H.B. No. 3813
AN ACT
relating to municipal fire suppression standards in certain
municipalities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 342, Local Government Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter Z to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 342.901. FIRE SUPPRESSION STANDARDS IN CERTAIN
MUNICIPALITIES. (a) This section applies to a general law
municipality that:
(1) has a population of less than 4,000;
(2) is located in a county that:
(A) has a population of more than one
million; and
(B) is adjacent to a county with a population of
more than 420,000; and
(3) is served by a district governed by Chapter 51,
Water Code.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the governing body of a
municipality may by ordinance establish water flow and water
pressure standards sufficient to provide adequate pressure to fire
suppression systems and require a district described by Subsection
(a)(3) that provides water service in the municipality to take
reasonable measures to comply with those standards.
(c) Before a municipality adopts an ordinance under this
section, the municipality and the district described by Subsection
(a)(3) that is subject to the proposed ordinance shall establish
the scope of and estimate the costs associated with any capital
improvements necessary to comply with the proposed ordinance.
(d) A district described by Subsection (a)(3) may recover
the costs associated with complying with an ordinance adopted under
this section through a surcharge assessed only to customers served
in the municipality to the extent that:
(1) complying with the ordinance results in additional
capital improvement costs for the district; and
(2) the ordinance establishes water flow and water
pressure standards inside municipal boundaries that are more
stringent
than water flow and water pressure standards required
outside municipal boundaries.
(e) To the extent of a conflict between this section and any
other law, this section controls.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3813 was passed by the House on May 2,
2013, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 2, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 3813 on May 23, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 1,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3813 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 20, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor