Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB674 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 674
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to municipal and county building codes.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Sections 388.003(a) and (b), Health and Safety
9	9	Code, are amended to read as follows:
10	10	(a) To achieve energy conservation in single-family
11	11	residential construction, on January [the energy efficiency
12	12	chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May
13	13	1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code in this state for
14	14	single-family residential construction. On September] 1, 2024
15	15	[2016], the energy efficiency chapter of the International
16	16	Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2023 [2015], is adopted as
17	17	the energy code in this state for single-family residential
18	18	construction. On or after January [September] 1, 2030 [2021], the
19	19	State Energy Conservation Office may adopt and substitute for that
20	20	energy code the latest published edition of the energy efficiency
21	21	chapter of the International Residential Code, based on written
22	22	findings on the stringency of the chapter submitted by the
23	23	laboratory under Subsection (b-3). The office:
24	24	(1) may not adopt an edition under this subsection
25	25	more often than once every six years; and
26	26	(2) by rule shall establish an effective date for an
27	27	adopted edition that is not earlier than nine months after the date
28	28	of adoption.
29	29	(b) To achieve energy conservation in all other
30	30	residential, commercial, and industrial construction, the
31	31	International Energy Conservation Code as it existed on May 1, 2023
32	32	[2001], is adopted as the energy code for use in this state for all
33	33	other residential, commercial, and industrial construction. The
34	34	State Energy Conservation Office may adopt and substitute for that
35	35	energy code the latest published edition of the International
36	36	Energy Conservation Code, based on written findings on the
37	37	stringency of the edition submitted by the laboratory under
38	38	Subsection (b-3). The office by rule shall establish an effective
39	39	date for an adopted edition that is not earlier than nine months
40	40	after the date of adoption.
41	41	SECTION 2. Sections 214.212(a) and (d), Local Government
42	42	Code, are amended to read as follows:
43	43	(a) To protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the
44	44	International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2023
45	45	[2012], is adopted as a municipal residential building code in this
46	46	state.
47	47	(d) A municipality may review and consider amendments made
48	48	by the International Code Council to the International Residential
49	49	Code after May 1, 2023 [2012].
50	50	SECTION 3. Sections 214.214(a) and (c), Local Government
51	51	Code, are amended to read as follows:
52	52	(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the National
53	53	Electrical Code, as it existed on May 1, 2023 [2001], is adopted as
54	54	the municipal electrical construction code in this state and
55	55	applies to all residential and commercial electrical construction
56	56	applications.
57	57	(c) The National Electrical Code applies to all commercial
58	58	buildings in a municipality for which construction begins on or
59	59	after January 1, 2024 [2006], and to any alteration, remodeling,
60	60	enlargement, or repair of those commercial buildings.
61	61	SECTION 4. Sections 214.216(a) and (d), Local Government
62	62	Code, are amended to read as follows:
63	63	(a) To protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the
64	64	International Building Code, as it existed on May 1, 2023 [2012], is
65	65	adopted as a municipal commercial building code in this state.
66	66	(d) A municipality may review and consider amendments made
67	67	by the International Code Council to the International Building
68	68	Code after May 1, 2023 [2012].
69	69	SECTION 5. Section 233.062(c), Local Government Code, is
70	70	amended to read as follows:
71	71	(c) The fire code must:
72	72	(1) conform to:
73	73	(A) the International Fire Code, as published by
74	74	the International Code Council, as the code existed on May 1, 2023
75	75	[2005]; or
76	76	(B) the Uniform Fire Code, as published by the
77	77	National Fire Protection Association, as the code existed on May 1,
78	78	2023 [2005]; or
79	79	(2) establish protective measures that exceed the
80	80	standards of the codes described by Subdivision (1).
81	81	SECTION 6. Section 233.153(a), Local Government Code, is
82	82	amended to read as follows:
83	83	(a) New residential construction of a single-family house
84	84	or duplex in the unincorporated area of a county to which this
85	85	subchapter applies shall conform to the version of the
86	86	International Residential Code published as of May 1, 2023 [2008],
87	87	or the version of the International Residential Code that is
88	88	applicable in the county seat of that county.
89	89	SECTION 7. Section 233.153(b), Local Government Code, is
90	90	repealed.
91	91	SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
92	92	residential or commercial construction, remodeling, alteration,
93	93	enlargement, repair, or other activity, as applicable, that begins
94	94	under an agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2024, or that
95	95	begins, in the absence of an agreement, on or after that date.
96	96	Residential or commercial construction, remodeling, alteration,
97	97	enlargement, repair, or other applicable activity that begins under
98	98	an agreement entered into before January 1, 2024, or that begins, in
99	99	the absence of an agreement, before that date is governed by the law
100	100	in effect when the agreement was entered into or the activity began,
101	101	as appropriate, and that law is continued in effect for that
102	102	purpose.
103	103	SECTION 9. This Act takes effect January 1, 2024.