 24.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.