| 1 | 1 | | By: Springer H.B. No. 518 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to fire safety inspections. |
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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. Section 419.909, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 9 | 9 | | read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 419.909. FIRE SAFETY INSPECTIONS. (a) [Only an |
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| 11 | 11 | | individual certified by the commission as a fire inspector may |
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| 12 | 12 | | conduct a] A fire safety inspection required by a state or local |
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| 13 | 13 | | law, rule, regulation, or ordinance, may only be conducted by an |
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| 14 | 14 | | individual trained in accordance with the Standard for Professional |
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| 15 | 15 | | Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner as established |
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| 16 | 16 | | by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and certified |
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| 17 | 17 | | by: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' |
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| 20 | 20 | | Association, |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) the National Fire Protection Association, |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) the International Code Council, or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (5) any other state agency with authority over fire |
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| 24 | 24 | | safety inspections. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) A fire safety inspection required by a state or local |
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| 26 | 26 | | law, rule, regulation, or ordinance must be conducted in accordance |
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| 27 | 27 | | with: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) the most recent local fire code; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) the most recent fire code adopted by the state fire |
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| 30 | 30 | | marshal. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) This section does not apply to state agency personnel |
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| 32 | 32 | | who conduct a life safety code survey of a building or facility in |
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| 33 | 33 | | connection with determining whether to issue or renew a license |
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| 34 | 34 | | under Chapter 142, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 247, 248, 251, 252, 464, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 466, 577, Health and Safety Code, or Chapter 103, Human Resources |
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| 36 | 36 | | Code. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 38 | 38 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 39 | 39 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 41 | 41 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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