Texas 2019 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1873 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/15/2019

                    86R6871 SRA-D
 By: Dominguez H.B. No. 1873


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to a report by the Texas Division of Emergency Management
 regarding building trade services following disasters.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
 amended by adding Section 418.054 to read as follows:
 Sec. 418.054.  REPORT ON BUILDING TRADE SERVICES FOLLOWING
 DISASTERS. (a) Not later than November 1, 2020, the division shall
 submit a report to members of the legislature on improving the
 oversight, accountability, and availability of building trade
 services following disasters. The report must include:
 (1)  strategies to increase the availability of
 tradespeople, including plumbers and electricians, following a
 disaster;
 (2)  approaches to increase prosecutions of alleged
 fraud related to building trade services offered following a
 disaster; and
 (3)  methods to encourage performance bond
 requirements in contracts for building trade services to be
 performed following a disaster.
 (b)  The division shall consult with appropriate state
 entities, including the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and
 Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, local governments,
 trade associations, and law enforcement groups in preparing the
 report described by Subsection (a).
 (c)  This section expires January 1, 2021.
 SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.