| 1 | 1 | | 88R3337 KBB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Collier H.B. No. 383 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the provision of access to a dwelling by a landlord to a |
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| 8 | 8 | | cotenant or occupant who commits certain offenses. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 92, Property Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 92.01611 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 92.01611. PROVIDING CERTAIN OFFENDERS ACCESS TO |
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| 13 | 13 | | DWELLING PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "occupant" has the |
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| 14 | 14 | | meaning assigned by Section 92.016. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) A landlord who rekeys or changes a security device for a |
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| 16 | 16 | | tenant's dwelling at the request of the tenant under Section |
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| 17 | 17 | | 92.156(b) may not provide a key, code, or other means of access to |
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| 18 | 18 | | the dwelling to a cotenant or occupant of the dwelling if the |
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| 19 | 19 | | tenant: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) is entitled to vacate the dwelling under Section |
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| 21 | 21 | | 92.016 or 92.0161; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) chooses to not vacate the dwelling; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) provides the landlord or the landlord's agent a |
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| 24 | 24 | | copy of a court order granting the tenant possession of the dwelling |
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| 25 | 25 | | to the exclusion of the cotenant or occupant because the cotenant or |
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| 26 | 26 | | occupant committed family violence, as defined by Section 71.004, |
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| 27 | 27 | | Family Code, or an offense described by Section 92.0161 against the |
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| 28 | 28 | | tenant or a child or ward of the tenant. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) This section does not release a cotenant from liability |
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| 30 | 30 | | or obligations under the rental agreement. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Section 92.165, Property Code, is amended to |
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| 32 | 32 | | read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | Sec. 92.165. TENANT REMEDIES FOR OTHER LANDLORD VIOLATIONS. |
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| 34 | 34 | | If a landlord does not comply with a tenant's request regarding |
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| 35 | 35 | | rekeying, changing, adding, repairing, or replacing a security |
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| 36 | 36 | | device under Section 92.156(b), 92.157, or 92.158 in accordance |
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| 37 | 37 | | with the time limits and other requirements of this subchapter or |
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| 38 | 38 | | violates Section 92.01611, the tenant may: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) install, repair, change, replace, or rekey the |
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| 40 | 40 | | security devices as required by this subchapter and deduct the |
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| 41 | 41 | | reasonable cost of material, labor, taxes, and extra keys from the |
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| 42 | 42 | | tenant's next rent payment in accordance with Section 92.166; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) unilaterally terminate the lease without court |
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| 44 | 44 | | proceedings; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (3) file suit against the landlord and obtain a |
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| 46 | 46 | | judgment for: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (A) a court order directing the landlord to |
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| 48 | 48 | | comply, if the tenant is in possession of the dwelling; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (B) the tenant's actual damages; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (C) punitive damages if the tenant suffers actual |
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| 51 | 51 | | damages and the landlord's failure to comply is intentional, |
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| 52 | 52 | | malicious, or grossly negligent; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (D) a [civil] penalty of one month's rent plus |
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| 54 | 54 | | $500; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (E) court costs; and |
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| 56 | 56 | | (F) attorney's fees except in suits for recovery |
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| 57 | 57 | | of property damages, personal injuries, or wrongful death. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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