BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2214 By: Walle Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 87th Legislature passed H.B. 531, which established a requirement for a landlord to provide written notice to a tenant regarding whether or not they are aware if the dwelling in question is in a 100-year floodplain. The bill author has informed the committee of concerns that the notice requirements unintentionally and unnecessarily apply to short-term leases and temporary tenancies that occur when a buyer occupies the property before closing or a seller occupies the property after closing. H.B. 2214 seeks to address this issue by providing for an exemption from the notice requirement in those circumstances. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 2214 amends the Property Code to exempt a landlord from the requirement to provide a certain notice to a tenant indicating whether the landlord is or is not aware that the dwelling is located in a 100-year floodplain and a notice that the landlord knows that any portion of the dwelling has been damaged by flooding at least once during the five-year period immediately preceding the lease's effective date to a tenant under a lease with a term of less than 30 days or under a temporary residential tenancy created by a contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a specific term not greater than 90 days. The bill includes among the methods by which those written notices must be given to the tenant at or before execution of the lease the inclusion of the notices in a paragraph of the lease or as an addendum to the lease. The bill requires the landlord and tenant to sign the document containing the applicable notice to evidence the provision and receipt of the notice. H.B. 2214 applies only to a lease agreement entered into or renewed on or after the bill's effective date. A lease agreement entered into or renewed before the bill's effective date is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2214
By: Walle
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2214
By: Walle
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 87th Legislature passed H.B. 531, which established a requirement for a landlord to provide written notice to a tenant regarding whether or not they are aware if the dwelling in question is in a 100-year floodplain. The bill author has informed the committee of concerns that the notice requirements unintentionally and unnecessarily apply to short-term leases and temporary tenancies that occur when a buyer occupies the property before closing or a seller occupies the property after closing. H.B. 2214 seeks to address this issue by providing for an exemption from the notice requirement in those circumstances.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2214 amends the Property Code to exempt a landlord from the requirement to provide a certain notice to a tenant indicating whether the landlord is or is not aware that the dwelling is located in a 100-year floodplain and a notice that the landlord knows that any portion of the dwelling has been damaged by flooding at least once during the five-year period immediately preceding the lease's effective date to a tenant under a lease with a term of less than 30 days or under a temporary residential tenancy created by a contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a specific term not greater than 90 days. The bill includes among the methods by which those written notices must be given to the tenant at or before execution of the lease the inclusion of the notices in a paragraph of the lease or as an addendum to the lease. The bill requires the landlord and tenant to sign the document containing the applicable notice to evidence the provision and receipt of the notice. H.B. 2214 applies only to a lease agreement entered into or renewed on or after the bill's effective date. A lease agreement entered into or renewed before the bill's effective date is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The 87th Legislature passed H.B. 531, which established a requirement for a landlord to provide written notice to a tenant regarding whether or not they are aware if the dwelling in question is in a 100-year floodplain. The bill author has informed the committee of concerns that the notice requirements unintentionally and unnecessarily apply to short-term leases and temporary tenancies that occur when a buyer occupies the property before closing or a seller occupies the property after closing. H.B. 2214 seeks to address this issue by providing for an exemption from the notice requirement in those circumstances.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2214 amends the Property Code to exempt a landlord from the requirement to provide a certain notice to a tenant indicating whether the landlord is or is not aware that the dwelling is located in a 100-year floodplain and a notice that the landlord knows that any portion of the dwelling has been damaged by flooding at least once during the five-year period immediately preceding the lease's effective date to a tenant under a lease with a term of less than 30 days or under a temporary residential tenancy created by a contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a specific term not greater than 90 days. The bill includes among the methods by which those written notices must be given to the tenant at or before execution of the lease the inclusion of the notices in a paragraph of the lease or as an addendum to the lease. The bill requires the landlord and tenant to sign the document containing the applicable notice to evidence the provision and receipt of the notice.
H.B. 2214 applies only to a lease agreement entered into or renewed on or after the bill's effective date. A lease agreement entered into or renewed before the bill's effective date is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the bill's effective date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.